International Women's Day 2026

International Women's Day 2026

The theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is #GivetoGain, which celebrates the power of giving to unlock opportunities for others. This theme encourages everyone to support and uplift women by sharing resources, knowledge, and encouragement, ultimately helping more women to shine and succeed in their personal and professional lives.

As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we sat down with two inspiring women in our business, Jo Lavers, Finance Director and Sidra Aslam, Assistant Director, Credit, to explore the moments, values, and lessons that have shaped who they are today. Their stories reflect this year’s theme, #GiveToGain, showing how giving time, support, wisdom, and opportunity creates lasting impact.

Jo Lavers, Finance Director, Property

Are there any values or lessons from your upbringing that you find has influenced your approach in the workplace?

I grew up in the Philippines before moving to the UK for university. My parents didn’t have much but they made sure my siblings and I had the best education they could afford. As a child, I remember feeling jealous of classmates with the newest branded shoes, character-themed bags and fancy pencil cases. But my parents focussed on teaching discipline, the importance of doing well academically and being grateful for what we had.

What’s the best career advice you’ve received, or that you would give to a woman starting out in our industry?

There are two: “be patient” and “you can’t have everything at once”. Patience I think is underrated. Ambition and hard work don’t always translate to immediate recognition or reward and it’s easy to feel frustrated, but careers are built over time. Focus on building real capability, strong relationships, taking initiative and showing up with positive energy.

On not having everything all at once, different seasons ask for different priorities. I’ll be going on maternity leave soon and I see it as stepping into something that will enrich my life in a way that lasts far longer than any role or title. It is a privilege to be able to have the space to experience this and have the choice to return to the workplace. Ultimately it’s about building a life as well as a career

If you could change one thing for the next generation of women entering the industry, what would it be?

I would create opportunities for earlier exposure to real commercial conversations and decision-making. While many talented women start out in entry-level roles, far fewer reach senior positions. In UK real estate, women make up more than half of entry-level roles, but their representation drops sharply at senior levels. The same pattern is seen in finance and investment sectors.

Giving the next generation of women early access by including them in project or client meetings, assigning stretch projects, or pairing them with sponsors who can provide context, is a powerful way to build skills and confidence. Real growth happens when they use these insights, apply what they've learned, and make an impact. While men often advance with less visible effort, consistently delivering impact not only builds credibility, it ensures women’s contributions are recognised and cannot be overlooked.

Sidra Aslam, Assistant Director, Credit

Growing up did you have any mentors or role models that you looked up to or took inspiration from?

My mother has been my greatest role model. Her resilience, wisdom, and calm determination; especially her ability to turn difficult situations around without making them look difficult, shaped how I approach both challenges and opportunities. Watching her taught me that strength doesn’t always need to be loud; consistency and quiet confidence can be just as powerful.

"GiveToGain” is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. How has giving, whether through mentoring, sharing knowledge, or supporting others, contributed to your own success?

I’ve been fortunate to work with inspiring and supportive leaders who believed in mentoring, knowledge sharing, and most importantly giving opportunities. In both my previous job and at CBPF, senior management trusted me with new challenges. That trust played a huge role in building my confidence and helping me believe I could achieve more than I initially thought.

What leadership qualities do you most value, either in yourself or others?

Being a good listener, respecting people’s values, remaining non-judgemental, and genuinely investing time and effort in others’ development are qualities I deeply value in leadership.

Amy Brann, a neuroscientist and leadership expert whose work focuses on how the brain influences leadership and performance, captures this perfectly when she says that “a true leader’s success is measured by their ability to create other leaders”. That perspective strongly resonates with me. Leadership is not about control or titles, it’s about empowerment. True leadership is about leaving people more confident and capable than you found them.

Both Jo and Sidra highlight resilience, compassion, and authenticity as essential leadership qualities and the ability to balance empathy with high performance, to listen deeply, and to empower others to grow. They also share a desire to see more women exposed early to real commercial conversations, projects, and the kind of sponsorship that accelerates growth. For the next generation, they hope for workplaces where women are encouraged to take risks, where setbacks are understood as part of the journey, and where success never requires compromising personal values.

Together, their stories remind us that progress, both personal and collective happens when we lift each other up, share what we’ve learned, and create opportunities for others to shine. 

A true reflection of #GiveToGain in action.