Sarah's story: family, future and being part of our Next Generation Women's Collective

Sarah Howarth is currently an EA at Optiver, previously held EA roles at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. She originally trained & worked in the theatre arts before moving on to Executive Assistant work within Financial Services, a career which has taken her to Sydney, Amsterdam, Chicago and finally back to London in 2020. In this interview, we get to know more about Sarah and why she chose to become one of the founding members of our Next Generation Women's Collective.

What woman has been your greatest inspiration and why?

My Mum! Currently she is undergoing chemotherapy for her ovarian cancer. This is the third time my mum has had cancer in her life, she is on round 16 of chemo & has had multiple surgeries. Always positive and always strong!

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

"Not everyone will understand your journey. That's ok. You're here to live your life, not to make everyone understand" (Buddhist quote)

Is there a mistake you are glad you have made - what was it and what did you learn from it?

When I started in Finance, I hid my acting background & didn't tell anyone as I thought I could not be 'both Sarah's'. With age (and some wisdom) I've learnt that that my creativity and theatre background is probably the most interesting thing about me! Now I 'wear it' -I love to talk to people, share theatre experiences. People say I come to life when I talk about it. I wish in my 20s I would have had this same confidence and sense of self.

What motivates you when times are tough?

My grandpa. He was a bit of rags to riches story with unbelievable determination. He was also from a small Lancashire town but saw the world through the Navy. I think my thirst for travel & living in multiple countries came from him.

As a founding member of the Womenʼs Collective what are your hopes for the next generation of women?

I want women to have an equal seat at the table across all industries. I want strong, loud, opinionated women to be praised for their leadership skills and vision, not referred to as bossy or 'too much'! And I desperately want a screening tool for ovarian cancer.

To support Sarah's mission, donate on her JustGiving page.