OW Spotlight! Emma Huepfl

We recently caught up with OW Emma to hear about her fascinating career and journey into her role as a Real Estate Finance Leader, Senior Advisor & NED. We loved hearing of Emma’s Westholme experience and memories, as well as her career progression and advice!

How would you describe your Westholme experience? Did you have any favourite subjects/sports/ clubs? 

I was at Westholme from Nusery right through to Upper Sixth, so I have forgotten many things, but standout memories include Mrs Harrison teaching us the Jabberwocky in Year 3, an impromptu riot in the dining hall when the table monitors were left to clear up and threw wet cloths at each other (for which I had to stand under the clock in shame all afternoon) and dancing round the maypole.  In Senior school, it was Mrs Gibson’s English classes which sparked a lifelong love of books and theatre, leading to an English degree.  I did lots of sport and was one of only two people in the school (Fiona Thistlethwaite and me) who actually loved the annual cross country.  We battled it out each year on Meins Road, and later very proudly in the Oxford and Cambridge Varsity match.

What have you been up to since leaving Westholme?
I had no career plan but migrated to London after university and temped until I found myself a graduate role in a property firm which was setting up a new division.  There was no job description but loads of opportunity to learn by getting involved.  Gradually that turned into a career in real estate finance, and launching a business which was eventually sold to an American firm.  I am now free to pick and choose interesting projects, and have a variety of advisory roles, including working with the Bank of England to help them understand risks arising in the real estate sector.  At the other end of the scale, I am loving working with a start-up business which we are ‘bootstrapping’ (building the concept with very little money) to prove it works, before we go and raise money to expand.

What do you enjoy most about your job? What does a ‘day-in-the-life’ look like? 

A day in the life usually starts with juggling tricks around family, domestic tasks, dogs, a horse, and exercise if I’m lucky.  2-3 days per week, I go into London and make those days as productive as possible – some meetings are much better done in person than virtually, particularly business planning.  My industry still values people and relationships, so it is important to keep working the network.

Could you tell us a little about your journey to where you are now? What are your aspirations for the future?

I think most people’s career journeys are wiggly, and that is definitely true for me. Working in a cyclical sector, there are times when, however hard you work, things do not come off, but it teaches you much more than when everything is going smoothly. It takes ups and downs know what you really like and are good at.  Saying yes to things beyond the day job, getting involved in industry initiatives and presenting at conferences etc, however nerve-wracking, is a great way to develop new skills and profile.  In terms of future aspirations, I would hate not working, so I am busy but try to take on things where I’m still learning and really like the people I am working with – I love helping new businesses to shape their strategy and grow.

Any advice for current students here at Westholme? 

To make progress, you have to go into some situations where you feel anxious or slightly out of your depth because you need to stretch yourself to learn, and get OK with being uncomfortable.  Do not shy away from contacting someone you want to learn from – often the more senior they are the more generous they are with their time, advice or connections.  At school, keep a balance of work and other interests, because it makes you much more efficient and it’s good practice for rest of life.  Do not let the tech companies steal your precious time, attention and confidence!

Thank you Emma for sharing your journey and advice. We wish you the best and look forward to hearing more on your career developments in the future!