»»“ I BEGAN MY WORKING life as a Chemistry graduate , initially working as a Research and Development chemist in laboratory for Castrol . It quickly became apparent that I would be better suited to a more people orientated role . So , as a stop gap , I took a job selling ad space for a local newspaper . It had always been my intention to find a job that utilised my degree but little did I know that , through a succession of roles from this point , I would be presented with opportunities that would lead me to become MD at one of the UK ’ s largest profile houses , covering key brands such as Profile 22 , Swish , Patiomaster and Spectus .

‘ It has been flexible and supportive and enabled me to carve out a fantastic career and I would encourage other women into the industry .’

Since then I have worked in various sales positions within the industry from National Sales Manager to Key Accounts Director and lastly Group Sales Director , which all provided me with a vast array of experience

and challenges that go along with that level of responsibility . During this time , I got married and had my two children , who are now both in their teens . I was very fortunate to be able to work parttime until they went to school .

My first experience in general management was as Managing Director of a specialist glazing division within a large PLC . This really gave me the drive and a true flavour of what to expect from general management .

Now , it is coming up to 2 years since I joined Epwin as MD and I can honestly say it has been a hugely fulfilling and satisfying journey . The business is in a very strong position , making it well-placed to provide the best support to our customers in what we predict will be an exciting and , maybe , challenging year ahead .

I didn ’ t choose this industry but can safely say that it has been very fair to me and one that I wouldn ’ t have missed out on . I ’ ve met some great people along the way and have always been presented with opportunities to develop and progress . It has been flexible and supportive and enabled me to carve out a fantastic career and I would encourage other women into the industry .

The best advice I could give someone looking to pursue a similar career path is not to give up . I ’ m my own worst critic but it is important to have confidence in your ability , step out of your

comfort zone and continuously challenge yourself , in order to reach your full potential . When I moved from sales to a general management role , I embraced the challenges and hard work that came with this and prepared myself for a steep learning curve . But providing you give your best , understand your weaknesses and build a strong and experienced team to work with , you can succeed .

I have grasped the opportunities presented to me and it has paid off . Life can be challenging , however , it is highly rewarding running this division of a business of Epwin ’ s size and I am thoroughly enjoy working with my exceptional team and our loyal and trusted partners and customers .

On a more personal level , I will be facing a significant challenge this year by taking part in Paddle2Pedal for GM Fundraising . It is such a

‘ providing you give your best , understand your weaknesses and build a strong and experienced team to work with , you can succeed ’

worthwhile cause and I wanted to demonstrate what us girls could do to support it . Having focussed on my career over the last few years , I ’ m afraid my fitness regime has taken a hit , so this is really going to be a challenge for me , but I ’ m looking forward to tackling my fears of water during the event and crossing that finish line in August .

You can support Clare at www . justgiving . com / fundraising / oharap2p