Victoria, Audit Director and Chair of the PwC Gender Balance Network
Meet Victoria, an Audit Director in our Northern team and Chair of our PwC Gender Balance Network. Passionate about supporting others in the workplace, Victoria shares her experiences of being a working parent, the importance of role models and what makes PwC distinctive for her. Here’s her story…
Tell us about your career journey at PwC so far.
I joined PwC in 2006 as an Audit graduate in the Hull office. I never imagined I would progress to Director, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and the experiences I’ve had. Everyday is different and my career has been varied, challenging and extremely rewarding. I’ve worked in different offices with a broad range of clients across automotive, manufacturing and retail, and I’ve had the opportunity to go on a year-long client secondment. People often ask me what makes PwC distinctive and there’s a number of things that stand out to me. Firstly, the people at PwC can only be described as special. When you’ve worked at a firm for a long period of time, this naturally sees you through different periods of life where your priorities and circumstances can and do change. Through this, the encouragement and sponsorship I’ve received has not only been consistent, but amazing. I’m very lucky to be able to say that I’ve always felt supported.
Now I’ve got a family - I’m a mum to two boys, Benjamin and William - the everyday flexibility at PwC is fantastic. Returning from maternity leave the first time was challenging for me as I worked through how to balance my role, alongside spending quality time with Benjamin. The support of my colleagues on return from maternity leave was invaluable to me.
Since having my boys I work part-time (4 days a week). To make this work it does take a lot of self-control and discipline, but with this in place it works really well. In addition, it’s really important for me to carve out time for myself. It isn’t natural to put yourself at the top of the list and I often saw self-care as being time I could spend at work or with my family but finding time to go swimming really helps me to be effective and at my best in both areas of my life.
Everyday flexibility means it’s rare for me to miss moments in my children’s lives such as the nativity play, and I feel a real privilege that I don’t have to choose between these moments or my career. I genuinely believe you can have a successful career at PwC and be a mum. It’s possible to excel at both and I want to be a role model where this balance is working. If we want working mothers to stay at PwC we have to create an environment where they can make this work and if it isn’t working, we need to create an environment where people can speak out and receive support. This is one of the reasons I decided to become a part of the Gender Balance Network.
Tell us about your role on the Gender Balance Network?
At the end of 2021, I became the Chair of PwC’s Gender Balance Network. The network is a community that supports and sponsors women throughout their career with the firm, by offering network opportunities, events and escalating or raising any gender issues with the leadership of the firm. The network is available for all across the firm, which is so important given the vital role that men play in terms of allyship.
Everybody’s different and we can’t assume that all female experiences will be the same. I’m proud to be creating solutions that support women at PwC not only in their careers now, but into the future.
What impact have role models had on your career?
As a female who has moved into a leadership role at the firm, I think it’s critical to have visible female role models in the workplace. It’s been fantastic to see an increase of females in senior positions at PwC and as I came through the Director pathway myself, it was encouraging to see this balance in those around me.
I’ve benefited from some wonderful role models throughout my career, who have provided me with great opportunities and guidance. I can think of so many times where someone has helped me up the ladder, or sent the lift back down to get me. Now I’m in a senior role, it’s important for me to do the same. I really care about the people I work with and I like to think I’ve made a difference where I’ve helped someone navigate through a challenging situation - either professionally or personally.
Have you been inspired by Victoria’s story? Find out more about our career opportunities in Audit.
Find out more about our support for Maternity and Parental Leave.
