#13 - Cassie Hugill: Breaking barriers and trusting your gut in leadership

Cassie Hugill is the CEO of the Martingale Foundation, an organisation dedicated to breaking down barriers to postgraduate study for talented students, no matter their background. With a career she describes as “squiggly,” Cassie’s journey has taken her from a small country town in Australia to a senior leadership role at UCL, and now to leading a foundation making a real difference in the UK research sector.

In this episode, Cassie shares her insights on navigating leadership as a relatively young female CEO, the delicate balance between ambition and perception, and why trusting your gut is often the best guide. She also unpacks the concept of the “hidden curriculum” in education, offers her philosophy on failing forward, and reflects on how unconventional career paths can lead to extraordinary impact.

In this episode, we talk about:

00:00 – Introduction to Cassie and the Martingale Foundation

00:46 – Becoming a young CEO on a non-linear path

02:28 – Stepping into leadership and finding her voice

04:50 – Purpose, background, and a love of research

08:10 – Creating Into Research and the path to Martingale

12:29 – Martingale’s impact and future growth

14:52 – Comparing the UK and Australian education systems

18:38 – Embracing a squiggly career path

21:40 – Saying yes and learning from unusual roles

25:55 – Redefining failure and leading with confidence

26:31 – Bias, being “too much,” and owning the CEO role

29:33 – Advice to her younger self: ambition without burnout

Cassie’s story is a brilliant reminder that leadership doesn’t have to follow a straight path. If you’ve ever felt like you don't fit the traditional mould, or want to embrace your own unique journey, this conversation is full of practical wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement to lead with confidence and authenticity.

About the host

Sarah Perugia is an expert women-in-leadership coach and whole-person leadership transformation specialist, dedicated to empowering female leaders to thrive. With over 20 years of experience, she partners with organisations across the globe to develop and retain top female talent, strengthen the female leadership pipeline, and promote gender equality in senior roles.

Drawing on her background in acting, neuro-linguistic programming, and Positive Psychology, Sarah empowers leaders to advance their careers, build confidence, enhance performance, and ultimately flourish and thrive. Her offering combines tailored leadership development programmes with one-to-one executive leadership coaching to unlock their full potential.

If you’d like to learn more about Sarah and her work with women in leadership, you can find out more here: https://www.sarahperugia.com/women-in-leadership/

In this show, we cover

Professional Development, Leadership Strengths, Purpose, Postgraduate Study, Financial Barriers, Hidden Curriculum, Women in Leadership.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more!

Contact and Connect

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-perugia-leadership-coaching/

Connect with Cassie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-hugill/