Insight
Why More Women Don’t Apply for top jobs
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Why don’t more women go for the top job?
It’s not about capability. It’s not about experience. And it’s not for lack of ambition. But somewhere along the way, self-doubt creeps in.
Mary Corrie, former CFO and Managing Director at JustPark, talks candidly about moving from corporate finance into a fast-growing tech business. She reflects on the moments of self-doubt that came with it, and the reality of guiding a company through change while still finding her footing.
This isn’t a polished playbook. It’s an honest account of the pressure and visibility as well as what it takes to lead when you feel like the odd one out.
Mary Corrie never set out to become a CFO. She wasn’t chasing a title. She didn’t follow a set path. In fact, when the opportunity to join JustPark came up, her first thought was, “A parking company? I don’t think it’s right for me.”
But once she looked under the hood and saw the bigger story, how the company fit into electrification plans and had the potential to scale, she was in.
The leap from corporate to startup
Before JustPark, Mary had built a career in corporate finance. She knew how to lead liquidity strategy and capital markets work, while keeping investor relations aligned with the bigger picture. Moving to a 100-person tech startup in Camden was a world apart.
“I was genuinely very naive,” she admits. “I didn’t anticipate the softer side of things.”
There was no room to hide. As CFO and number two to the CEO, she was front and centre from day one. The only woman on the leadership team, walking into a founder-led business, all eyes were on her.
“There was a curiosity about me, who is this lady with all the transaction experience? Is she here to sell the company?”
So, she started with the basics. Talk to people and learn what they do and their opinions. It helped her get up to speed quickly and break down assumptions.
“She’s not just here to dictate. She’s a decent person. We’ll be okay.”
“That’s the important piece. You always feel that phony element. But it’s important not to take or not to not take that jump just because of that feeling.” – Mary Corrie, CFO at Piclo
Spotting what others don’t
What Mary found when she arrived surprised her. Vanity metrics. No clear path to profitability. COVID had wiped out revenue overnight. The company was loss-making, and the balance sheet had no resilience.
“I remember thinking, these guys are crazy. No one cares about making money.”
She pulled together a business plan, presented it back to the CEO and chairman, and said it plainly: “We’re not pursuing anything that’s adding value. We need to change strategy.”
Everyone bought in. And for Mary, it was a turning point. “It gave me confidence quite quickly. I can make a difference here. I’m not a phony.”
That familiar feeling
Even with all her experience, imposter syndrome still crept in. It had happened before: moving from Dublin to London, joining Centrica, landing in Houston after a wedding in Vegas to lead finance for a US subsidiary. Each time, the doubt was there.
“Hope this works out,” she remembers thinking, sitting in a hotel room with her new husband, having left everything behind.
But each time, the same thing would happen, she’d start to find her rhythm and prove to herself she could do it.
“That’s the important piece. You always feel that phony element. But it’s important not to let it stop you.”
Why women hold back
Mary doesn’t have a secret formula. She just keeps going, even when it feels uncomfortable.
She remembers writing a shortlist for her replacement when leaving a previous role. Two men and one woman. The woman didn’t apply. “She didn’t feel comfortable. Didn’t think she could do it. And she was equally qualified.”
It’s a story she’s seen again and again.
“Women just need to push through it. The more you do it, the more it turns from nervousness into excitement.”
Making it work on all fronts
Mary has three children. Her husband stepped back from his product management role to become a stay-at-home dad.
“Without him, none of this would have been feasible.”
Even then, the guilt didn’t go away.
“There’s definitely times I’ve missed a sports day or a school production. It doesn’t matter that my husband’s there. It’s the fact that I’m not there.”
Still, she’s honest about the trade-offs.
“You can’t be omnipresent at home and omnipresent at work.”
“I think women, naturally, there is a barrier there. And you just have to kind of fight through it a bit. And the more we fight through it, the more it turns from a feeling of anxiousness to a feeling of like bit of excitement.” – Mary Corrie, CFO at Piclo
Seeing it through to the finish
By the time JustPark reached its exit, Mary had led the turnaround, pivoted the strategy, paused and restarted growth plans, and navigated a due diligence process with 17 years of history and 10,000 investors.
“I became first name in my own room at the Holiday Inn in Camden. Even knew the bartender’s fantasy football team.”
The internal team was tiny, just four core people, but she built a machine that could handle everything from reconciling commercial forecasts to scanning through share options.
“It was exhausting. I have three young children. My family gave a lot to it. But it was rewarding in every sense.”
A different kind of leader
Mary never wanted to be a flag-waver. But she knows visibility matters.
“When I joined JustPark, I was the only woman on the leadership team. Now it’s 50-50. That’s not down to me. But maybe seeing someone do it makes it feel possible.”
She hears the questions: How did you do it? How do you balance it?
Her answer is simple: It was hard. Really hard. But worth it.
“Until the path is well trodden, women need to talk about it. This didn’t come naturally. I pushed through a lot of self-doubt to get here.”
Takeaways for leaders
Mary Corrie’s journey offers a set of honest, grounded lessons for finance professionals thinking about career moves, leadership roles, or the road to exit:
- Take the job even if you don’t meet every bullet point. Growth doesn’t come from comfort.
- Don’t let imposter syndrome fool you. You’re not a phony, you’re just learning.
- Experience breadth is what gets you into the C-suite. Move sideways if you have to.
- Visibility matters. For the next generation to believe it’s possible, they have to see someone doing it.
- Success is never solo. Build a team that complements you and lean on them hard.
- You can’t be everywhere at once. Let go of the guilt. Do what matters most in the moment.
- And when you get there, talk about it. Your story might be the nudge someone else needs.
Listen to the episode of the STOIX Podcast
To hear Mary Corrie’s full conversation, watch the complete podcast episode here:
To connect with Mary or explore more of her experience and insights, head over to Mary’s LinkedIn profile.