Challenging the Degree Default
Sharon’s career began without a university degree, a fact she once avoided discussing but has since embraced.
I used to write covering letters that said, "I don't have a degree, but you really should meet me.”
Despite early rejections from corporates with rigid degree requirements, Sharon's persistence paid off. After some time at a marketing consultancy, she broke into financial services and joined NatWest Stockbrokers. Today, she's challenging these outdated hiring practices from the very top.
“I've changed job specs from ‘must have a degree’ to ‘degree preferable’ or removed it altogether. That's how you get real diversity of background.”
Leading in Male-Dominated Environments
From London boardrooms to Middle Eastern banks, Sharon has consistently operated in male-dominated spaces. Her approach? Adapt, but stay authentic.
“In some rooms, I had to dial up my assertiveness just to be heard. In others, like the Middle East, I had to dial it down to build trust.”
Rather than seeing these challenges as barriers, she used them as training grounds, sharpening her resilience and developing a flexible leadership style without compromising her values.
Building a Career Overseas
Sharon spent over six years working in the Middle East, a period that profoundly shaped her leadership style and worldview. Initially hesitant to take the leap, she turned down a role in Qatar before reconsidering and ultimately relocating with her young family. The experience was transformative, both professionally and personally.
In contrast to the assertive style often required in UK boardrooms, Sharon found that success in the Middle East depended on building trust, credibility, and relationships.
"The louder you got over there, particularly as a female, the less credibility you had."
The move also came with personal challenges. Uprooting her family meant leaving behind their entire support network – extended family, friends, and familiar routines. Sharon and her husband had to build everything from scratch, from housing and schooling to social connections.
"You lose your entire support network, let's be clear... it's just the three of you out there, and if things go wrong, or someone's sick, or you've got lots of pressures at work, it's just you."
This experience created a strong team spirit within her family and taught Sharon the importance of resilience, adaptability, and shared purpose and values that continue to shape her leadership today.
Storytelling as a Strategic Tool
A hallmark of Sharon’s leadership style is her passion for storytelling. Storytelling isn't a soft skill, she tells us, it's a leadership imperative to motivate her teams.
“I want people to be as excited as I am about work. That means telling them the ‘why’ — why it matters for the customer, and why it matters for them.”
In this way, Sharon can connect long-term strategy to day-to-day work, helping teams understand how their efforts contribute to a bigger mission. It's not just about vision statements or quarterly goals, it's about making the work feel meaningful.
One tip she shares for leaders? Lean on real-world examples to visualise progress. That way people can understand impact in a way that keeps them engaged and motivated.
“If we're going to be there in three years, what does that mean the business will look like in six weeks? What does that mean we'll have done in the next four weeks? What does that mean you're going to do this week?"
