Ketty Lawrence is the vice chair of Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT), a charity that exists to champion, celebrate, and invest in women within Scotland’s technology ecosystem.
She has also spent the last nine years at Skills Development Scotland, designing and delivering programmes that support Scotland’s economic growth through skills development, employment and inclusion.
Working across national and regional skills investment programmes, Lawrence created a range of talent pipeline initiatives and led government-backed programmes to increase gender diversity and neurodiversity.
From lucky breaks to best failures, she shares some of the lessons learnt across her life and career so far…
Which single daily habit or practice could you not do without?
My morning routine. It sets me up for the day and gets my brain, body, and focus fired up. I have three non-negotiables:
Exercise: I walk or swim every morning to focus my mind. Waking with a whirlwind of thoughts — work, home, SWiT, family — exercise becomes my mindfulness time. It helps me process, plan, and clear mental space before work.
Breakfast: Your brain’s health starts in the gut. I’ve learned I work best with protein, healthy fats and fibre, so a yoghurt/granola/fruit bowl replaces the Pret cinnamon pastry and triple espresso I once loved (and miss).
Family: Mornings used to be so hectic that we skipped proper goodbyes. Now, no one leaves our house without hugs and a quick check‑in on the day ahead — a mini motivational family stand‑up that sends us out with positive vibes.
What’s been your luckiest break?
Being headhunted for my role at Skills Development Scotland — thanks to a recruiter who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I was in business development for a tech SME, and the spec was for an experienced project manager in public sector… not where I saw myself. But when preparing the interview assignment, I realised the role tackled issues I genuinely cared about—access to talent, skills development, inspiring young people, gender inclusion. It was my understanding of those challenges and excitement to resolve them that won me the job. It definitely wasn’t a PM qualification — I didn’t have one!
For nine years, I’ve designed and delivered programmes driving growth through tech, skills, employment and inclusion, surrounded by an amazing network of people. And I have loved every programme, project and partnership I’ve been involved in.
Who knew public sector project management would be so fun and rewarding? Thanks to Justin Black for spotting what I couldn’t see in myself — I’ll never judge a job by its title again.
What’s your best failure?
In my last year of primary school, our year group took part in the traditional swimming competition, with a trophy passed down annually and a medal for second place. I was a strong swimmer, part of a club, and figured I’d breeze through it.
Then a new kid arrived—fast and focused. They beat me and I assumed I’d come second. But nope, I’d been overtaken by the quiet underdog who’d been training hard while I’d coasted, believing I had it in the bag. That moment of hearing my name against third place hit me hard! It wasn’t about losing, it was about realising I hadn’t really tried. It was a wake-up call and a very early lesson learned at age 11!
Since then, I can honestly say I have worked hard for everything that matters to me. When I commit to something, I give it my all. I show up, put the work in and give it my full attention. Whether I get my preferred outcome or not, I know I gave it my best and can focus on learning how to do things better – instead of kicking myself for being cr*p.
What is the best investment you’ve ever made, either financial or time?
Joining SWiT is by far the best investment I’ve ever made with my time. I applied because I wanted to use my skills to help drive positive change. In reality, it has been so much more than that!
As a strategic yet hands-on volunteer role, it challenges me on every level. It’s enhanced my leadership experience, operational skills and challenged my ability to balance what matters most. It’s a constant learning curve.
It has also allowed me to get to know more people. I love meeting people, discovering what other organisations are doing, and connecting them. SWiT gives me the energy and satisfaction of doing that while contributing to a bigger mission.
Above all, it’s given me clarity: being purpose-driven and making an impact is what motivates me. Time is precious, and I want mine spent on things I care about – things that make a positive impact on people’s lives.
Which podcast or book would you recommend others to read/listen to, and why?
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. It’s old, but it’s awesome.
This was recommended to me as a parent dealing with some challenging emotional behaviour but it’s relevant to so much more than conflict resolution: teamwork, leadership, change, inclusion, self-empowerment and more.
For me, it’s about understanding needs and motivations driving behaviour, adopting a language to help people feel valued and psychologically safe. When everyone can speak up and be part of the conversation, then we can benefit from their full input – to ignite ideas, solve problems, work more effectively and reach better outcomes. It’s the best unconscious bias training I’ve ever had.
As a parent, this is helping me speak to my daughter in a way that encourages her to open up and share what is upsetting her balance, without fear of judgement, embarrassment or getting into trouble. (Yep – absolutely relevant for work!)
What one piece of advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Look for new experiences and talk to people about what they do. Try everything that comes your way, take every opportunity and keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone into new things. Look for what inspires you and what you enjoy, then turn that into a job.
I’d say that to my 31-year-old self, too!
Who or what has had the single biggest influence on your working life?
There’s no one person or one thing; my journey is a result of all the people and experiences I have had. I love connecting with people, learning new things and I’m inspired by just about everyone I meet – there is something to learn from everyone when we take the time to listen and share.
I think this is actually how I learn best. Talking to people about their experiences, ways of doing things, listening to their insights and knowledge, sharing challenges.
Every day is an ongoing journey of enlightenment!
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
When I was 17 years old, I had long hair. One day, I walked into the hairdresser’s and asked them to shave it off. Think it was a number three! Honestly, I just wanted to see what it would feel like. It felt good, and my morning became way more efficient.
I’d do it again for efficiency, but my kids beg me not too!
If there was one thing you could change about your career, what would it be and why?
Honestly, I don’t think I’d change anything – it all happened for a reason.
Sometimes I wonder where I’d be if I’d moved on to new things a bit faster. It’s easy to keep doing the same thing when you love it, but we need new experiences to grow and new challenges to motivate us.
My last job had loads of variety and I had the chance to work across a lot of different problems and areas, so I stayed in it for longer than is typical, I guess. When it stopped being challenging, I knew it was time to move on.
What does success look like to you?
Being happy. If you are not happy at work, then you need to change something! We can’t be our best selves without happiness.
Right now, I’m working to focus on the things that bring me happiness and trying to either reframe or drop the things that don’t.
For me, happiness at work is knowing my purpose, enjoying the challenge, working with people and making an impact. I want to use the skills I most enjoy to work on the things I care about. If I can find a new challenge that brings me happiness in this way, then that will be my next success.
