Perseverance through education: Elaine Damms
As part of International Women’s Day 2026, leaders in Greater Birmingham share their thoughts on the power of reciprocity and support following this year’s theme of ‘Give to Gain’.
Elaine Damms, senior CRM and data executive at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce has excelled in her career through constantly learning her craft – and never looking back.
She has managed many major projects within the Chamber and was also awarded the Chamber Star award for her contributions.
Elaine explains the need for constant learning, the art of believing in yourself, and her commitment to keep moving forward.
What changes would you like to see for women in business in Greater Birmingham?
The overall landscape and attitude towards women in business is changing, with mentor schemes, networking events and even back to work experience schemes now being offered.
There is still a way to go to make this a rule rather than an exception. I would like to see more of these initiatives to support women at all stages in their career progression.
What is one action you could take to challenge gender bias or stereotypes?
Talking! I think in our ever-evolving society it is becoming more and more common to share experiences and discuss barriers with peers.
I always say that "I can't fix what I don't know!"
While I usual mean that in the context of my role I think it's also applicable in everyday life.
Let's keep talking and sharing to normalise these kinds of conversations and take a step toward eliminating gender bias.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in business and how did you overcome it?
One thing that has always stuck with me was being told, very early on in my working life, that I was just an overhead.
It made me determined to prove that there was a lot more to me than that.
It took a little longer than I'd like to admit, but I found that belief in myself, and once I did, it didn't take me quite as long to find an employer who saw that too.
I think a lot of the time people telling us we are less than we are, in any context, can create a negative image that sticks with us.
The challenge is having the belief in ourselves to reshape that narrative and use it to drive us forward.
This year’s IWD theme is Give to Gain. How will you give back to either your organisation or community to help drive more change?
I form part of my organisation’s ESG Group. We are continually looking for ways that we can educate the wider team on diversity and inclusion.
Whether that's by organising something fun, an educational lunch and learn, or even just sharing historical knowledge around National days. We try to celebrate all colleagues and I am honoured to be able to be a part of that.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to women looking to succeed in your industry?
Keep Going. Whether you are just starting out, just changing career or just looking to progress in your current career.... keep going!
The conventional methods are no longer the only access to a career path. There are so many avenues that have opened up in the form of bootcamps, home studying and even apprenticeships that if you didn't earn a degree in the career you want to progress, it doesn't mean it is closed off to you.
Take the first step, then the next and the next and keep going.
How has being part of GBCC helped support your business or career? *
As an employee of the GBCC I can honestly say that they have been supportive with my progression path.
Initially I had started with an element of upskilling through self learning. They quickly saw my capabilities and helped me to evolve my role at the time, allowing me to take on new responsibilities based on the new skills that I had learnt.
From there they have been instrumental in helping me to grow my role even further, challenging me with tasks that pushed the scope of my knowledge (in addition to ones that fit within my new skill set), and offering me training and progression.
