♀️Bath & Somerset’s Most Inspiring Women 2026 | Sophie Hall

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 Sophie Hall, Commercial Director at Wealthtime.

Tell us about you and your work:

You can’t be what you can’t see. Women being able to break through the glass ceiling was really important to me when I started my career over 35 years ago. I wanted women to be valued for their input, not on looks/style etc.

I campaigned alongside Clare Short for the banning of Page 3 in The Sun newspaper when I was 18!

I am very fortunate to have been successful in my career, holding C‑Suite roles in the UK and other global positions. However, I have always considered how I support and mentor other women, demonstrating what is possible and, in Financial Services, how to navigate a historically male‑dominated industry.

I have been very cognisant of the impact I am having, and showing how to get the work/life balance whilst striving to achieve ambitious goals, has always been important. This balance is important because, along with having two children (and working full time from when they were young), we found out in 2009 that my husband carried the Huntington’s Disease gene. Huntington’s is a life‑limiting illness, likened to Alzheimer’s, MND and Parkinson’s rolled into one. He developed symptoms in 2017, stopped work in 2019 and I am now his registered carer. He has an anticipated life span of eight to 10 years.

This dreadful illness really allows me to focus on what is important. I aim to be empathetic and understanding to those I work alongside and lead. I am able to help mentor and support those at any stage of their careers because their success and ability to reach their potential matters to me.

I run the Commercial, Proposition and Marketing Teams at Wealthtime. It would be easy to let targets/goals become all‑consuming. However, we’re here to provide a service to our clients. We are a team. We know our objectives, what we have to do, we work together, and we have fun.

Life is for living. I make the most of every moment. I do all I can, every day, to help others in whatever way I can.

What are you most proud of?

People who let me know I made a difference to their careers, encouraging and supporting them at different times.

Balancing a fabulous full‑time job whilst being the registered carer for my husband.

My children. We’re all really close, and that was all I wanted: that they feel they can (and do) talk to me about anything!

Completing the London Marathon aged 56 in aid of Huntington’s Disease. The most I had run before I started training was 10km! I wanted to be a role model to women that age is not a barrier to doing something that less than 1% of the world’s population has done!

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

Firstly, humbled. Secondly, immensely proud. I have worked really hard to be a role model to others. People may (or may not) know my story and battles; however, the fact that I inspire them to be the best they can be has been my main purpose and driver.

I’ve lived locally for 22 years. I’m passionate about this city and have been involved locally when my children were younger, supporting local clubs. I was the rugby mum at Bradford on Avon Rugby Club, who organised the junior tours, supported the tournaments, helped in the bar and the uniform shop for over five years when my son was at the club. I’ve now been responsible for negotiating and agreeing sponsorship of a much bigger club (Bath Rugby) for the end of the 2026 season and all of the 2027 season!

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

IWD gives us an opportunity to stop, pause and think about how far women have progressed and yet how much work is still needed to bring global equality.

It is a celebration of what has been achieved, the positive impact this has brought, and the need to continue to make a difference.

This day reminds us of the importance of continuing to strive to support other women, to raise awareness that positive actions make a difference. A diverse workforce, a diverse culture and environment is a far healthier and balanced place to be.

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?

As a passionate supporter of women in all walks of life, I have always worked hard and made an effort to build other women up. This started with campaigning to remove topless women from a national newspaper. For me, that was basic; how can women be taken seriously when a newspaper provided imagery that suggests they’re judged on their looks?

Moving forward, I have been fortunate to work with and manage great teams of women. One in particular stands out – someone who doubted their ability, had followed the status quo and, despite having a passion for event co‑ordination, lacked the confidence to move forward. I worked with her, helped her to understand how her natural attributes and skill sets were perfect for what she wanted to do. She now runs her own very successful events company. She recently wrote to me that to this day, if faced with a problem, she thinks: What would Sophie do?

That meant the world to me; that I’d supported her with what she needed – the confidence and courage to move forward and face challenges head‑on.

I’ve mentored many women and I absolutely love watching them gain confidence, clarity and a clear understanding of how they are greater than they think, and better than they know!

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

Don’t get hung up on the fact that you never went to university. It won’t matter in the end because life, love, energy and personal values will give you the best life and the best career you could possibly have wished for!

This feature is sponsored by Milsted Langdon accountants. Milsted Langdon are 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.