Doyenne: Connecting Leasehold Women
Posted Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Read our Q&A with Director of Client Services and Doyenne Ambassador, Helen Roberts.
Doyenne is a supportive networking group which aims to share knowledge and champion the continued progression of women across many different industries. For the property sector, this means providing a forum for women to share their experiences and inspire others as part of a varied and fast paced industry.
Ahead of Doyenne’s inaugural annual conference and awards ceremony, we spoke to our Director of Client Services, Helen Roberts, who will be attending the event as a Doyenne Ambassador. Fittingly held on International Women’s Day on Wednesday 8th March 2023, the day includes both women and men, and promises to be a fantastic celebration of achievement. In addition, Remus is proudly sponsoring the ‘Best Customer Services’ category at this year’s awards.
Can you tell us a bit about Doyenne?
Doyenne provides a platform for women in property to come together and share experiences and information about their journey to success, while also providing a forum to connect, support and inspire while celebrating all that women are!
How did you get involved with the initiative?
I was asked by one of the founders to become an ambassador. It was one of the proudest moments of my career. Sometimes working outside of London you can feel less recognised than your colleagues, so it was great to know that my name was out there and people were talking about me.
What is involved in being a Doyenne Ambassador?
Your role is to essentially fly the flag for women in the industry. To ensure that our younger generation see that we can do anything and that the breaking glass ceiling is a thing of the past. We get together when possible while holding regional events to connect with our peers. I am lucky enough to work for a company that sponsored a fantastic event in 2022 at a local vineyard. We invited 25 women from throughout the industry for some great food, fantastic company, and lots of wine. I took the decision to invite people who don’t normally get invited to such events, Graduates or people who are just starting out in the industry. I wanted to show them that the sky is the limit.
Why do you feel it’s an important topic to support and represent?
As a woman who has worked in a male dominated industry for so long, it has never been more important to support my sisterhood. I became a mum nearly 4 years ago and my ambition went through the roof. It is my job to show my daughter she can be who she wants to be. The thought of her seeing me in an influential role that supports other women makes me proud. I shall be instilling in her the core value of respect, love and support for others.
How do you think the property industry, and the Fexco Group in particular benefits from being involved?
What I have found fascinating about my involvement is the readiness to share best practice and knowledge between our members. It doesn’t matter if we are competitors – we are always ready to help each other. Having that support network behind you helps raise the levels of knowledge and professionalism across the board. As a representative of Fexco it shows my clients and customers that we are at the cutting edge of what we do. There is nothing I love more than speaking to women just starting out in our company and seeing the career path I have taken, with aspiration to do the same.
What would you say to anyone interested in getting involved in Doyenne?
I would say if you would like an involvement on any level contact me or one of the other Doyenne Ambassadors. As we have regional links you can get involved from anywhere and at any level. We can get you on our contacts list and keep you informed as to any forthcoming events.
