Is Talent Enough? Navigating Career Progression as a South Asian Woman | Pooja Furniss

We spoke to Pooja Furniss, Director of Talent Attraction at The University of Manchester, about what really shapes career progression and whether talent and hard work are enough to move forward.

Pooja has built a career spanning more than two decades across people, recruitment and talent, working across commercial, public, further education and higher education settings. Her previous roles include Executive Director of People and Culture in further education and Head of HR and Payroll, and she has also been involved with the Black Further Education Leadership Group. Her current work focuses on inclusive recruitment, equitable talent practices, coaching and helping organisations think more deeply about who gets seen, who gets selected and who gets opportunities to progress.

As both a senior talent professional and a South Asian woman who has navigated these systems herself, Pooja brings a unique perspective on visibility, professional credibility, progression and what it takes to be recognised as ready for leadership.

In this episode, we explore:

• Pooja’s journey from her early career into senior leadership roles.
• Why giving yourself permission to change direction, grow and begin a new chapter
• The role of qualifications and professional credibility in supporting progression.
• What recruitment and progression decisions can look like from the inside
• Why highly talented and hardworking South Asian women can still find themselves overlooked for progression.
• How women can move from being “brilliant but invisible” to being recognised as ready for leadership.

Host: Dr Sayema Rahman Khan, Founder of SAWHE

Producer: Sumaiya Motara, SAWHE Digital Communications Lead

About the SAWHE Network

The South Asian Women in Higher Education Network (SAWHE) is a grassroots, community-led initiative dedicated to amplifying the visibility, voice and leadership of South Asian women across UK universities.

We exist so that South Asian women are never alone in their higher education journey — offering an inclusive space to connect, be supported and be celebrated.

Website: https://sawhe.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-asian-women-in-higher-education-network/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawheofficial/

Join the network: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8Gy_HKfUNmdW-HFEh29A3pPOHC8Qe44tdvEoHJGJgx7zn-w/viewform