Change has never been more relentless. For women in senior tech roles across the Midlands, navigating transformation whilst maintaining authenticity and driving organisational success requires new strategies and honest conversations.
At our first UNBOUND Birmingham event, we brought together 15 influential women in technology and transformation for an intimate roundtable discussion. Facilitated by Carol Moseley, Chief Digital Information Office at Tipton & Coseley Building Society, this wasn’t networking theatre. This was genuine dialogue about the real challenges of leading when everything keeps shifting.
The evening delivered exactly what we hoped for: candid insights, practical strategies, and meaningful connections amongst women who understand what it takes to lead through uncertainty.
Why Birmingham matters for women in tech & change
Lauren Stutz from La Fosse opened the evening with a powerful observation: when we asked women in tech & change what they needed, one message came through clearly. “You think it’s hard for women in London to get together? Put us in Birmingham, put us in Manchester, put us in another city, and it’s equally as hard.”
UNBOUND’s expansion to the Midlands recognises that transformative conversations aren’t confined to the capital. Birmingham is home to innovative tech companies and forward-thinking leaders who deserve the same opportunities for connection and collective impact.
This regional approach supports our mission to build pathways, not barriers, for women in tech. Real industry transformation happens when we connect leaders from different markets, sharing insights and strategies that work across diverse business environments.
The challenge of navigating senior leadership in flux
The roundtable opened with the question every woman in the room had grappled with: how do you navigate senior leadership when the landscape keeps changing?
The responses revealed fascinating diversity in experiences and approaches.
For some, the challenge has been constant throughout their careers. Working in predominantly male industries means adapting has always been part of the job. As one participant shared, having always worked in male-dominated environments, the focus has been on proving capability through delivery rather than dwelling on being the only woman in the room.
Others highlighted how the public sector presents different dynamics. In organisations with strong female representation at nearly every level, women have created their own rules. These environments feel less about adapting yourself and more about bringing your whole self to the table, whether you have children, hobbies, or different priorities.
The contrast highlighted an important insight: representation fundamentally changes the experience of leadership. When women see themselves reflected in senior positions, the navigation becomes less about conforming and more about contributing.
Creating your own support networks
A recurring theme emerged: women in senior roles have intentionally built networks of other women they can turn to for honest conversations.
“We’ve made our own rules,” one participant explained, describing a network of women colleagues for coffee, lunch, and drinks. These relationships provide the safe space for conversations that might feel impossible elsewhere.
This informal support system addresses a critical gap. When you can’t ask your boss certain questions without it being interpreted negatively, having peers who understand your challenges becomes essential.
The roundtable itself exemplified this principle. Creating forums where women can ask questions, share vulnerabilities, and exchange strategies without judgment accelerates everyone’s growth.
The double standard of feedback and perception
The conversation touched on a persistent frustration: the different ways men and women interpret feedback, or lack thereof.
When women don’t receive feedback, they often assume they’re underperforming. When men don’t receive feedback, they typically assume they’re doing phenomenally well.
This perception gap creates additional challenges for women navigating senior roles. The constant internal questioning can undermine confidence even when performance is strong.
Several participants noted that being seen as “fixers” can be both a strength and a limitation. Organisations value women’s ability to solve problems and manage change, but this reputation can also typecast leaders into specific roles rather than recognising their broader strategic capabilities.
The class and access divide
The discussion took an unexpected turn when participants explored how socioeconomic background intersects with gender in shaping career trajectories.
One participant shared research showing that 87% of UK poverty levels persist not because of GCSE results, but because of culture and hope. The education system kills hope between ages 14 and 16 for young people from certain backgrounds.
This intersectionality matters. A woman from a traditional Punjabi family with overprotective male relatives faces different barriers than a woman from a privileged background. A woman who grew up in social housing navigates different assumptions than one who attended private school.
Accent became another point of discussion. Regional accents in the UK carry subconscious bias. Some participants have experienced people dismissing their expertise based on how they sound before considering what they’re saying.
These multiple layers of identity shape how women experience and navigate senior leadership. Understanding this complexity helps create more inclusive environments and more effective support systems.
The informal network challenge
Several participants raised the difficulty of accessing informal networks where real influence and decisions happen.
“Would it be appropriate to invite you to that group? Probably not. And if it was, did your husband come?” one participant asked, highlighting the social dynamics that persist around professional networking.
When men go to the pub after work or play golf on weekends, they’re building relationships that translate to career opportunities. But for women, particularly those with families or those conscious of perceptions, accessing these spaces requires navigating additional complexity.
This isn’t about wanting to spend all your time in pubs or on golf courses. It’s about recognising that important relationships and decisions form in these informal settings, and women face structural barriers to participation.
The challenge becomes even more acute for women in cultures where family expectations limit their ability to participate in after-hours socialising. The solution isn’t expecting everyone to conform to one model, but recognising how these informal networks create advantage and finding alternative ways to build the same connections.
Authenticity whilst navigating expectations
The conversation shifted to a question many women in senior roles wrestle with: how much should you adapt yourself to fit in versus staying true to who you are?
For some, the answer has been clear: maintain your standards and judgment even when it means standing apart. As one participant noted, going to the pub is fine when you have existing rapport, but there are times when maintaining professional boundaries requires different choices.
Others emphasised the importance of creating environments where you can be yourself. Working in organisations with strong female representation means the rules get made by diverse voices rather than requiring everyone to conform to one model.
The consensus: women shouldn’t have to choose between career success and authenticity. The goal is creating organisational cultures where diverse approaches to leadership are valued rather than requiring everyone to fit a single mould.
Resilience and finding your support
The final theme addressed the loneliness that can accompany senior leadership positions.
“It’s quite lonely,” one participant admitted. “I didn’t expect it to be probably as lonely as it is. In my previous role, you had a team, you could probably talk more openly. Now, it’s probably a bit more lonely.”
This honest acknowledgement resonated throughout the room. Senior positions often mean fewer peers who understand your challenges and more situations where you need to project confidence even when you’re uncertain.
The question then becomes: where do you find resilience? Is it mentors? Is it your team? Is it friends or family? Is it a glass of wine at home after a difficult day?
The answer, for most participants, is all of the above. Resilience comes from multiple sources, and recognising this helps leaders build the support structures they need rather than expecting one relationship or approach to provide everything.
Key takeaways for leading through change
The evening’s discussions crystallised into several crucial insights:
Build your network intentionally. Don’t wait for support systems to appear. Actively create relationships with other women who understand your challenges and can provide honest feedback and perspective.
Recognise intersectionality. Gender is one factor shaping your leadership experience, but class, culture, accent, and background also matter. Understanding these multiple dimensions helps create more inclusive environments.
Navigate informal networks strategically. Acknowledge that important relationships often form outside formal work settings. Find ways to build equivalent connections that work for your circumstances and values.
Maintain authenticity. Success shouldn’t require becoming someone you’re not. Seek organisations and opportunities that value diverse leadership styles rather than conformity to one model.
Address loneliness proactively. Senior leadership can be isolating. Identify multiple sources of support and resilience before you’re in crisis rather than after.
Support other women. Hold the ladder steady for those climbing behind you. Your experience and willingness to share honestly accelerates everyone’s progress.
Building momentum in the Midlands
This first UNBOUND Birmingham event demonstrated the hunger for genuine connection amongst women leading through change in the region.
The intimate setting worked. With only 15 participants, every voice was heard. Conversations went deep rather than staying superficial. Connections formed that will extend well beyond the evening.
We’re listening to feedback from participants to shape what comes next. This isn’t about imposing a London-centric model on the regions. It’s about creating the forums women in the Midlands need to accelerate their impact.
UNBOUND’s mentorship programme, launched earlier this year, is also open to participants across the UK. Whether you’re in Birmingham, Manchester, London, or anywhere else, structured support is available for both mentors and mentees.
What’s next?
UNBOUND continues to expand. We host events that prioritise meaningful discussion over networking theatre. Each gathering tackles specific challenges facing women in tech with practical insights and actionable strategies.
Real change happens through honest conversations, genuine connections, and collective action. This evening proved that when you bring the right people together in an environment designed for candour, transformation begins.