News
Tracy Lewis shares her career journey and reflections on leadership
30 Jul 2026
LDC welcomed Tracy Lewis for a Q&A on her career journey, reflections on leadership and the importance of creating space for honest, practical conversations. The session was part of a series for LDC’s female employees from across the UK.
Tracy is Chair of LDC portfolio company, Neilson Active Holidays, and former CEO of Eveden, the lingerie and swimwear business. Her relationship with LDC dates back to 2006 when LDC invested to support Eveden’s international growth strategy. During the six-year partnership, Eveden trebled in size, through expansion of its Freya and Fantasie lingerie brands into 52 countries and developed a new brand, Elomi, for the US consumer. The business created more than 200 jobs in the UK, set up divisions across the US, Europe and Australia and completed a strategic acquisition in France, before being acquired by Japanese listed Wacoal in 2012.
Tracy worked with their Japanese parent for four years, before progressing a cross-sector portfolio career, supporting management teams and investors with multiple exits across consumer brands, beauty, travel and leisure, and skills and training. Her focus is on supporting and challenging founders and teams to think differently, while continuing to learn and evolve herself as a leader.
Drawing on experiences from both her early career and her time as CEO, Tracy reflected on the realities of leadership and the lessons that continue to shape her approach today. She spoke candidly about the challenges leaders face, including the accountability, responsibility and occasional isolation that can come with senior roles.
One point Tracy returned to several times was the importance of looking outward when faced with challenges. Whether in professional or personal settings, Tracy emphasised the value of asking questions, building relationships and continually learning from others. She encouraged the group to reflect on a simple but powerful question: “Am I showing up enough?”
What makes great leaders, Tracy suggested, comes from embracing individual strengths and recognising that diversity of thought is often what drives the strongest business outcomes. Constructive feedback is a positive thing, as is surrounding yourself with people who think differently, and remaining open to learning are critical ingredients for growth and leadership development.
Take up more space. It’s amazing what that can do and I wish someone had told me that much earlier.”
Reflecting on women in leadership, Tracy spoke openly on a range of experiences from building inclusive environments to being the only woman in the room. She encouraged people to be confident in the direction they want to take and to seek support from a trusted network of advisors. One idea was the creation of a personal board – a group of people outside the workplace, who can provide challenge, perspective and accountability throughout a career (and life).
Tracy’s insights provided a valuable opportunity to hear first-hand about the realities of leadership, from building confidence in unfamiliar environments to supporting others as they grow. Her key advice?
“Be visible, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to take up more space. It’s amazing what that can do. Just being the first person to volunteer for something, get involved in something, support something, whatever it might mean. What you get from that in terms of personal growth, as well as how you are in business, I just think reaps so many benefits. And I wish someone had told me that much earlier”.
Thank you to Tracy for sharing her time and experiences with the team, and to everyone who joined the conversation.