July 2023 Williams Racing Fan Event, Global Head of Guest Experience
Interviewer: So What is it like working in this business as a woman?
Subject: I think it’s really nice being part of a sport where women are starting to pioneer in it a lot more. There’s not a huge number of girls in any part of it; marketing a bit more so, and communications, and events so that’s predominantly what I focus on. What is really nice is that there’s a lot of groups and support networks, especially in Williams where we’ve got a respect committee where people from all different ethnic backgrounds and gender diversity, all come together and there’s a proper awareness built around it, so that’s really nice. Obviously, having Claire (Williams), who was our Team Principal for a long time, she was really lovely to work for, and that was a really nice way of trying to encourage more females into the sport. We’ve got a new CHRO who’s female, and there’s a lot more women coming in at higher levels which is really nice to see. Seeing more women in the pit lane as well; There’s a lady called Sharron at Williams, who was the first ever woman in the pit lane, like 20 years ago, she is incredible. She now works back at the factory, but she has got so many stories to tell, its really incredible!
Interviewer: Oh wow! That is incredible. So how did you get here, in this area?
Subject: So I studied corporate event management at university in Leeds and then I got a marketing graduate job at Williams 8 ½ years ago. From there I’ve just worked through jobs whether its trackside, looking after everything at the factory as well, we have an experience centre there, there’s a massive simulator room and conference centre, the museum of course so I’ve managed all that and then random touch points where the brand goes to the people as well.
Interviewer: Who inspires you the most in this area?
Subject: There’s a lady called Ann Bradshaw who was, and is, an absolute legend! She used to work in formula 1 and she worked for Williams back in the 1990s, sort of the Senna days, the glory years! Which hopefully we’ll get back to as well. She is an absolute trail blazer, she is on a one woman mission to get more females into the industry. She was working on the W Series for a long time, and she was doing some maternity cover for our Head of Communications a couple years ago, at Williams so I managed to get to know her really well there. She is just incredible, she wears the most colourful stuff on the planet and she knows absolutely everyone in the industry so she’s a really good person to look up if you can… and then Claire as well. I learnt a lot from her, she did a lot of amazing things at Williams as well. it’s a shame she’s not involved anymore. I know she’s doing a lot of work with WAE which was once part of Williams so she’s still doing a lot, trying to get more girls into it through them.
Interviewer- Naomi Downs
Subject- Ellie Matthews Global Head of Guest Experience (Williams Racing)
Naomi Downs 
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