Here at Gama Aviation, we are proud to celebrate and recognise the contributions and achievements of women in the field of aviation.

Related to specific, significant and important dates in our calendar, promoting both International Women’s Day on the 8th March 2025 and Women of Aviation Week from the 3rd to the 9th March 2025.
You can read more about Gama Aviation’s 2030 commitment to “Women in Aviation” by following this link to our website
Alternatively, you can read this article on the Gama Aviation LinkedIn page, where you can share or comment, by clicking here

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation

Working in partnership with Louisa Gardiner – Chief People Officer for Gama Aviation, we approached and appealed to the many women employed across our many locations, covering a broad range of roles, seniority and functions.
Below is a selection of the short concise interviews and questions we posed. With respondents including:

  • Amanda Harris: Licenced Engineer & Technical Instructor (Bournemouth)
  • Evie Freeman: Group Director of Client Experience (Group level)
  • Louisa Gardiner: Chief People Officer (Group level)
  • Emma Suddaby-Brown: Charter Sales Account Manager (Farnborough)
  • Sara Walsh: Clinical Service Manager – Special Missions (Bournemouth)

The key and core questions we asked were –

  1. Your Role & Journey: Can you share a bit about your role and career journey at Gama Aviation? What attracted you to the aviation industry?
  2. Experiences & Challenges: What challenges have you faced as a woman in aviation, and how have you overcome them? Have you felt supported in your career growth within Gama Aviation?
  3. International Women’s Day & Diversity in Aviation: What does International Women’s Day mean to you? What advice would you give to women considering a career in aviation? How do you see the industry evolving for women in the future?
  4. Personal Reflections & Insights: What has been your proudest moment at Gama Aviation? What’s one thing you’d like people to know about women in aviation?

Below are the individual interviews with Amanda, Evie, Louisa, Emma and Sara.

Evie Freeman – Group Director of Client Experience

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation 5

  1. Your Role & Journey:
  • Can you share a bit about your role and career journey at Gama Aviation?

One of the 5 values supporting the purpose at Gama Aviation is to be Client-focused and my role as Group Director of Client Experience is a clear commitment that we are investing in the customer and the pursuit of service excellence. I work across the group involved in all client topics and projects – at the moment I am 8 weeks into the job and working on two FBO builds from a customer perspective, client feedback, PR and marketing, brand partnerships, operational excellence, client events, elevating our standards and a groupwide service training program to name a few. Every day is different and there is a great energy in the organisation to enhance our service and put the clients at the heart of our business.

  • What attracted you to the aviation industry?

I was also going to be a professional ballet dancer until a knee injury took me down a different path and I started a ‘temporary’ job at Gatwick Airport. I quickly got the aviation bug and fell into a career in private aviation that has spanned over 30 years where the variety of roles within our sector has kept me motivated and engaged. I have enjoyed every role from owning my own FBO, to MD of an FBO region and everything in between – business development, customer service, aircraft charter, aircraft management – and I am still learning!

 

  1. Experiences & Challenges:
  • What challenges have you faced as a woman in aviation, and how have you overcome them?

Aviation is still a male-dominated industry, but it is great to see more women coming through organisations and there are plenty of support networks out there now which are useful. I see in some organisations that there are roles for women until you start to climb the career ladder, then opportunities are harder to find at senior leadership levels – especially outside of traditional female-led support function roles. For me, the tone is set by the leader, and I have enjoyed a number of senior roles working for inspirational leaders (both men and women) who identify the right person for the job and enjoy the expertise of a diverse leadership team. Those are the companies that I now gravitate to and it is important to look at the team dynamic, peers and the leader when looking for a new role.

  • Have you felt supported in your career growth within Gama Aviation?

Well, it has only been eight weeks but everyone has embraced my role and has made it easy for me to be onboarded into all the business units. I was fully involved in many key projects by week one and have been able to hit the ground running and feel successful early on which has sometimes been a challenge.

 

  1. International Women’s Day & Diversity in Aviation:
  • What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

I have always lived by the phrase ‘The success of every woman should be in the inspiration for another’ and International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate and be inspired by and with a great group of people rocking this industry.

  • What advice would you give to women considering a career in aviation?

I love this sector of aviation and there are so many roles to look at which would be really interesting to so many women out there. We need more women in the private aviation sector to bring diverse opinions and to help this great business grow and thrive. It’s really good fun too!

  • How do you see the industry evolving for women in the future?

I see the younger generation starting their careers in private aviation and that is great to see. If we can attract and encourage women starting out to give our sector a go and give them support and mentoring where needed then we have the opportunity to help them grow into great leaders of the future.

 

  1. Personal Reflections & Insights:
  • What has been your proudest moment at Gama Aviation?

It’s early days, but I was sitting with one of the MDs a couple of weeks ago, we were hip-deep in a complex project and had been moving it forward all day. He looked up and out of the blue said ‘I’m so glad you came to Gama and are here with me making a difference already’. That was music to my ears and all I needed to hear to keep putting 100% into this role and this fabulous peer group.

