Rebecca Gasper: Senior Operations Manager at Hurdle

As a Senior Operations Manager, could you delineate your career trajectory that led you to this role and discuss how being a woman has influenced your journey and professional development within the operations field?

I have worked in Healthcare operations for many years and my clinical experience/exposure led me to my current role. As a Woman, I would say the more you put in the more you get out but you have to overcome more challenges. Working hard and establishing a good reputation amongst colleagues and stakeholders.

Reflecting on your career, have there been specific challenges that you’ve faced as a woman in a senior management position? How did you address these challenges, and what achievements are you particularly proud of?

I would say respect for Women in the workplace has progressed in a positive way. When I started my career, my managers were a mixture of men and women but their line managers were usually men. I have had individuals block my progression in the past but have managed to pivot around it. This led to me completing my MBA, which was something I did without any corporate support. I'm really proud of it because I did this whilst in a full time role.

In your experience, do you feel that gender has played a role in shaping your leadership style or the way you approach operational challenges? How so?

As a Woman, multitasking is stereotypically in our make-up. This has been key for dealing with operational challenges. Working in Operations there are always multiple plates to spin. My leadership style has been a result of my experiences and wanting to be the type of leader I wanted to have.

Can you speak to the importance of mentorship and support systems for women in operations? Have you had mentors or been a mentor yourself, and what impact has this had on your career?

Mentorship in the workplace is important regardless of gender. But as Women it is important that we support each other, I have always taken any opportunity to help to develop my team and wider teams throughout my career. Particularly with other women because my mentors have always been Men.

Looking towards the future, what changes or advancements would you like to see in the operations sector to better support and empower women in leadership roles?

I would like to see more women supporting each other and paving the way for the next. More initiatives focused on female mentoring programmes and greater transparency in recruitment with workplace policies to accommodate the needs of women in leadership positions.