Christina Brooke, Account Manager at Allego, reflects on trusting herself, speaking up, and why supporting other women matters more than ever.

For Christina, choosing a career in sales wasn’t just a job move, it was a decision to lean into her strengths, ambition, and drive. Her journey has taken her from the lively bars of Manchester to tech sales recruitment and into the fast-paced world of SaaS, teaching her that growth often comes from betting on yourself even when the path isn't clear.

Her advice? You don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be powerful. Never let anyone tell you to use your gender as a tool. And always switch off when you need to, real breaks fuel real success.

Read more from Christina here…‍

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What has been your career defining moment as a woman in business?

Closing my biggest deal while I was 8 months pregnant was massive for me - I was navigating the many stages of my pregnancy for the first time, while still learning to adapt to a very new selling environment and it had a huge impact on my confidence within my role. It also yielded a nice commission pay-out just in time for the arrival of my son!

Were there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in business?

Working in mostly male dominated environments and with mostly male prospects and customers - wouldn't say this has been an obstacle as such but it's definitely been noticeable and has meant I've felt the need to vocalise myself as much as possible to be heard and feel important.

What advice would you give to a younger woman looking to join your industry?

You don't have to be the loudest person in the room to compete, and never let anyone tell you to use your gender to your advantage.

If you could do one thing to accelerate the pace of change for gender equality, what would it be?

Roundtables like this, discussion based content shared to a wide network of people. Basically just don't stop talking about it.

What compelled you to attend a Panelle event?

Passionate about being a woman in a historically male-dominated environment.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

The way you look doesn't change how effective you will be at your job - embrace who you are naturally.

What’s your go-to advice for preventing burnout?

Actually switch off when you switch off. Don't go on holiday and be checking Slack/emails. Have a non-negotiable break in the middle of your day.

Why do you think it’s important for women to help other women win?

Because as much as I believe in gender equality, being a woman is different in its very nature to being a man. We have a whole host of other roles we end up playing throughout our lives and I think it's important to be supported and held up by other people who understand you first-hand.

Finally, please put the spotlight on another woman in business who either inspires you or has pulled out the seat for you.

Nicole Plinston - co-founder of previous company I worked at, my boss and my mentor for 8 years.

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