International Women’s Day Spotlight: Sophie Rowley on Recruitment Leadership

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across every industry and highlight the leaders helping shape the future of their sectors.

At Daniel Owen, we are proud to spotlight Sophie Rowley, Associate Director, who has developed her career through strong leadership, mentorship, and a passion for helping businesses and teams grow.

In this interview, Sophie shares what inspired her to step into a leadership role in recruitment, how being part of Women in Social Housing (WISH) has supported her journey, and what she believes is important when building trust and developing future leaders.

What inspired you to step into a leadership role in recruitment?

I was inspired to move into a leadership role in recruitment through working closely with a number of businesses across the sector. I was supporting companies with their growth, culture, and performance by helping them hire the right people, and it made me realise that the same principles could be applied internally within a business too.

Throughout my career, I’ve also had the opportunity to work alongside some really strong women, both at Daniel Owen and across other businesses. Seeing their success showed me that there was nothing stopping me from progressing into leadership myself.

I’ve also been fortunate to have ongoing mentorship from internal directors, which has helped me understand the bigger picture of how a business operates. Learning about how culture, performance, and leadership all link together to drive success has been incredibly valuable.

Alongside that, I’ve benefited from external coaches who have shared insights into building and growing successful teams. All of these experiences have supported my development and continued growth. Joining WISH has also been an amazing experience and a really supportive part of my career journey.

How has joining the Women in Social Housing (WISH) board been?

Joining WISH has been an amazing experience. It’s been really valuable hearing about the different experiences women have had across the sector. Some have been very positive, while others have highlighted some of the challenges women still face.

The social housing sector can still be quite male-dominated, much like it was around ten years ago. Being able to openly share experiences and discuss techniques for building confidence has been incredibly helpful.

One of the biggest things I’ve taken from the network is confidence. Particularly, walking into a room where you might be surrounded by senior leaders or a different mix of people. It’s about knowing you belong there and presenting yourself at your best.

It has also helped me personally with things like speaking in front of groups or presenting in meetings, which have always been challenging for me. Being part of that supportive network has definitely helped build my confidence.

What’s important when building trust and leading a team?

For me, leadership is built around clear communication and setting expectations. It’s important that your team understands what you want from them and what they’re working towards.

At the same time, I think it’s really important to create a positive environment. We’re all coming into work five days a week, so you want it to be somewhere people enjoy being. I try to create a culture where there’s positivity, fun, and a bit of banter, while still maintaining clear standards and accountability.

I also focus heavily on progression planning so that everyone understands what their next steps could look like. Ultimately, I believe in being firm but fair. Creating a supportive environment while still maintaining high standards.

How has Daniel Owen supported you as a female leader?

Daniel Owen has been very supportive of my career, and I think we are a very supportive business when it comes to developing female leaders. We have two strong female directors who have progressed through the business and built their careers here, which clearly shows that the opportunity to grow is there.

I believe opportunities should always be fair, regardless of gender. For me, leadership and progression should always be based on performance and contribution to the business.

One area we could continue to develop is coaching and support for women coming into the sector. Some of the industries we work in are still quite male-dominated, so coaching that builds confidence can make a big difference.

Helping women feel confident walking into those environments and reminding them that they belong there is really important. Building that confidence is key to ensuring more women continue to progress into senior positions and leadership roles.

Looking for more?

International Women’s Day is about recognising the achievements of women across industries and continuing to create opportunities for future leaders.

At Daniel Owen, we are proud to support the development of talented professionals and create an environment where people can grow, progress, and succeed in their careers.

If you’re interested in joining the Daniel Owen team or would like to learn more about the opportunities available:

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