In this special episode of CoreStream GRC’s Spotlight on Women in GRC podcast, Lucy Montague speaks with Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement, about her unconventional route into governance, risk and compliance, the importance of mentorship, and why creating opportunities for others has become her personal mission.
The conversation explores:
- The career path of accounting into governance, risk and compliance
- Why redundancy became the best thing that happened to Yvonne’s career
- Why mentoring and role modelling matter more than ever
- The barriers women still face in progressing into senior leadership
- How GRC offers opportunities for both STEM and non-STEM professionals
- Why AI will transform the future of governance, risk and compliance
- The importance of cross-functional collaboration and communication
- How outreach, STEM advocacy and community work are shaping the next generation of leaders
Finding a home in GRC: from accounting to continuous improvement
Yvonne’s career journey is a reminder that many of the best careers are discovered rather than planned. After excelling in mathematics at school, she was encouraged to pursue accountancy and spent 13 years building a successful finance career. But despite progressing professionally, she found herself wanting more. Transformation projects within the NHS introduced her to program delivery, systems implementation and organizational change, opening her eyes to a completely different side of business.
Then came a major turning point: redundancy.
“That was actually the best thing that ever happened.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Rather than holding her back, it pushed her outside her comfort zone. She moved into contracting, entered the defense industry and began working in projects, program management and risk.
What started as an 18-month risk role evolved into something much larger. Every time Yvonne identified a new risk or governance challenge, she was asked to help solve it. Over time she built teams, created processes and expanded her remit until she found herself leading compliance, quality, risk and business continuity.
“I’ve finally found the role that I genuinely love. It brings together everything I’ve learned throughout my career, from finance and risk to compliance and governance, and allows me to apply it all in one place.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Giving back as a leading woman in GRC
A recurring theme throughout the conversation was that Yvonne doesn’t view leadership as a personal achievement. Instead, she measures success through the growth of others. This was one of the many reasons she won the Woman of the Year award, according to the expert judging panel: “in recognition of her outstanding leadership, advocacy, and contributions to the profession.” – Women in GRC awards announcement
Yvonne credits her leadership style being heavily influenced by her mother, who raised Yvonne alongside her four brothers without creating limitations based on gender.
“Anything that they could do, I could do.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Today, that philosophy shapes every part of her work. Whether mentoring team members, supporting STEM initiatives or acting as a trustee for Age UK Bristol, Yvonne believes leadership is about creating opportunities and helping people realize their potential: ” I know I won’t be here for forever, and I want to create the next set of leaders.”
She describes watching colleagues develop, gain promotions and move into leadership positions as one of the most rewarding parts of her role.
“Watching the team get promoted internally and being recognized for the great things that they do gives me a warm and fuzzy.. I’m so passionate about education and upskilling and, you know, people being the best that they can be.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Her work with Age UK Bristol reflects another important theme from the conversation: the value of intergenerational learning. As workplaces continue to evolve, Yvonne believes organizations need to stop viewing age as a limitation and start recognizing the knowledge, adaptability and experience that older generations bring.
This aligns with wider workforce trends. LinkedIn’s Future of Skills research found that jobs are changing rapidly and that continuous learning is increasingly essential for long-term career success.
For Yvonne, curiosity remains one of the most valuable professional skills anyone can develop.
“Challenge yourself all the time.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
What winning Women in GRC Woman of the Year means
Winning the top award at the Women in GRC Awards was a moment that still hasn’t fully sunk in for Yvonne.
“Honestly, I really still can’t believe that. I’m still coming down to earth with that one.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
For her, the recognition was less about personal achievement and more about validation from peers and industry professionals who understood the impact of her work.
The themes behind her success were clear throughout the discussion:
- Mentorship and sponsorship
- Team development
- Community outreach
- STEM advocacy
- Continuous learning
- Inclusive leadership
Lucy spoke to the impact Yvonne had, stating:
“In your acceptance speech, I think you inspired everyone in the room because you said, never take no for an answer. And if not now, when?”
