♀️Bath and Somerset’s Most Inspiring Women 2026 | Monique Edwards

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, we’re celebrating Bath & Somerset’s most inspiring women.

Through our website and social media channels, we asked our readers which women in our community inspire them and created a list of 20. The list will be featured in our Spring magazine and every weekday throughout March we are profiling and championing each of these fantastic women online and via our social feeds.

Today we put the spotlight on Monique Edwards, Head of People and Culture at Nine Feet Tall.

Tell us about you and your work:

I’m Monique Edwards, Head of People and Culture at a multi-award-winning management consultancy called Nine Feet Tall. We specialise in delivering complex change for our clients, combining the power of technology and people. We’re passionate about change.

I’m responsible for all stages of a team member’s time at Nine Feet Tall within the People space – from attracting them to our business in the first place, to making it a brilliant place to stay and work. All the time developing skills and capability for a successful career with us and beyond.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proud of the team we’ve created at Nine Feet Tall. There is no utopian workplace and I’m not proclaiming that we’re perfect, but our team tells us that, fundamentally, they are happy here. This is shown in external accreditations like The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and Great Place to Work, but also the scores submitted in our internal annual engagement survey.

I’m proud of the role I’ve played in helping Nine Feet Tall to double its headcount post-pandemic, while maintaining and evolving its special culture. Our company values and behaviours are a standard part of our language and ways of working, helping everyone to understand what they can expect and what’s expected of them, whether that’s how we deliver projects for our clients or how we best create an inclusive environment for all.

How does it feel to be recognised as one of Bath’s Most Inspiring Women?

I feel very humbled! It’s an honour to appear in a list of such hardworking women in the South West. I get a huge amount of fulfilment from my role and seeing the difference that a truly progressive approach can make to both our business and the wider community, so it’s great to know that other people see and value this too. I’m also part of a brilliant team at Nine Feet Tall, so I feel I’m sharing this recognition with them.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women’s Day gives us a protected moment in the calendar to celebrate the contribution of women, to reflect on our history and to feel pride in our collective achievements. It also recognises that progress is not linear, so whilst we have made gains in our fight for equality over the last century, there’s more we must do. To this end, International Women’s Day is about creating lasting impact every day.

This year’s IWD theme asks us to think about how giving benefits everyone. What’s an example from your work or community life where supporting another woman led to something meaningful in return?

The theme for 2026 is ‘Give to Gain’, with a brilliant emphasis on abundant giving through, for example, knowledge, resources, donations, advocacy or training – to increase opportunities for women to advance.

An example I’d use here is a work shadowing scheme I was part of for women returning to the workplace. The programme was well organised, with lots of time for business processes and exposure to new technology. At the end of the scheme, I was talking through feedback with one woman who said that it had been a great experience and she explained that what she’d loved the most was speaking to team members and understanding their journeys, because this made her return to work feel more achievable. This piece of feedback influenced the design of subsequent schemes and how we prioritised activities in the itinerary; it’s so important to genuinely understand what makes someone or a community feel included and empowered.

What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?

I’d advise younger me that my love of chatting to anyone and everyone, though not always appreciated in the classroom, will serve me well and lead to lots of great relationships! I’d also tell me that it’s fine to focus on the things I enjoy and do well, success doesn’t always have to feel hard-won.

This feature is sponsored by Milsted Langdon accountants. Milsted Langdon is supporting this activity for a fourth consecutive year as they are passionate about supporting women in business and helping local communities thrive through their work with business owners, charities and not-for-profits.