Q&A for International Women’s Day 2018 wth Sharn Hawkins, RBS Treasury

Brewer Morris is proud to be supporting International Women’s Day 2018. We have interviewed a selection of our female clients asking them how they are pressing forward for women’s gender parity #pressforprogress

Brewer Morris interviewed Sharn Hawkins, RBS Treasury

Past Progress

If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be and why?

Stop caring what everyone else thinks of you. We all have one shot in life and you don’t want to look back one day and wish you’d done something sooner.

What action or decision are you most proud of making in your lifetime?

When I was 14 I was attending an underperforming school and had been given predicted grades that were below what I thought I was capable of. Rather than letting it knock my confidence or get lazy, I used it to drive me on and prove people wrong. It’s the same drive that’s got me to where I am today.

Describe one of your failures. What lessons did you learn and how did they contribute to greater success?

I honestly don’t believe in failures. When something doesn’t work out, it’s an opportunity to learn. To dwell on the past as a series of successes and failures has the capacity to swallow you up and I think life is for learning.

If you had to start your career from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

I’d make sure every career decision I made, right from school, took overall happiness into account. The best jobs I’ve ever had are the ones where I’ve smiled most.

Present Progress

Of the people that inspire you, what character traits do they have that you admire?

They’re energetic, passionate, bright and collaborative.

If I were to ask people in your workplace for three adjectives that best describe you, what would they say?

Driven, optimistic and thoughtful.

How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

Generally, I’m a person that prefers to live on the sunnier side of life and this helps give me a lot of my energy. When times are tough I try to keep everything in perspective with wider life and use sleep as a reset button so at the very least, every day is a new day!

If you were to be a mentor to someone within your profession, what one piece of advice would you give?

To believe in yourself, have a plan and never be afraid to ask.

What is your personal mantra?

Nothing is impossible.

Future Progress

What would you say are the top three skills needed in order to be successful in your industry?

To be adaptable, a good communicator and driven.

What kind of legacy do you wish to leave behind?

I’d like to leave behind an environment where people stay positive, work efficiently and realise that we really are greater than the sum of our parts.

At the recent Golden Globes, Oprah delivered a moving speech which led to people talking about her running for president. If you had the choice to recommend a leader, who would it be and why?

Michelle Obama. Smart, approachable, a good sense of humour, an excellent public speaker, humble and passionate.