Inspiring women: Simi Ryatt
“We cannot look at things in isolation.”
To mark International Women’s Day on 8th March 2025, we’re celebrating some of Hammersmith’s top female community leaders. Simi Ryatt, CEO at Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham, tells us about her career and why she’d love to see more female role models.
Tell us about the difference you’re making in Hammersmith.
I am the CEO of Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham, where I have been for 14 years. Over those years, I have built strong relationships with the many different people working across different sectors, from commissioners to politicians, council officers, service users and peers working in other voluntary sector organisations. I feel that Citizens Advice makes a massive impact in the community and transforms people’s lives, and I feel very privileged to be able to lead an organisation that makes such a big difference. It makes my job so much more meaningful. It also helps me to have impact in other areas. I am currently a trustee of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, which explores the relationship between money and mental health.
Have you experienced any barriers in your career due to being a woman?
I believe I would have encountered more barriers had I remained in the private sector. I initially pursued a career in law, training to become a solicitor, but the legal profession in this country is well-established and has traditionally been male dominated. At the time, I felt that opportunities in law were largely accessible to individuals from certain economic backgrounds, often those with private or public school education and established professional networks – none of which I had as a woman of colour, an immigrant, and someone without those connections to accelerate my career. Securing a training contract was particularly challenging, which led me to begin volunteering at Citizens Advice.
As a child, I had an idealistic vision of using the law to help people. However, I found that within the legal profession, the emphasis was predominantly on financial targets, which I didn’t find personally fulfilling. My passion lay in social justice – ensuring that individuals who struggled to access legal support received the help they needed. This realisation led me to focus more on my work at Citizens Advice, where I eventually transitioned into a paid role and worked my way up.
Citizens Advice, with its national reach and federated structure, has provided me with extensive opportunities to work across different parts of the organisation, both locally and nationally, broadening my experience and skill set. This foundation also opened doors for me in the private sector. For example, alongside my role at Citizens Advice, I worked as a freelance trainer, delivering management and leadership training for major corporate organisations.
Ultimately, the charity sector has provided me with career opportunities that I may not have been able to access as easily in the private sector, enabling me to develop professionally while staying true to my values and commitment to social justice.
Do you think we need to be recognising intersectionality more when we talk about gender equity?
I think so. We cannot look at things in isolation. When I was younger, I certainly didn’t appreciate the intricacies or the importance of that intersectionality – about how important the networks are, how important it is to go to the right school, to get the right job etc, and how not doing so places you at a huge disadvantage. Alongside being a person of colour and being a woman, all of that just makes the mountain a little bit harder to climb.
How would you describe your leadership style?
It’s very important to me to have integrity and to be authentic. I want to make a difference and help people, but to do that in a way that is open and transparent. I have been lucky in my current role to have been given the flexibility to work around my children, which as a single parent enabled me to hold a senior leadership position. Through this, I learned that flexibility and trust actually enhances performance, unleashes creativity and fosters commitment – traits which I think are really important in a senior leadership role. As such, my leadership style is to provide flexibility, operate on the basis of trust and give people the freedom to flourish without micromanaging them.
What do you think governments and organisations can do to help bring about gender equity?
There are numerous steps that governments and organisations can take to promote gender equity. Firstly, organisations should make top-level, public commitments to gender equality, ensuring that it is embedded within their culture and strategic objectives. Addressing the gender pay gap is also critical. While legislation plays a role, transparency around pay scales – particularly at senior levels – is essential to ensuring fair and equitable compensation.
Access to education and professional development pathways is another key factor. Financial barriers often prevent women from advancing in their careers, so providing sponsorships, scholarships or funded training programmes can help bridge this gap and create more equitable opportunities.
Organisations should also implement clear, objective performance frameworks that provide evidence-based assessments of achievement. Transparent promotion pathways enable women to understand what is required to progress into leadership roles, reducing ambiguity and ensuring that talent and capability are recognised fairly.
Additionally, flexible working policies are crucial in supporting work-life balance, particularly for those with childcare or other caregiving responsibilities. By fostering an inclusive workplace culture that accommodates diverse needs, organisations can help create an environment where women can thrive and advance in their careers.
Are there any local women leaders who particularly inspire you?
I believe there is a noticeable lack of visible female role models – women who young professionals and aspiring leaders can look up to for inspiration. Men often tend to be more vocal about their achievements, whereas women, in general, may not always highlight their accomplishments as prominently.
Locally, there seem to be limited platforms for showcasing and promoting community leaders. Creating more opportunities for visibility could lead to initiatives such as mentoring and shadowing, which would be invaluable for aspiring women leaders.
One potential solution could be organising a conference featuring women leaders from Hammersmith and the surrounding areas. This could serve as a platform for them to share their experiences, discuss the challenges they have overcome, and offer guidance to others. By fostering dialogue and mentorship, such an initiative could help support the next generation of female leaders and promote greater gender equity in leadership.
Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham provides free, confidential advice about benefits, debt, housing, employment and consumer rights. You can call 0808 278 7832 for advice, chat to an adviser online, or speak to someone face-to-face at:
Avonmore Library
North End Road W14 8TG
Monday to Friday, 10am-3.30pm
Citizens Advice @ Nourish Hub
Nourish Hub, Unit A, Swanscombe House, 1 St Ann’s Road, W11 4SS
Tuesday & Wednesday, 10am-3.30pm
Guy is a retired solicitor who has lived in Hammersmith for over 40 years. As well as having a long legal career, Guy has decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector. He was a school governor for 35 years and spent several years volunteering as Chair of the Finance Committee at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre. If you recognise Guy, that’s probably because he also served as a local councillor for Hammersmith & Fulham.
“We recently represented a migrant woman who was trafficked to the UK by a wealthy family. She was forced to work extremely long hours as a nanny, housekeeper and cleaner. She didn’t receive anywhere near the minimum wage, and the family had control of her passport and bank account.”
Everyone at Hammersmith United Charities would like to thank Vivienne Lukey as she steps down after 12 years as a trustee, including six years as Chair.