Becoming a Fellow

What first sparked your ambition to pursue Fellowship, and was there a defining moment when you knew you were ready?

Having set up my consultancy on my own I was keen to find other people working in the same space to share ideas and experiences with. It was through some helpful conversations with existing members that I developed an understanding of IIRSM and came to see it as a great fit for me. Honestly, I was going to join as a member and hadn’t considered pursuing fellowship status until a conversation I had with IIRSM Co-President Rosie Russell, who encouraged me to look at the requirements for Fellowship and to consider making an application. That was all it needed, a simple prompt from someone who knew what was required and believed that I had the relevant experience! 

How has becoming a Fellow changed the way you see yourself as a professional and a leader?

The structured process of applying for Fellowship was a fantastic opportunity for self-reflection. The process led me to take the time to go over the skills, experience and competencies I had developed over my career so far. I believe that becoming a Fellow has strengthened my confidence in my experience and professional judgement, from both my own honest appraisal of my achievements and their review by senior peers. It has also given me greater confidence in sharing my experiences, knowledge and opinions to support others in their development. Becoming a Fellow has encouraged me to think more strategically and act more visibly as a mentor and advocate.

What do you value most about being a Fellow, beyond the post-nominals – and why does it matter? 

I particularly value my Fellowship because it represents recognition by respected peers that my contribution to the profession has made a meaningful difference. In addition to this being a personal achievement it has also encouraged me to think beyond my own role and to consider ways that I can influence and positively shape the future of the profession. I am particularly keen to use my status as a Fellow to support the progress of women in risk management and raise the profile of biosafety.

Can you share a specific example of how Fellowship has influenced your career opportunities, credibility or industry voice?

Fellowship has expanded my professional network and led to interactions with many incredible risk management professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Sharing knowledge and experience with different perspectives is a great way to continue learning and a great way for stimulating ideas that can be applied to my own work. From those interactions I was encouraged to apply to become an IIRSM Ambassador.

What is the biggest myth about the Fellowship application process that you would like to debunk?

Prior to my application I wondered whether the process would be complex, inaccessible and hard work. While it does require a commitment of time, reflection and gathering evidence, it is essentially about telling your professional story clearly and honestly. It offers a great chance for self-reflection and the process really helped me to identify and articulate my value, recognise how I had grown, and understand the wider contribution that I have made so far. In particular, thinking about the areas of leadership behaviour. The hardest part was getting going, but once I started to put thoughts down it came together. Honestly, it was a fun exercise and I would encourage anyone thinking about it to go for it! 

From your experience, what makes a Fellowship application truly stand out – and what advice would you give to someone considering applying?

I used the STAR approach, Situation, Task, Action and Result/Reflection. It helped me to make sure I had captured all the information that I wanted to get across and I imagine that presenting in a structured way may have made it easier for the fellowship assessors to read. I would advise those applying to seek out input from colleagues and those around you who will see things that you have done or recognise qualities that you may overlook in yourself. I found this helpful, I was reminded of situations that I had forgotten about! Some of which I was able to use as evidence for certain parts of the application.

Complete this sentence: “I’m a Fellow, but I’m also…”

... still learning

... a scientist

... a woman

... a mum

How do you see Fellowship contributing to greater diversity, inclusion and representation across the risk and safety profession?

The award of Fellowship is an honour that should be available to both men and women with equivalent expertise so that everyone can benefit from the authority it confers. As a woman I would like to see women treated equally across risk management and having equal representation at all levels of the IIRSM goes towards demonstrating that ours is a profession where this happens. In addition, I believe that having more women as fellows demonstrates the possibility of becoming one for more junior members of the profession which will hopefully be encouraging as they push forward in their careers. 

Find out more and become a Fellow