  • What’s one thing you’d like people to know about women in aviation?

Women are essential to bringing diverse perspectives and generally strong leadership skills to businesses and it has been proven that diverse businesses perform better financially. With more women (and young ones at that) becoming our customers we need to ensure we have women coming through our sector and supporting and understanding our growing client base.

 

Louisa Gardiner – Chief People Officer

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation 3

  1. Your Role & Journey
  • Can you share a bit about your role and career journey at Gama Aviation?

I joined Gama Aviation in 2015, as part of a merger with my former company. I joined as an HR Manager, and since then have taken on more responsibilities, and grown my role and skill set to become Gama Aviation’s first CPO, Chief People Officer.

  • What attracted you to the aviation industry?

I have come from an aviation family, with Dad and Grandad both working for BA. After uni, and after being made redundant from my first job, I joined Virgin Atlantic, and then BA as Cabin Crew. It went from there really!

 

  1. Experiences & Challenges
  • What challenges have you faced as a woman in aviation, and how have you overcome them

The aviation, aerospace and defence industries are still male-dominated. So, working in aviation, you have to expect that when you go into meetings or attend networking events, you will likely be the only female, or within the minority in the room. I see this as an opportunity to own my own voice and represent a different perspective.

  • Have you felt supported in your career growth within Gama Aviation?

Absolutely. I have been able to carve my own career path.

 

  1. International Women’s Day & Diversity in Aviation:
  • What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It means pausing to celebrate all the wonderful women in our lives – our mums, sisters, aunties, friends and colleagues. It also reminds me to give a big shout-out to all the working mums out there – it’s tough, but we do an amazing job.

  • What advice would you give to women considering a career in aviation?

Go for it. It’s an exciting industry, with opportunities for everyone. How do you see the industry evolving for women in the future? The industry is promoting more and more initiatives to support women and other diverse groups. With the development of technologies and social media, the aviation industry is more accessible to everyone. At Gama Aviation, we have committed to supporting STEM events and events with further education establishments to reach out to our young females and encourage them to consider a career in aviation early on in their lives.

 

  1. Personal Reflections & Insights:
  • What has been your proudest moment at Gama Aviation?

Making positive change at Gama Aviation and seeing the progressive change in the industry.

  • What’s one thing you’d like people to know about women in aviation?

It’s an industry with opportunity, adventure and excitement. It’s accessible for women, and with the right employer, it’s possible to grow your career, manage your family life and meet some fantastic colleagues along the way.

Amanda Harris – Licenced Engineer & Technical Instructor

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation 4

  1. Your Role & Journey
  • Can you share a bit about your role and career journey at Gama Aviation?

Currently, I work as a licensed aircraft engineer in our Bournemouth hangar. I have spent most of my career working at Gama; I have now been working here for almost 16 years. I joined the company as a mechanic with very little aviation experience; I have learned a great deal at Gama and progressed my career significantly during my time here.

  • What attracted you to the aviation industry?

My father was also an aircraft engineer and his passion for aviation was something that he shared with me during my childhood.

 

  1. Experiences & Challenges
  • What challenges have you faced as a woman in aviation, and how have you overcome them?

It can be easy to feel isolated when you are a minority in any situation; for the first five years that I worked at Gama, I was the only female engineer in our hangar at Farnborough. I have however been lucky enough to work with a lot of experienced male engineers who made me feel included, and respected and were generous with their knowledge. I also formed a lot of lasting friendships with some amazing women who work across all departments of Gama. These women have been a huge source of support to me over the years.

  • Have you felt supported in your career growth within Gama Aviation?

I have felt supported in my career growth and I have been lucky enough to have great managers who have valued me.

 

  1. International Women’s Day & Diversity in Aviation:
  • What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It encourages women to come together in their professional environments and support each other, which is invaluable.

  • What advice would you give to women considering a career in aviation?

Follow your interests and your passions. I am very fortunate to do a job that interests and challenges me, which can make the good days at work a lot of fun and the bad days (because we all have them in any career!) easier to get through. Aviation is a business that throws different challenges at you every day and keeps the day-to-day of the job interesting.

  • How do you see the industry evolving for women in the future?

It becomes more “normal” every day to find women working in aircraft maintenance and the more women there are in this industry, the easier it becomes to be a woman working in this industry.

 

  1. Personal Reflections & Insights
  • What has been your proudest moment at Gama Aviation?

The first time I went away from base to fix an aircraft on my own was a proud moment for me. The ability to troubleshoot, fix a defect and release the aircraft without help felt like a big step.

  • What’s one thing you’d like people to know about women in aviation?

That it’s not “strange” or “unusual” to be a woman in aviation. It’s more common than you might think to find successful women in this industry and there is space for plenty more.

