Dominique Highfield: Founding Member Profile

Introducing Dominique Highfield, COO at Purplebricks! In this interview Dominique shares her career journey to date, balancing a career with motherhood, why she is passionate about supporting Potentia and need for greater diversity more broadly.

Please outline the journey you have taken to get to this point in your career:

After qualification at PwC, I chose a career in Commercial Finance – with interesting business partnering roles in big consumer brands such as Sainsburys, Amazon and Pentland Brands. These roles harnessed customer centricity, strategic thinking and relationship building outside of Finance.

At Pentland Brands I progressed through the ranks, taking on the top job in Finance during the Pandemic – across a global finance team and a £500m business, during a very turbulent time.

After the birth of my second child, I decided to move to Purplebricks and experience life as a listed CFO. This transformation role was much bigger than I could have imagined. Within my first 100 days and with a 6 month old baby at home, I issued a profit warning and we put the business up for sale.

We successfully found a buyer for the business and my role became that of Integrations Director, delisting the company and merging two competitors in an industry I was new to. Having successfully delivered in this space I became the COO of the new Purplebricks – taking on board all the aspects I enjoyed of business partnering to a C-Suite level… thinking bigger picture, putting the customer first and being a big people person… all with a nose for numbers!

Aside from your career, what makes you, you?

I’m a very proud mum of two lovely children, my little book worm Josslyn (6) and car-obsessed Seth (2). I am trying hard to be a more present parent with my little people, and would like to do better. Conscious I don’t have a career that allows for drop offs and pick ups every day – I volunteer at their school to be there for moments that they’ll remember.

I grew up with music – playing the piano, the harp and singing. I need to do more of it now, but I might have to wait for my children to need me a little less first…

What key things do your think would have supported you / made it smoother when you were starting out on your career?

Having more female role models, with a voice. Having more authentic female leaders. Having less decisions made by men, for men. Having more confidence and self-worth, in and out of work. Having more out-spoken male feminists in my circles. Having an ability to speak out, without judgement or fear.

Why Potentia?

Potentia has brought together a fantastic group of women, that I feel utterly privileged to be a part of. And the cause, of creating more opportunities for women in the country’s largest companies – is one to support openly.

I am however, very aware of the need for greater diversity more broadly as well as gender diversity, specifically racial diversity. It’s really important to me that we keep talking about opportunities for all. By opening up important conversations and poking at valuable policies – we should be able to do more than just push the female:male balance.

If you are interesting in joining Potentia, please register via https://www.potentianetworking.com/register