“You can achieve anything if you try hard enough”

Sandy Farar CMgr FCMI’s journey to becoming a Chartered Manager was the accumulation of several decades of extremely hard work, grit and determination in the face of extremely challenging personal circumstances. 

Sandy has worked across the professional services sector for companies such as Capita, Civica and Arup. Her career has involved coaching, leading L&D programmes, collaborating with public sector organisations and, more recently, spearheading transformation initiatives. 

Sandy has managed and supervised teams of up to 50 staff, built teams from scratch and, in 2024, she played a pivotal role in the design, creation and implementation of a new office with around 900 staff. Last year, Sandy was awarded Manager of the Year at the 2024 Office Management Awards, and she was also shortlisted for Chartered Manager of the Year at the 2024 CMI Awards of Excellence. All this is a testament to her strong character and resilience. 

“Something had to change”

Despite her eight A grades at O-Level, Sandy was forced to leave school at age 16 and was pushed into an arranged marriage by her stepfather when she was barely 19. She had to leave her Southampton home and move to Birmingham, somewhere she’d never been before. 

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“Further study for girls in my culture at that time was not an option,” she explains. “My life choices were dictated by my family. I’d grown up on a deprived council estate, so life had always been hard. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20s and a parent that I realised something had to change. I realised I was the only one who would fight for me.”

Sandy took the difficult decision to end her marriage and bring her daughters up alone so she could pursue the career – and the life – she wanted. It meant leaving ‘that world’, and her family, behind.

Despite being ostracised by her family, Sandy has no regrets. From her first job at a bank in her late teens, she began to systematically work her way up the ranks over 20 years. Gradually, she gained skills and experience. She has since fostered strategic partnerships, demonstrated strong leadership skills, nurtured talent and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, developed business continuity plans.

Both of Sandy’s children – now grown up – have thriving careers. 

“My choices gave my daughters freedom and opportunity, so it wasn’t just for myself; it was for my girls, too,” she says. “Yes, it was painful. And it’s taken me a long time to get over the frustration of having my education cut short as well as a failed marriage, but it’s also been a blessing in so many other ways.”

“I needed something more”

Now in a senior public sector position at West Midlands Combined Authority, Sandy is extremely proud of what she has achieved.  

Sandy was already a highly experienced manager when she became Chartered in 2020. But she only had O-levels, a few banking exams and some management qualifications. She felt that none of it really demonstrated her worth or value.