Women in business: Heading in the right direction

Times are changing in the boardroom. The number of female directors in FTSE 100 companies has increased by 50 per cent in the last five years.

That was the headline figure from the final report of the Hampton-Alexander review, which was published just 24 hours after we brought our 2021 ‘Women in Business’ panel together.

The government-backed review, launched in 2016, achieved its target of 33 per cent of board positions on FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies to be held by women last December.

The results have been hailed as “a dramatic shift” in representation at the very highest levels of British business. The final report also highlights that women’s representation in wider senior leadership is also rising.

However, while women make up more than a third of those in senior leadership positions, “significant progress” remains to be made on the highest executive roles, such as chief executive.

Sir Philip Hampton, who chaired the review, has echoed calls to boost the number of women in top executive positions.

He says: “There’s been excellent progress for women leaders in business over the last 10 years or more, with boards and shareholders determined to see change.

“The progress has been strongest with non-executive positions on boards, but the coming years should see many more women taking top executive roles. That’s what is needed to sustain the changes made.”

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng adds: “We cannot become complacent in building a society where everyone has an opportunity to get on and succeed.

“As we look to build back better from the pandemic, it’s important businesses keep challenging themselves to use all the talents of our workforce and open up the top ranks for more, highly-accomplished women.”

Echoing that call, Lancashire Business View has put the spotlight on the county’s up and coming women in business and the part they will play in the post-pandemic fightback.

We’ve been looking at entrepreneurs and innovators who will play a major role in taking Lancashire’s economy forward.

And from the nominations we’ve received from across the county and from all sectors of the county’s economy, we’ve chosen, with the aid of our special invited panel, a list of 25 who we believe represent the very best values of Lancashire’s inspirational women.

We publish them here, not in any particular order, to celebrate their work and the contribution they are making and will make in the future.

Lancashire Business View publisher Richard Slater said: “Twelve months ago we identified the most influential business leaders in the county to celebrate International Women’s Day.

“It was a powerful list highlighting the fantastic talent we have here in Lancashire and the women who are making a real difference.

“This year we have put the spotlight on the county’s up and coming women in business and the impact their efforts will have on Lancashire’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Once again, our aim is to highlight the achievements of women in Lancashire as well as supporting the message that equality is not a women's issue, it is a business issue.

“The fact is that gender equality is essential if economies and communities like Lancashire are to thrive in the post-pandemic world.

“We thank all those who nominated someone for the list and also to our panel members for taking the time to come together and to help us in our task.”

• Miranda Barker, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Lancashire Enterprise Partnership board member
• Dawn Coker, chief operating officer of Acces2Funding, which specialises in business growth
• Maya Ellis, innovation and digital lead for economic development at Lancashire County Council
• Amy Lancaster-Hall, group marketing manager at Bowker Motor Group

The women to watch in 2021