International Women’s Day takes place annually on 8th March, and this year’s theme is Accelerate Action. To celebrate, we interviewed Lisa Merryweather-Millard, the Co-Founder of Beacon Services Resources, the organisation behind the lumin&us® app. It’s a female-led organisation with leaders who have risen to positions where they can have a substantial positive impact on society whilst parenting. Lisa advocates for Accelerating Action when it comes to health tech and women in leadership.
Take it away, Lisa!
In 2024, just 11% of CEOs and 19.4% of Executive Directors in FTSE100 companies were women. How do you feel about that?
In the UK, 51% of the population are women or girls, which roughly equates to 30.4 million while boys and men make up the remaining 49% totalling 29.2 million. I find it shocking that in 2024, 89% of CEOs and 80.6% of Executive Directors in FTSE100
companies are men. There is clearly a lot more work that needs to be done to support women to be in these positions. I think right now the world could do with more female leadership. Perhaps it’s time we reconsider what leadership means in a way that embraces a gentler, kinder and more collaborative approach. Traditional male leadership isn’t working.
What does your organisation do to #AccelerateAction for the women and female parents / carers you work with? What more could be done?
llumin&us® aims to empower all parents and carers to provide frontline early and preventative emotional, wellbeing and mental health support to their children. Although fathers have more involved in raising children recently, research suggests that 74% of mothers are still the primary caregivers. Our App allows both mothers and fathers to access professional therapeutic support so that they can soothe and calm their children.
What inspired you to become a leader in health tech?
I didn’t set out to be a leader in health tech and I don’t think it’s something one decides for themselves. Throughout my professional career, I’ve always been committed to improving outcomes for children and young people. Working with Charlotte on lumin&us® enabled me to test out a number of ways to do this impactfully, effectively and economically. Tech was a natural way to achieve this. If others consider Charlotte and I leaders in this space, it’s because we are inspired by making a real and tangible difference.
Did you always see yourself in this role, or did your career path evolve?
Since leaving university, I’ve had a number of careers and hobbies. I’ve worked in a youth centre, bartended, been an English teacher and Assistant Headteacher, published a family magazine, been a radio presenter, owned an art gallery and founded a graphic design studio with my husband. I like using my skills and experience in different ways to make a difference and I like learning new things. The lumin&us® App was created after working with Charlotte to create printable resources to help struggling families during Covid. Feedback from the resources led us to create a digital version – that’s how we’ve ended up in the tech space.
Who are the women in your life—personally or professionally—who have shaped your leadership style?
I’ve been fortunate enough to know many inspirational women. Playing sports in school, I had inspirational female coaches, and strong, funny female teachers. The women in my family were strong and inspiring as a result of overcoming adversity. Professionally, there are lots of women who’ve helped shaped my leadership style – some who’ve been influential in terms of how not to lead. Those who have influenced me the most have been women who have embraced female leadership and led with respect, compassion and vision.
As a female CEO, have you faced specific challenges that male counterparts might not experience? How have you navigated them?
There are specific challenges to being a woman in leadership. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling and believing that to be a leader you need to be more male. In my experience, that might work in terms of moving up the ranks however it’s unsustainable if that’s not who you truly are. Overall, I think the biggest challenge to being a female leader is being true to yourself and your values in a space that often asks those at the top to compromise. Leadership is about inspiring others to want to follow. It’s about how you make others feel. Kindness, consideration, respect and collaboration goes a long way here.
Growing up, what expectations did your parent and teachers have for you as a woman in the workplace? How do they compare to the expectations you have for your own children?
Growing up in Canada, I don’t really remember any specific expectations about the kind of work I might do or the workplace I might end up in. It was important to my parents that I went to university, but I think this was more about having choice than perusing any specific career path. I’d also like my children to have choice about their jobs and careers. I’d like them to spend their time at work using their unique skills doing something meaningful and fulfilling for them.
What progress have you seen in gender equality in the public sector, and where do you think change is still needed?
I do think that there is a shift in gender equality in the public sector, but more still needs to be done. Again, I think there needs to be a shift in how we view leadership as a society. It’s challenging to find inspirational public sector leadership in the current climate. There are so many examples of traditional, stereotypical, bullish male leadership styles. It’s more important than ever to have visible examples of more compassionate and inclusive leadership, for both men and women.
Do you think women bring unique perspectives to innovation in mental health and technology?
Women are natural problem-solvers. I think this gives us a unique perspective and helps women to be innovative. Well that, and the fact that we are often juggling so many things at the same time, means we often get to the answer pretty darn quick.
Health tech is a growing and impactful field—what does it mean to you to be a female leader in this space?
Having female leaders in health tech, and in all areas, is extremely important. Solving problems is about understanding challenges and barriers. Finding solutions means hearing from both men and women.
How does your work empower and support female founders, employees, or users?
It’s difficult to be something you can’t see. Leadership takes many forms and there are plenty of opportunities to be a leader. All of the women working with us are leaders in their field and it’s important that we honour this and celebrate this.
What is one bold action you believe businesses should take to advance gender equity?
Businesses can’t define leadership based on the perceived strengths of just one gender. To advance gender equity, there needs to be better integration.
What does your organisation do to #AccelerateAction for the women and female parents / carers you work with? What more could be done?
Beacon Services Resources accelerates action for women and female parents / carers by providing access to professional, therapeutic tools and resources so that family life can be less of a struggle. Our resources are for all parents and carers, regardless of gender, and our illustrations show parents and carers as men and women. We also have a community on Facebook, and a Dad’s group, where parents can share their experiences. We actively look for ways to be even more inclusive and impactful.
