03 Mar 2026
Spotlighting the brilliant women across Diploma PLC
Diploma’s growth agenda is underpinned by a diverse and inclusive culture. Different perspectives help us make better decisions, deliver more for our customers and create a workplace where everyone can thrive.
This week, in recognition of #IWD2026, we’re spotlighting some of the brilliant women across Diploma PLC as they share their career journeys, leadership insights and reflections on the power of giving to gain.
Give to gain: The ripple effect of investing in others
Melissa Lee, Human Resources Director, Hercules Sealing Products
Mentors are a huge part of our career journeys and I have been blessed to have some of the best female managers and mentors as I grew my career from a high school co-op, working in a huge manufacturing plant to a HR leader.
The biggest break in my career came from a strong HR leader that took a chance on me and put me in a role that was way beyond my skillset at the time. But, she saw my potential and gave me the support and space to grow into what she knew I could do and that was the timeframe in my career when I grew the most quickly, which led to me where I am today.
I never forgot what she and others did for me and wanted to make sure I followed their example. As I grew into leadership roles, I took several chances on employees that I saw potential in, even though they may not have come from the traditional backgrounds required for the roles.
I recruited from schools that weren’t prestigious for leadership programs, pulled talent from other functions in the business into HR roles and nurtured their base skills. I asked employees career questions that no one else was asking them to find out what they were really passionate about and what they were willing to do to grow their careers.
I’m proud to say that many of those individuals that I took a chance on and supported are now leaders in their fields. They are flourishing in fields that were predominantly male-led, because they were bold enough to accept the chance I was able to help give them.
We all had to start our careers somewhere and it is our duty to return the investment that was made in us, to invest in others.