Dr Mona Ashok is a participant on the third cohort of Success on the Board, the development programme for researchers and professional research services staff from underrepresented groups in UK universities and research institutes, who are interested in joining a board. The programme is fully funded by Wellcome and run by Advance HE.
Dr Ashok says, “I started Success on the Board last October and was absolutely thrilled to be given that opportunity, since the programme only takes about 10 members from higher education.”
She has already been successful in applying for two board positions after using what she has learned on the programme, and despite still being on it. She says, “The programme has been terrific in terms of my personal development.”
“The Success on the Board programme is set up very uniquely to enable colleagues not just with the technical skills or the academic skills, but with softer skills and professional skills to apply for those roles and to present ourselves for interviews,” she says.
“The absolute phenomenal experience was working with the coach. She was terrific in terms of how she enabled me to become more confident.” And it’s really paid off for Dr Ashok.
“I think the more you invest into the programme, the more you gain. I came with a very clear outlook in terms of what I wanted to gain through the process,” she says.
“Using every opportunity that the Success on the Board programme presents really has changed the way I look at myself as a professional and I'm far more confident when I apply some of those external roles, which I wouldn't be confident previously.”