Get to know Bridget Woods:

"My day job is Principle of Wholesale Commercial and Propositions Planning. This means my team owns the propositions roadmap, the propositions and product updates we are taking to market, and when. Supporting commercial to meet our financial plan.

In a nutshell, we’re here to make sure the ship is moving in the right direction.

I have also recently taken on the Partner Plus programme, empowering our partners to innovate, grow, and better serve their customers.

We create the strongest foundations for this programme by formalising the many services and features we already offer, and building bigger and better partner benefits.

I also volunteer as Chair of BT’s Gender Equality Network, ​supporting and amplifying the voices of our colleagues on gender equality issues. We do this by challenging the business, and inspiring change, with policy, process, and cultural norms that create gender equality.

The Network hosts a range of events, from networking opportunities to panel sessions. In addition to celebrating International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day, we’re dedicated to raising awareness of key issues such as menopause and the impact of violence against women.

In February, we hosted a discussion group on violence against women, listening to experiences and discussing different types of aggression. Sessions like these are important both to help people understand that violence against women is more common than you might think, and also to highlight how we can all help.”

“I love the variety in my role, which allows me to meet many different and talented people. I’m less than six months into my current job and everyone has been really friendly and welcoming.

I’m also naturally curious, and this role has already provided plenty of learning opportunities.

I’m passionate about my volunteering, helping to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities. I hope it helps to improve their experiences at work. It’s rewarding to hear from colleagues that they feel more empowered to have conversations with their line managers and broach difficult subjects such as the impact of menopause.

I’m excited to see our ideas for the Gender Equality Network pan out. We have a lot planned, from events, networking, and career coaching opportunities, to looking at how we can best amplify the voices of our colleagues on gender equality issues.”

“There are many issues I’d like to see addressed but the top two are:

1. Equal parental leave. We can’t have equality in the workplace until we have equality at home. Generally, women are still seen as the primary carer giver. I want everyone to have equal opportunities to make the decisions that are right for them, rather than having societal expectations make some of these decisions for them. By offering equal parental leave, it allows men to spend more time with their children, whilst also removing unconscious bias in hiring and in promotions, that women face.
   
   
2. Stop telling women they have confidence issues, and start looking at the workplace environment. I’m accepting that women are more likely to suffer imposter syndrome, or feel they lack confidence compared to their male colleagues. But by constantly telling women to improve their confidence it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, putting all the onus on women, and ignoring the issue of accountability for the underlying reasons.

“A lot of my time is taken up with the balancing my job and the Gender Equality Network, but I love it.  I do a lot of CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, training around six times a week. I’ve competed in the past on a casual level, which was a lot of fun.”