 

Emma Suddaby-Brown; Charter Sales Account Manager

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation 2

While many of our participants shared their experiences through a structured Q&A format, Emma Suddaby-Brown chose to reflect on her journey in her own words. Her perspective highlights the dynamic nature of aviation charter sales, the passion that drives her work, and the significance of International Women’s Day.

“I joined Gama Aviation in April 2021 to expand the out-of-fleet charter department. With over 30 years of experience working in the private jet industry, specialising in the world of entertainment, touring, sport & high net-worth individuals, I am passionate and focused on delivering a seamless service with the support of a great team and delighted that the department continues to grow from strength to strength.

Working in the aviation industry in this field allows me to collaborate my love of aviation, music and travel and has given me the privilege of working with some incredible clients and enjoying some fantastic experiences over the years. When I first started out, the industry was very male-dominated but over the years there has been a definite shift. 

Juggling proves somewhat challenging combining working across multiple time zones, the demands of clients and running a chaotic household but I have always felt supported by the company on a personal and professional level.  No two days are ever the same and life is never dull!

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of all the wonderful and extraordinary women out there and to remind us that there are no limits.”

Emma’s reflections highlight not only the fast-paced nature of aviation charter sales but also the strong support network that Gama Aviation fosters for its employees. Her words serve as a powerful reminder that women in aviation come from diverse backgrounds, bringing unique skill sets and experiences to the industry.

 

 

Sara Walsh – Clinical Service Manager

Women in Aviation @ Gama Aviation 1

  1. Your Role & Journey
  • Can you share a bit about your role and career journey at Gama Aviation?

I started off my career as a Clinical Coordinator for the Emergency Retrieval Service for the Channel Islands within Gama Aviation. My hard work and dedication was soon recognised and I was promoted into my current role as Clinical Services Manager, where I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the medical department and hold the legal accountability to ensure compliance with our regulatory body. My role allows me to remain current within my role as an Intensive Care Nurse, which has always been an important factor for me and something that Gama Aviation are supportive of. I have also been given the opportunity to further develop my career within the world of operational management and I am coming towards the end of my Level 5 Operational Management Apprenticeship.

  • What attracted you to the aviation industry?

Growing up as an expat, I have always been exposed to aviation. When I realised I was able to combine my passion for nursing with my love for aviation, it was a no-brainer and I decided that this was the route I wanted to take. In addition, I was ready for a new challenge and wanted to work in a role whereby I could ensure patient-centred care was at the forefront of what I do, which is what I’ve found within the Medical Department at Gama Aviation.

  1. Experiences & Challenges
  • What challenges have you faced as a woman in aviation, and how have you overcome them?

Being heard and respected for the position I hold has been a challenge. There are still days where this brings frustrations but the skills I have learnt during my apprenticeship have been invaluable to helping me manage this.

  • Have you felt supported in your career growth within Gama Aviation?

Yes, I have been given great opportunities which I believe have been given to me in recognition of my hard work and dedication. I have not felt like this was given to me out of pity or a tick box exercise, but on merits, which has been important to me.

  1. International Women’s Day & Diversity in Aviation
  • What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It highlights the struggles women face to this day. I often look back with pride at how far we’ve come in fair rights for women, but then I’m quickly reminded that we actually haven’t come that far at all and still have a very long road ahead of us. International Women’s Day helps me stay focused on what is needed to make the world a fairer place for women.

  • What advice would you give to women considering a career in aviation?

You can do it! You are valued and your knowledge and experience matter. You bring empathy into a male-dominated world which is beneficial in so many ways, so focus on your qualities and thrive.

  • How do you see the industry evolving for women in the future?

I hope that there will be more acceptance of women within the industry. Women are capable and valuable for the industry and I’m sure that with time this will be seen by more and more people around us.

  1. Personal Reflections & Insights
  • What has been your proudest moment at Gama Aviation?

Developing my department to where it is now. It has undergone a major transition and I am proud of the quality and high standard of person-centred care we deliver to our patients every day.

  • What’s one thing you’d like people to know about women in aviation?

We are just as important as anyone else.

 

Conclusion

As we celebrate Women in Aviation Week and International Women’s Day, it’s inspiring to reflect on the experiences, challenges, and successes of the incredible women at Gama Aviation. Their stories highlight the passion, resilience, and dedication that continue to shape and drive our industry forward.

At Gama Aviation, we are committed to fostering a more diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace, ensuring that women at all levels have the opportunities and encouragement they need to thrive. Through initiatives such as our pledge to the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter, our ongoing investment in employee wellbeing, and our ambitious goal of increasing female representation across our workforce, we are actively working towards a more balanced future in aviation.

However, the journey doesn’t stop here. We recognise that progress requires continuous action, engagement, and support for the next generation of women in aviation. By celebrating the achievements of women today, we hope to inspire those who will shape the industry of tomorrow.

To learn more about our commitment and the initiatives we are driving forward, visit: Gama Aviation – Women in Aviation