Joanne Haslam, Head of Fast Track RTA, Shares Her Journey With Carpenters Group
Joanne Haslam
|29 July 2025
Head of Fast Track RTA, Jo Haslam, shared her journey with Modern Law Magazine for their special “Women In Law Supplement”, celebrating the phenomenal women shaping today's legal profession.
As I approach my 20 year anniversary with Carpenters, I have been reflecting on how much we've grown as a business, and what a career journey I've been on! The industry has changed significantly over that time, and faced significant challenges over the past few years.
As Head of Department, I oversee personal injury fast track claims, recoveries, credit hire and commercial ULR at Carpenters. I am proud to lead the largest legal team within the business servicing both our customers and insurer partners. Compensation Recovery Unit data confirms that we are a firm that settles significantly more claims than any other legal provider. We manage tight deadlines, a Portal that continues to be sub-optimal in terms of process and most importantly, support real people who would find the process confusing and unmanageable without support from my team.
"Over the past two decades, I've witnessed significant, positive, changes in the profession. Yet, one thing has remained constant for me, a deep passion for creating space where others can thrive."
Being a woman in law and insurance hasn't always been easy, but at Carpenters it's been a journey made smoother by a culture that promotes merit over gender. We have a proud history of promoting the best person for the job, regardless of their gender. The result is that we have lots of highly skilled women in senior positions. The majority of senior leaders across our legal and insurance divisions are women.
Over the past two decades, I've witnessed significant, positive, changes in the profession. Yet one thing has remained constant for me, a deep passion for creating space where others can thrive.
"The legal profession can sometimes feel out of reach for young people starting out, but it shouldn't."
I was fortunate to have strong female role models who lifted each other up and celebrated one another's successes. The legal profession can sometimes feel out of reach for young people starting out, but it shouldn't. Lawyers are people too, some of them are even nice! That's why I'm committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation of women in this field, because the industry doesn't' just benefit from women, it needs us.
At Carpenters, we don't just talk about the future of the legal profession, we build it. Our Legal Academy is shaping the legal handlers of tomorrow, offering people from all walks of life the chance to learn, grow, and succeed. It's about opening doors that were once closed, and making sure that talent, not background, determines how far you can go.
I'm proud of what we have achieved, and I'm even prouder of where we're going. Because when women support women, when we lead with authenticity, and when we make space for others to shine, that's when the real change happens.
Credit: Modern Law Magazine
