Kate Dawson
CEO of Greenwich Students' Union
How does it feel to be a woman in leadership here in Greenwich?
I feel incredibly lucky to be a woman in leadership at Greenwich. Greenwich is filled with incredible women at all levels who inspire and motivate me each day. Greenwich is already a welcoming and inclusive space but always continues to strive to do more.
Tell us about your career journey, and how you ended up at Greenwich.
My love for Students’ Unions started when I was a student at the University of Sheffield and heavily involved in the Students’ Union there – I was involved in the Women’s Committee, the Societies Committee and on Student Council and loved it all! I ran to be an Officer and wasn’t successful in that endeavour but still wanted to stay within Students’ Unions, so started looking for jobs in the sector.
If you had told me then that 11 years later I would still be working in Students’ Unions and be the CEO of one, I wouldn’t have believed you!
I’ve worked in a number of Students’ Union across London and the South-West and have been in many different roles, slowly progressing over time, thanks to wonderful mentors, coaches, managers and organisations supporting me to do so!
In 2016 I saw a job as Head of Membership for Greenwich Students’ Union and I thought – let’s go for it! I loved the job I was in at the time, so I had nothing to lose, I was very shocked when I was offered the role – it meant a big move from Bristol to London and a much bigger role. I loved my time at Greenwich Students’ Union, I had a brilliant manager and we really managed to transform the Students’ Union during my time.
In 2018 I left Greenwich SU to pursue other roles but it always had a place in my heart. I joined back again in 2022 as the CEO after some time away learning and growing as a person. I feel exceptionally lucky to be at Greenwich again and leading the Students’ Union!
What tips would you give to the women at Greenwich today? Any top tips to empower women in the University of Greenwich community?
My top three tips are:
- Surround yourself with people that inspire you, challenge you and empower you - I have a number of people that I meet regularly to have coffee with, either that are my peers, or people in more senior roles or someone from a completely different sector. This keeps me motivated and inspired and also helps me generate new ideas for any issues I am having. My tip is that if you meet someone you are inspired by, go up to them and ask to stay in touch even if only via LinkedIn – this will build and grow your network.
- Ask for help when you need it – I have to juggle a lot in my role as it is very broad and the truth is, I won’t know the answer to everything, asking for help from experts or other people that might have experience in the matter is really important. Asking for help or seeing how someone else has approached the same issue is a positive thing, we don’t have to do everything on our own and there are lots of people willing to help!
-Look after yourself first – I know that I only perform my best in my role and in my life when I am looking after myself fully, so I prioritise that. I know that I work best from 8:30-10:00 so I get to work at that time and schedule the more difficult tasks for then. I also know that when I need to solve a difficult problem, heading out for a walk can help me work it through in my head and help me resolve it. Learning the ways to look after yourself and then using these to motivate yourself can be really useful.