Lucy Montague, Head of Marketing, CoreStream GRC
This question resonates as women remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions.
Which MD, Niki Dowdall of Women in GRC awards outlined in the keynote of her speech:
“While we’ve made progress, the reality is that we are still far from equity in this space.”
Nikki Dowdall, Managing Director, Women in GRC awards
The challenge extends beyond GRC. According to McKinsey and LeanIn’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report, women continue to face structural barriers to progression. Women hold just 29% of C-suite positions, and for every 100 men promoted into management roles, only 93 women are promoted.
Yvonne believes a significant part of the problem starts at the top:
“Men will feel comfortable recruiting other men.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
She points to unconscious bias, lack of representation in executive teams and structural barriers as factors slowing progress.
Rather than waiting for opportunities, Yvonne actively sought visibility.
“I looked at opportunities where I could get a seat at the table.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Through employee resource groups, inclusion initiatives and leadership forums, she created opportunities to influence conversations and drive change.
Research continues to support the value of diverse leadership teams. McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace research consistently shows that organizations with more diverse leadership pipelines benefit from broader perspectives, stronger decision-making and improved organizational performance.
Why Gen Z and Gen Alpha should consider a career in GRC
One of Yvonne’s strongest messages was that governance, risk and compliance is often misunderstood.
Many people assume GRC is highly technical or only relevant to specialists. In reality, Yvonne argues that most people already use GRC skills every day.
“Everyone does risk.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Managing finances, organizing schedules, making decisions and assessing trade-offs all involve risk-based thinking.
That means GRC can appeal to a much broader audience than people often expect.
Yvonne’s own background reflects this diversity. Her strengths in mathematics led her into accounting, while her passion for drama strengthened her communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
The profession offers opportunities across:
- Risk management
- Compliance
- Governance
- Technology
- Data and analytics
- Continuous improvement
- Communications
- Stakeholder engagement
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey of more than 23,000 respondents across 44 countries, learning and development opportunities are among the top reasons Gen Z chooses an employer. The research also found that 89% consider a sense of purpose important to their job satisfaction and wellbeing.
These priorities align closely with careers in governance, risk and compliance. GRC professionals are constant learners, helping organizations navigate emerging regulations, new technologies, cybersecurity threats, AI governance and ethical decision-making.
For the younger generations, this means GRC offers something many careers struggle to provide: a combination of purpose, adaptability, problem-solving and future-ready skills.
Yvonne’s advice is simple: Focus on transferable skills, not job titles.
“Don’t be fearful about what’s written on paper on a job spec.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
The future of GRC: AI, upskilling and collaboration for value-based GRC
AI is the consistent theme that we have seen across every Spotlight on Women in GRC podcast episode so far. Yvonne is already applying AI, Power BI and automation to transform compliance processes, creating dynamic dashboards, automated monitoring and horizon-scanning capabilities:
“We’re creating dynamic compliance dashboards using AI, automation and intelligent agents, giving leadership teams the ability to self-serve information, receive automated updates and stay ahead of regulatory change. As the compliance landscape continues to evolve, we’re working collaboratively across the business to build a more proactive and connected approach.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Her team now manages more than 70 compliance requirements through connected systems that provide leadership with a single source of truth and advanced visibility into future regulatory changes.
For Yvonne the biggest challenge isn’t technology. It’s skills.
“The challenge we’re going to have is the ability to upskill teams at pace.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
This prediction aligns with the World Economic Forum estimation that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030, as organizations adapt to advances in AI, automation and digital technologies.
She also believes organizations need to adopt a more proactive approach to governance and compliance by involving GRC teams earlier in projects to truly achieve value-based GRC outcomes.
“Bring us in early. As soon as you’ve got the ideas, bring us in at idea stage.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Rather than relying on lengthy documentation or complex frameworks, she encourages teams to focus on storytelling, workshops, lunch-and-learns and practical discussions.
She also believes GRC professionals need to do a better job of making their work understandable:
“Keep it simple, stupid.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Many business leaders understand risk, compliance and governance intuitively. The challenge is often that GRC teams communicate in language that feels disconnected from day-to-day operations.
