Women in Leadership: Sarah Campbell

Women in Leadership: Sarah Campbell

By James Hunt|11 March 2024

Sarah Campbell, Chief Executive of the British Society for Rheumatology, shares her advice in our Women in Leadership series for IWD2024.

Have you faced any obstacles or resistance as a woman in a leadership position, and if so, how did you overcome them?

My main obstacle was one that I constructed for myself: balancing work and parenting without factoring in any time to look after myself.

After I had my second child, I applied for a promotion at work that would also mean relocating back to the North West, which has always been a family aspiration. I was successful and it set us up brilliantly for the next phase of family life. However, I’d underestimated the toll of a longer commute, more senior position, and having a toddler and a young baby at home. I gradually became exhausted and stressed and was not thinking effectively at work.

The pandemic and working from home revealed how much my well-being had suffered. I’ve taken significant steps to not fall into that pattern again (mostly working from home, getting up for exercise, eating better and recognising early when my energy is low or stress-levels up) and radically improved my health. I’m better at home and work as a result.

James Hunt

Written by

James Hunt

Director | Membership & Development

James Hunt is a senior executive search specialist with over two decades of experience connecting exceptional leaders with purpose-driven organisations. As Head of Not for Profit Appointments at Peridot Partners, he has led 300 specialist, senior and board-level searches across the UK's charity, membership and higher-education sectors.

His portfolio spans appointments for organisations as wide-ranging as the Chartered Insurance Institute, Stonewall, University of London, IOSH and Migrant Help. James is trusted for his insight, rigour and empathy when working with boards navigating complexity or transition.

Inclusive recruitment is central to his approach. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent and an immigrant who has made the UK home, James draws on lived experience to embed fairness and belonging into every search. He is a Trustee and sits on two Committees of a large charity, and is a member of Peridot's EDI, L&D and People Committees. He actively challenges assumptions, opens space for underrepresented voices and builds transparent, psychologically safe recruitment journeys.

James believes that great leadership is grounded in vulnerability, creativity and empathy. These values shape his work with candidates and clients alike, helping to build long-term relationships and leadership teams that reflect the societies they serve.