BBalanced, the firm’s employee-driven gender balance network, has launched the first in its series of "Careers in Focus”interviews with leaders from across the firm discussing how they got to where they are today and the challenges they have faced on that journey. 

BBalanced previously ran career focus groups, aimed at understanding the driving factors behind choices made by people at different stages in their career, actual and perceived barriers to career progression and how these might affect genders in different ways. The focus groups involved people from across the firm, in a variety of roles and levels of seniority, and the results were fed back to the firm’s Gender Taskforce, chaired by Senior Partner, Chris Seaton. 

As a result of that feedback, one of BBalanced’s objectives is to help people to imagine their future at the firm and to increase transparency about opportunities that are available. “Careers in Focus” is one of a number of initiatives currently being developed by BBalanced with this in mind. Sally-Anne Hayles and Greg Fearn, co-chairs of one the BBalanced task groups, have interviewed five senior leaders from the firm’s legal and business services departments with the aim of de-mystifying senior roles, exploring different routes to promotion and understanding how people manage home and work life challenges.

The launch event at One Glass Wharf premiered the first interview in the series, with Dan Baber, Senior Communications Manager. Dan’s interview told us about how he got into the world of PR and how mindfulness and martial arts help him deal with the stresses of modern life.  This was followed by a hugely engaging Q & A session with Dan and the other interviewees, who were asked about their career paths and for any advice and tips they could share. India Jenkins, a solicitor in the family team who attended the event said “I thought it was fantastic - all your insights were great and I’ve come away reminded of how lucky I am to work in a place where such transparent and helpful conversations are encouraged and celebrated.”

In the second interview in the series, Emma Andrews, a director in the Projects team, talks about her promotion to director, the aspects of that role that she enjoys and has been surprised by as well as why it’s important to build your practice in an area that you enjoy and are passionate about. 

The other interviews in the “Careers in Focus” series will be released in the coming weeks.

For further information on BBalanced and the firm’s other diversity and inclusion networks, please visit our website Diversity and Inclusion Networks (burges-salmon.com)