Equality isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about redesigning culture.
At Welsh ICE, we’ve learned that the real challenge with the gender pay gap isn’t just about pay bands or policies, it’s about the mindsets that shape our workplaces.
So much of what defines equality isn’t visible on a spreadsheet. It’s found in the way we design work, lead people, and create environments where everyone can thrive.
And for me, that’s not just a professional belief, it’s deeply personal.
Where It Started for Me 🌿
When I first joined Welsh ICE, I wasn’t the CEO. In fact, I wasn’t even looking for a leadership role.
I was a new mum, returning from maternity leave, trying to rebuild my confidence and find something that could fit around childcare.
At the time, I wasn’t the breadwinner; I just needed something that kept me connected to the professional world while I developed a business idea on the side (ironically, one very similar to what we now call the ICE Academy).
When I came across the Community Outreach Manager role at Welsh ICE, it instantly resonated. But if I’m honest, what made me apply wasn’t just the mission, it was the flexibility.
It was the first role I’d seen that didn’t make me choose between my career and being a mum.
So, ICE became the organisation I returned from maternity leave to, and, without realising it at the time, the place that would shape how I lead forever.
Why Flexibility Isn’t Optional 💪
As I grew through the company and eventually stepped into the CEO role, flexibility was something I never questioned.
Of course, I would extend the same trust and freedom to my team that I’d been given, because it was the reason I was able to grow in the first place.
Naturally, some roles require more structure and visibility than others, but wherever possible, flexibility is the standard. It’s not a benefit, it’s a baseline.
And it’s paying off.
When we recently hired for our new Head of Strategic Partnerships & Community Investment, I was blown away by the quality of candidates. Every one of them mentioned our flexible approach as a key reason for applying.
That was such a proud moment. It showed that what we model internally now ripples outward, and people can see that we genuinely walk the talk. And the result? The kind of talent that’s both exceptional and aligned with our values.
Equality in Practice, and at Home 👶
One of my proudest moments as CEO was when we updated our parental leave policy, and a male colleague became the first to take full advantage of it.
What moved me most wasn’t just his choice to take that time, but what it meant to him, the bonding with his newborn, the impact on his home life, and the fact that his partner wasn’t left isolated during those fragile early weeks.
Because my own experiences were very different.
On both occasions when I took maternity leave, my husband was only entitled to the standard two weeks. Both times, watching him leave us so soon after the births was incredibly hard.
The second time, I was recovering from a C-section, with a school run to manage for my eldest, in the middle of winter, unable to drive, still physically healing.
I remember health visitors gently telling me I was doing too much, that I was slowing my recovery, but what choice did I have?
That’s why, as a leader, I refuse to inflict that reality on anyone else.
Knowing that none of my team will ever have to choose between bonding with their baby or keeping their job matters deeply to me. As a woman, a mum, and a CEO.
If I’m to sleep at night as a leader, this is the kind of change I have to champion.
Flexibility, Growth, and What It Really Means to Evolve 💬
Recently, our team explored the ICE Team Growth Journey, how each person develops during their time with us.
I went in expecting a long list of improvements. What I found instead was a culture already brimming with opportunity.
Yes, we identified areas to refine, but mostly, we discussed how to keep our long-standing team members energised and growing.
And the answer that kept coming up? Autonomy and flexibility.
Not just flexibility in hours, but in how people grow.
Growth doesn’t only happen through promotions or pay rises. It happens through autonomy. The ability to explore, to volunteer, to test new ideas, to move across departments, to contribute to something bigger.
I might be at the top of the organisational chart, but I still grow every day, learning, adapting, and building Welsh ICE into something even more impactful.
When we free ourselves from the idea that growth must be vertical, and instead make it experiential, it’s incredibly liberating, for individuals and for organisations.
That’s largely why we’ve chosen to flatten our hierarchy, adopting a circular model rather than a traditional linear one. The result? Greater collaboration, autonomy, and shared leadership, where everyone has the space to make their mark.
And of course, at the heart of all this, there’s fun.
We take our work seriously, but not ourselves, and that’s exactly why our culture thrives. When people feel trusted, free, and able to laugh together, everything else – creativity, collaboration, equality – follows naturally.
At Welsh ICE, the structure doesn’t hold our team back; only their mindset can.
Equality by Design ⚖️
For us, equality isn’t a statement or a PR exercise; it’s culture by design.
Our latest analysis shows a -2.4% gender pay gap, meaning women earn slightly more on average than men.
That’s not because of quotas. It’s because of trust, opportunity, and transparency.
It’s because women aren’t clustered in the lowest-paid roles, and men are equally encouraged to embrace flexible and parental leave.
It’s because autonomy and fairness sit at the heart of how we operate.
And it’s because we don’t just believe in equality, we build it in.
Because when equality becomes the norm, not the target, everyone wins. 💫
