_Inspiring Inclusion: Knight Frank celebrates International Women’s Day 2024
International Women’s Day is a global celebration acknowledging the social, economic, cultural, and political strides of women. This annual event serves as a powerful reminder of progress towards gender equality and the work that still needs to be done.
Stephen Clifton, Chair of Knight Frank’s Commercial Board and our Executive Sponsor for Gender, highlights the critical role International Women’s Day plays in advancing gender equality:
“Property is a people business, and ensuring we reflect the societies in which we live and work has never been more vital. At Knight Frank, we are deeply committed to making our firm truly inclusive, but we know we have work to do. International Women’s Day is an important moment for us to reiterate our commitment to the journey we are on, while reflecting on the strides we’ve made and what is left to do. But ultimately, it is our opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and thank the inspirational women who do brilliant things in our business and our industry every single day. I am fortunate to work with many fantastic women, and it is a privilege I will never take for granted."
Hannah Awonuga, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, adds:
“The importance of recognising events like International Women’s Day is so critical to the movement of gender equality in the workplace and society. For Knight Frank, we know the data tells us that we’ve got a lot of work to do from a gender equality perspective. International Women’s Day is an opportunity for women to tell stories and shine a light on the phenomenal women we have in the organisation, their work, and how they contribute to the business. But it’s also an opportunity to highlight the work we still need to do.”
Spotlight on Knight Frank’s Inspirational Women
Let’s take a closer look at some of the inspiring women within Knight Frank who exemplify dedication, resilience, and leadership.
Inesha Holt - Partner, London Tenant Representation Team
Inesha joined Knight Frank in 2022 as a Partner in the London Tenant Representation team. Inesha reflects on working her way up through the industry and, as a black woman, recognising the importance of paving the way and setting the standard for newcomers.
Sarah May-Brown - Partner, Head of Private Wealth Intelligence
Approaching her 14th year at Knight Frank, Sarah is a Partner and is currently Head of Private Wealth Intelligence in the Private Office. She discusses the difficulty in navigating the early years of her career without any senior female role models, and why she now feels more ambitious than ever.
Priya Black - Partner, Residential Development Team
Having worked in Knight Frank’s Residential Development team since 2007, Priya discusses working in a male-dominated industry and the need to achieve more balanced representation across the entire organisation.
Natasha Greenhead - Associate, Legal Team
As a new mum, Natasha discusses her apprehension about returning to work post-maternity leave. Recognising Knight Frank’s enhanced parental leave policy, she focuses on the next steps Knight Frank could take to address the financial barriers many women face in returning to work.
Lisa Attenborough – Partner, Head of Capital Advisory
Lisa joined Knight Frank six years ago to set up a debt advisory team. The division has grown from just Lisa to a group of 15 highly skilled advisors. Lisa gives insight into the lack of female role models in the industry and how the real estate sector needs to better support women when they return from maternity leave.
Lizzie Breckner – Associate, Living Sectors Research
Lizzie started out in the graduate programme at Knight Frank. Seven years later, she heads up the Build to Rent research team within Living Sectors. Lizzie shares her thoughts on men using Knight Frank’s parental leave policy and the power of balancing the tables for women.
Paula Rudkin – Partner, Head of Data
Paula's career journey features two stints at Knight Frank. Both times, she gained a Partner role. Paula suggests that to continue to build upon encouraging women in property and data, organisations must “make positive and intentional interventions to deliver equity for women at all levels.”