This year’s International Women’s Day is particularly special for us at OCS as it coincides with our 125th anniversary. To celebrate, we’re shining a spotlight on three trailblazing women from our history—Rita, Scottie, and Judy—whose leadership and impact helped shape our legacy.
In a world where leadership was traditionally a man’s domain, Mrs Scott—fondly known as “Scottie”—defied expectations and carved her own path. As OCS’s first female Contracts Manager, she not only shattered glass ceilings but also redefined what women could achieve in the industry.
Scottie’s journey with OCS began in the early 1950s when she applied for a part-time supervisor role to help pay for her daughter’s school fees. Despite initial scepticism—one manager even remarked that she was “above that sort of thing”—Scottie was given a one-month trial. That trial turned into a remarkable 26-year career, proving that talent and tenacity triumph over bias.
Her rise was swift. Within a few years, she became an inspector and then a Contracts Manager, a role she held for over 18 years. At a time when OCS was still “very much a man’s firm,” she faced the same challenges, took the same “kicks and knocks” as her male colleagues, and yet was once excluded from the company’s bi-centenary celebrations simply because she was the only woman manager. But Scottie never let setbacks define her. Instead, they fueled her drive to fight for equal opportunities for women—including successfully campaigning for the first OCS pension scheme for female clerical team.
Her leadership wasn’t just about breaking barriers—it was about empowering others. She was deeply committed to her cleaning staff, many of whom stayed with her for 16 to 18 years, and she fiercely advocated for the recognition of cleaning as a respectable profession.
Scottie’s influence extended beyond OCS. A firm believer that women could do just as well as men, she admired Margaret Thatcher and once joked, “I’m looking forward to the time she’s prime minister and, who knows, what about me as a director of OCS?”
Despite her demanding schedule—starting work at 4 AM every day—Scottie’s energy was boundless. She balanced work with her passions for cooking, theatre, ballet, and family, proving that a woman’s role wasn’t confined to one space.
On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate Scottie—not just for being the first, but for ensuring that she wouldn’t be the last.
