Shoosmiths hosts an evening with Nicola Shaw held by SWiFT

On Tuesday 22 March 2023, Shoosmiths hosted an evening with Nicola Shaw at its London office in collaboration with SWiFT, which was created by, and comprises as its core membership, Senior Women in (or Formerly in) UK rail or Transport and their male allies.

An integral part of Women in Rail, SWiFT provides space and support for its executive members through a peer-to-peer network and fosters the development of high potential women in the rail and transport industry to help them progress their career and transition to more senior roles. 

Welcoming male allies, SWiFT sends a clear message of collaboration between genders and a commitment from both male and female executives to improve diversity in senior leadership roles and an expectation of strong support and inclusion for women within the workforce.

Nicola Shaw CBE is the Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire Water, joining the company in May 2022.

Nicola is also a Non-Executive Director of International Airlines Group. Prior to joining Yorkshire Water as their Chief Executive Officer, she was Executive Director for the National Grid. Nicola’s previous experience includes working for senior roles at HS1 Ltd (Chief Executive Officer), First Group plc. (Director), and Strategic Rail Authority (Director), as well as other roles in transport in the UK and internationally. Nicola was appointed CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2015.

Shoosmiths partner and national rail lead Michelle Craven-Faulkner is a member of SWiFT and is working with the team on future events to further promote its goals.. Commercial partner Fiona Teague, real estate partner Jo McGuinness and employment partner Robert Forsythe also attended the London office event. 

The Women in Rail event was aimed at promoting diversity in the rail sector, providing a platform for women to come together and share their experiences in the industry.

The event kicked off with an introduction to Nicola being interview by Philippa Hinton. They discussed a range of topics affecting women in rail including imposter syndrome, barriers to development , and how to encourage diversity in the industry. The audience and Nicola also shared their own personal stories of career progression to levels of senior management and directorship.

“In events such as these, bolsters not only our commitment to the rail sector but also our commitment to empowering women to achieve their full potential, particularly in underrepresented sectors.” Michelle Craven-Faulkner, Partner & National Rail Lead Shoosmiths.