To Mark International Women’s Day, we celebrate students and staff at Kent Business School whose work is #breakingthebias and impacting society in a positive way.
Shubhra Kamat is Project Lead for Race Equality, at Maidstone and NHS Hospital Trust. The former orthopaedic clinician was appointed to this post in November 2021 and is undertaking a two-year MBA to aid her work.
“Working in a clinical background it was easy to lose sight of the strategic objectives that desperately needed to change in the NHS. Patient care and running busy clinics is your priority and you do not get time to reflect and focus on a bigger picture and its significance,” Shubhra explains.
“I am passionate about equality in the workplace, and I am currently working on a project as part of the Work Force Equality Standards Programme. This programme was established in 2015 to capture the ethnic minorities workforce representation and experiences. The main aim of my role is to influence change by working collaboratively with key stakeholders within the Trust.”
Shubhra talks about changing the ‘status quo’ within the NHS, one she believes is outdated.
“The challenge for the NHS is that it was an institution built in 1948 in the very basic of equal opportunities to staff and patients. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the topmost priority lies in staff wellbeing, compassionate leadership and retention of staff within the organisation, however unfortunately it also surfaced the health inequalities for patients. To enable best patient care, we need to enable staff motivation and innovation and growth and allow for those changes that would contribute to improved staff morale, recognition, celebrating success and a win situation in return.”
‘Staff Morale’
The main driver for taking an MBA for Shubhra was to enhance her existing flair towards driving improvement in clinical services with a greater understanding of strategic management and leadership in various areas as well as a better sense of corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, marketing, business analytics and finance.
“The MBA course in itself is challenging, however it has given me the confidence to push myself out of my comfort zone. It has helped me boost a strong leadership style while collaboratively working with diverse students across the globe to expand my knowledge.”
Shubhra is not only a rising star within the NHS but a mother to two children who she hopes to ‘empower and inspire’ through her work that serves to make an open playing field in wider society.
“My children are one of my biggest inspirations. My son is just seven and full of life, my daughter is 13 and she wants to be a politician, even the Prime Minister one day!” laughs Shubhra. “I do push them to succeed, but I also push them to hold emotional intelligence and people skills and to put the wellbeing of others at the forefront of their minds, too.
My advice to anyone considering furthering their expertise or changing direction is to always to be courageous and fearless in your pursuit for whatever it is that you want to achieve. Being your authentic self will always guide you in the right direction of your career.”
Shubhra is undertaking our AMBA-accredited MBA. The course is underpinned by our high-quality research and informed by the global outlook of our international community. It builds on your current experience to transform you into a responsible business leader.
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.