“We’re not scary people.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
The more accessible GRC becomes, the more effectively organizations can embed it across their operations.
Conclusion: GRC Woman of the Year’s key advice
Winning Women in GRC’s highest individual honour may have brought industry recognition, but Yvonne’s story is ultimately about something much bigger than awards.
Throughout the conversation, she returns to one consistent belief: success is not measured by your own achievements alone, but by the opportunities you create for others.
Whether she’s mentoring colleagues, supporting STEM initiatives, advocating for diversity, or encouraging young people to recognize their transferable skills, Yvonne’s focus remains firmly on helping people realize their potential.
“I can be a part of a puzzle to affect change. And I’ll continue to do that probably till the day I die.”
Yvonne Gordon, 2026 Women in GRC Woman of the Year and Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement
Will you?
About Yvonne Gordon
Yvonne Gordon is Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement at a defense technology and transformation organization. Leading teams across quality, risk, compliance and business continuity, she has built a career spanning finance, transformation, program management and governance. Alongside her professional role, she is a STEM ambassador, charity trustee and passionate advocate for mentoring, diversity and lifelong learning. In 2026, she was named Women in GRC Woman of the Year in recognition of her leadership, community impact and commitment to developing the next generation of GRC professionals.
About the Spotlight on Women in GRC podcast
CoreStream GRC’s Spotlight on Women in GRC podcast series has been created in the to continue spreading the great work of the Women in GRC awards, all year-round.
Across the series, CoreStream GRC Head of Marketing Lucy Montague speaks with women working across governance, risk and compliance to explore their career paths, leadership lessons and views on the future of the profession.
Podcast transcript
Lucy: Congratulations on winning Women in GRC Woman of the Year. You previously won Role Model of the Year earlier in the evening and then went on to receive the overall award. How did that feel?
Yvonne: Honestly, I still can’t believe it. It was really nice to be validated and acknowledged for the work that I’ve done by people outside of my organization. My team keeps telling me that I deserve it because of everything I’ve done to support them, but hearing that recognition externally was incredibly special.
Lucy: Let’s go back to the beginning. Tell us a bit about your career journey.
Yvonne: I’m currently Head of Compliance and Continuous Improvement, leading quality, risk, compliance and business continuity. I actually started out in finance because I loved maths at school and was told I’d make a great accountant. I spent 13 years doing that before realizing it wasn’t where my passion was.
The turning point came when I got involved in transformation projects within the NHS. Eventually I was made redundant, which felt difficult at the time, but looking back it was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and into projects, programme management and risk.
Over time I found myself solving more and more governance, risk and compliance challenges until I ended up leading the function. I’ve now found the role that I genuinely love because it brings together everything I’ve learned throughout my career.
Lucy: One thing that really stood out in your acceptance speech was your focus on helping other people. Where does that come from?
Yvonne: A lot of that comes from my mum. I’m one of five children and the only girl. Growing up, there was never a sense that my brothers could do something that I couldn’t do. She taught me not to put limits on myself and I try to pass that on to other people.
I genuinely love watching other people succeed. Seeing someone in my team progress, get promoted or develop new skills gives me far more satisfaction than anything I’ve achieved personally.
Lucy: You said in your speech, “Never take no for an answer. If not now, when?” Has that always been your approach?
Yvonne: Pretty much. Even at school if something didn’t seem fair, I challenged it. Whether that was girls being excluded from certain activities or being told certain subjects weren’t for us, I always questioned why.
As I’ve got older, that’s evolved into advocating for women, people from different backgrounds, neurodivergent colleagues and older workers. If we want change, somebody has to challenge the status quo.
Lucy: Women still make up a relatively small percentage of senior GRC leadership positions. Why do you think that gap still exists?
Yvonne: We have to be honest about who’s leading organizations today. If leadership teams aren’t diverse, people often recruit individuals who look like them or have similar experiences.
Men will often feel comfortable recruiting other men. That’s not always intentional, but it still happens. That’s why representation matters so much. We need more women in visible leadership positions and more opportunities for different voices to be heard.
