The Application is a podcast that tells us about Oxford Executive MBA alumni – their backgrounds, what the driver was that caused them to apply for the Oxford Executive MBA (EMBA), what the turning points in their lives are, what their identity is and the tension that often embodies so much of professional lives.
As the lead in the UK’s Ministry of Defence Warhead Group, overseeing the country’s nuclear deterrent, Dr Rebecca Weston is one of the most senior female leaders in the European nuclear industry.
Rebecca is also a graduate of the Oxford Executive MBA, taking time out from a demanding job at the Sellafield nuclear site to complete the course.
In this podcast episode Rebecca chats to Kathy Harvey about how the daughter of French and History teachers plumped for Physics, and how that choice took her on a journey to top roles in the nuclear industry. Rebecca grew up in the seaside town of Skegness. During their conversation she reflects on the challenges of leadership; what she says about her job at dinner parties; and the place of nuclear power in the UK’s energy mix.
She also reflects on what it was like to be a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in the early phase of her career compared to today. She says she doesn’t think the stats have changed that much and that ‘it’s going to take a while before we truly get to a society that’s got a better level of equity, quality and respect for everybody, but we’ve got to keep striving for that every day.’
Listen to the podcast here:
