40 Minute Mentor

Episode 300

October 15, 2025

Claire Davenport on career bets, leading through change & getting more women into the C-suite

Welcome back to Season 14 of 40 Minute Mentor!

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Claire Davenport, a seasoned tech operator whose career spans investment banking at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, Chief of Staff at Skype, CEO roles at VoucherCodes, HelloFresh UK and Not On The High Street, as well as board and angel investing.

Today, Claire is a prominent figure in the Tech world as a NED, COO at Multiverse and Angel Investor. She is also a staunch advocate for women leaders, having founded WITSEND, a fast-growing network for C-Suite women in tech.

In this conversation, Claire shares candid lessons on leading in a crisis, making the leap to CEO, landing your first non-exec role, retaining top talent, and the real state of gender balance in executive leadership.

“Anyone can lead when things are going well. You learn to lead when things aren’t.”

Claire Davenport

Tune in to discover

➡️ From banking to ops - Claire’s pivots & biggest lessons [08:12]

➡️ The hardest chapter [13:00]

➡️ Becoming a CEO [16:00]

➡️ How headhunters can help your career advancement [18:00]

➡️ What great C-level leadership looks like [22:00]

➡️ How to land your first board seat [24:13]

➡️ Attracting & retaining top talent [29:30]

➡️ The power of peer mentorship & community [33:00]

➡️ Women in leadership roles - the progress & gaps [35:30]

Listen on

Helpful links

🔍 Find out more:

✨ Connect with Claire: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-davenport-online/en

✨ More about Multiverse: https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB

✨More about WITSEND: https://www.witsend.online/

🎧 You may also like:

Where Are They Now: Sophie Adelman On Building A Community For The Curious
https://jbmc.co.uk/podcasts/where-are-they-now-sophie-adelman-on-building-a-community-for-the-curious/
Levelling The Playing Field: A Social Mobility Special
https://jbmc.co.uk/podcasts/levelling-the-playing-field-a-social-mobility-special/
From TopGun to Boardroom with Chris Severson
https://jbmc.co.uk/podcasts/from-topgun-to-boardroom-with-chris-severson/

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