Lucy: How did you navigate some of those barriers yourself?
Yvonne: I looked for opportunities to get a seat at the table.
Employee resource groups were a big one for me. They gave me visibility with senior leaders and allowed me to contribute to conversations about diversity, culture and inclusion. Once I had that opportunity, I started using my voice to influence other areas of the business as well.
Lucy: What would you say to a young woman considering a career in governance, risk and compliance?
Yvonne: I’d tell her that there are far more opportunities than she probably realizes.
People hear the term GRC and think it’s technical or specialist, but everyone already uses these skills every day. Everyone manages risk. Everyone makes decisions. Everyone balances priorities, budgets and deadlines.
The profession is incredibly broad. There are opportunities in technology, analysis, compliance, communications, continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.
Most importantly, don’t be intimidated by a job description. Focus on your transferable skills and what you’re capable of learning.
Lucy: Let’s talk about the future. What do you think the next era of GRC looks like?
Yvonne: AI will play a huge role.
We’re already using AI, automation, dashboards and data analytics to improve compliance monitoring and horizon scanning. The challenge won’t be the technology itself. The challenge will be making sure organizations and employees can keep pace with the skills required.
I also think businesses need to involve GRC teams much earlier. Too often compliance is brought in after a solution has already been designed or implemented. We should be involved at the idea stage.
Lucy: You also talk a lot about collaboration. What’s your advice for organizations where risk, compliance and governance teams still operate in silos?
Yvonne: Have a conversation.
It sounds simple, but that’s where everything starts. Help people understand what your team actually does. Run workshops, lunch-and-learns and create opportunities for people to learn from one another.
GRC professionals sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be. Keep it simple. Make it visual. Use stories and examples people can relate to.
And remember, we’re not scary people.
Lucy: Finally, what keeps you motivated?
Yvonne: Knowing I can make a difference.
Whether that’s through mentoring, STEM outreach, charity work or helping someone on my team progress, I want to be part of positive change.
I always say that if I can be part of a puzzle that affects change, then I’ll keep doing that for as long as I can.
Lucy: Thank you so much for joining us.
Yvonne: Thank you for having me.
Frequently asked questions
A career in GRC can involve risk management, compliance monitoring, governance frameworks, audits, business continuity, data analysis, policy development, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement. As Yvonne’s story shows, it is also a field where transferable skills from finance, project delivery, communications and leadership can create strong career pathways.
No. While technology, data and AI skills are increasingly valuable, GRC is not only for technical specialists. Strong communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, curiosity and the ability to connect risk to business outcomes are just as important.
GRC offers purpose-driven work, constant learning and exposure to fast-changing topics such as AI governance, cybersecurity, regulation, operational resilience and ethical decision-making. For younger professionals looking for adaptable, future-ready careers, GRC provides the chance to make a meaningful impact across an organization.
AI is helping GRC teams move from reactive reporting to more proactive monitoring, automation and horizon scanning. In the blog, Yvonne highlights the use of AI, automation and dashboards to give leaders better visibility of compliance requirements and emerging regulatory change.
The future of GRC will require a blend of business understanding, regulatory awareness, data literacy, technology confidence and human skills such as collaboration, storytelling and communication. Upskilling at pace will be essential as AI and automation reshape how organizations manage risk and compliance.
Mentorship helps create visibility, confidence and access to opportunities. Yvonne’s experience shows how leaders can use their influence to support others, build future leadership pipelines and challenge barriers that may prevent women from progressing into senior roles.
Value-based GRC is an approach that connects governance, risk and compliance work directly to business outcomes. Instead of treating GRC as a box-ticking exercise, it brings risk and compliance teams into conversations earlier so they can help the organization make smarter, safer and more strategic decisions.
Organizations can make GRC more accessible by using plain language, involving teams early, running practical workshops and explaining risk in the context of everyday business decisions. As Yvonne puts it, GRC teams need to keep things simple and show that they are there to help the business succeed.
