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This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women at Restore Datashred and support the dreams and aspirations of all women and girls across the globe.
This year, the UN’s International Women’s Day organisers are urging the global community to take a call to action instead of a celebration of achievements. They declare that bold and decisive action for all women and girls is what is required to create lasting transformation.
Accelerating action towards gender equality is a theme that has deep roots with us, here at Restore Datashred, where we are actively building it. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is not just a moral imperative, but it also drives innovation and success.
In the spirit of walking the walk, we’re proud to have a workforce where over 25% of our employees are women – this is highly significant in blue-collar industries, in which, typically, women are outnumbered 12 to 1 by men (GMB Union study, 2023). Even more impressively, a quarter of those women at Restore Datashred are in leadership roles, including our Managing Director, Natalie Matthews.
At Restore Datashred, we understand that true equality isn’t just about representation; it’s about creating opportunities for growth and advancement, and we do this through mentorship programmes, training opportunities, and clear pathways for promotion. We invest in our talent and encourage women to take on challenging roles that make an impact. We asked several of our women leaders for their experiences of the business’ accelerating action commitment.
Chelsea Greenwood, Head of SME
- Current job role – Head of SME
- Previous job role at Restore Datashred – I joined the business nine years ago, as a Sales Executive. Since then, I have progressed within the Sales Team, becoming a Team Leader, Assistant Manager, and then Internal Sales Manager but, more recently, I have taken on the role of Head of Small Medium Enterprises.
- How has Restore Datashred supported your professional growth? – Restore has supported my growth massively, through training courses, development courses and, of course, the opportunity to progress through the different roles.
- Fun fact! – When I first joined, back in 2016, it was only meant to be short term, to earn money to go back traveling. Who knew the world of shredding would be so exciting that nine years later, I am still here!
Rebecca Smith – Operations Manager
- Current job role – Operations Manager
- Previous job role at Restore Datashred – I started as an Accounts Apprentice for Shred Easy (acquired by Restore Datashred) in June 2010! I then took on the role of Operations Administrator, shortly after I was promoted to Operations Supervisor before acquiring my current job.
- How has Restore Datashred supported your professional growth? – The option to change departments almost 15 years ago led to a career in Operations I never thought I would have. From initially shadowing members of the Ops Team to later attending leadership development programmes and courses, I gained industry knowledge and skills that allowed me to progress on to my current role. Having a supportive management team who regularly encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone has also been beneficial and I appreciate the opportunities that have been given to me throughout my time at Restore!
Jasmin Dudden, Business Improvements Manager
- Current job role – Business Improvements Manager
- Previous job role at Restore Datashred – Telesales Executive for PHS Wastetech (which was incorporated into Restore Datashred), then I took on the role of Quality Lead for Datashred for two years.
- How has Restore Datashred supported your professional growth? – Throughout my time at PHS/Restore, I’ve always received support from my line managers whenever I’ve expressed an interest in exploring new opportunities. I’ve been fortunate to gain extensive exposure through various roles, which has played a large part in getting me to where I am today. The company has also provided me with the chance to attend training courses aligned with the direction I wanted to pursue, and these have been invaluable in helping me excel in my role.
- Fun fact! – In school, I wanted to be an air hostess so I could travel the world… Over time, my interests and motivations have evolved. I’ve always loved solving puzzles, figuring things out, and fixing problems, which, as it turns out, applies to a wide range of things, especially systems and processes. I’ve learned so much from Natalie, who was my line manager when she first joined the company. She’s been a fantastic mentor, and I’m grateful for the knowledge she’s shared and the unwavering support she’s given me over the past four years.
Miriam Bradley – People Director
- Current job role – People Director for both Restore Datashred and Restore Harrow Green
- Previous job role – I joined Restore Datashred during Covid 2020. I accepted a 6 month contract which suited me at the time – and I had absolutely no intention of staying any longer…. Roll on 5 years, not only am I still here, but I am loving it!
- How has Restore Datashred supported your professional growth? During my 5 years at Restore, I have always led the People Strategy for Datashred, that’s been my primary focus and passion, but I have also had opportunity to work with the Restore PLC team, the Technology team, and in the last 2 years, I have added Harrow Green to my list! Working across different business units has certainly kept me busy, and it’s been such great development to understand different businesses, different people, and critically, how to be successful in different environments. Working at Restore has given me exposure to situations that I have not come across before, and opportunity to be involved in initiatives and projects which have stretched and developed me.
I have been lucky to have worked in businesses who have celebrated women in leadership, focused on the skills that women bring and understood benefits of having a gender balanced leadership team. Restore has definitely accelerated my development – and I love that our Datashred SLT has more women than men! The world is changing and I see it as my role now to encourage and nurture our female leaders of the future, to provide mentorship, help build confidence and be a champion for them in the workplace.
From initiating to driving innovation in our services, women at Restore Datashred are shaping the future of our company, and these are just some of the contributions women are making at all levels of our organisation.
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