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Joining a small panel of other senior leadership professionals, Mel spoke about the difference between mentorship and advocacy, how the two can work together, and what this looks like in practice. The conversation included tangible takeaways on how leaders can intentionally use their influence to open doors, and how individuals can position themselves to be advocated for in the ways that matter most to them.

During the evening, women shared powerful stories about their leadership experiences, and what it means to show up for their peers. There was fantastic engagement from all attendees and an animated, collective discussion with some brilliant points raised.

Thanks to the generosity of the attendees, the event raised £700 for Smart Works – a charity that provides unemployed women with clothing, coaching and confidence to succeed in interviews and change their life trajectories.

On hosting the event, Helenna Bell, Associate Partner at Parkinson Lee Executive Search, said:

“Our Women in Leadership series was created to spark honest conversations, offer relatable insight, and build a powerful community of senior female leaders across the North. It’s a space for shared experiences – but also practical advice, real support, and meaningful connections that can genuinely shape careers.

We’re also proud to use this platform to give back – supporting brilliant organisations like Smart Works Leeds, who are making a real difference to women’s lives every day. We’ve been blown away by the feedback from our events, and we’d love to hear from anyone interested in getting involved in future sessions.”

On participating as a speaker, Mel says: “It was an honour to be invited to share my views and experiences on the panel as part of the Women in Leadership event. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the networking opportunities it provided.

“In my role at The Pet Vet, I’m passionate about creating pathways for ambitious colleagues to step into leadership positions, driving innovation and shaping the future of veterinary care. In the last 12 months, 42 colleagues (18%) have either been internally promoted, commenced post graduate certificates or are participating in accelerated development programmes as part of our succession planning. As a group, we strongly believe in fostering empowerment, collaboration and growth at every career stage, and are proud to have created a culture where talent and ambition are celebrated.

“In addition to providing generous salaries and extensive CPD opportunities, colleagues receive a fantastic package of benefits, including (but not limited to):

• Flexible working
• Family-friendly policies
• 4-day weeks as standard
• Income protection
• Free mortgage advice
• Life assurance policies
• Enrolment on our wellbeing support & employee assistance programme
• Funded professional subscriptions
• Sabbaticals and overseas volunteering opportunities
• Discounts on veterinary services
• Discount and cashback scheme

“I would encourage anyone looking to take the next step in their career and wanting to make a real difference as part of our family-owned, independent group to visit the careers section of our website and take a look at our latest opportunities.”