Why businesses should celebrate women in leadership all year round
Businesses should celebrate women in leadership all year round, not just on International Women’s Day. It’s all too easy to get caught up in trends and celebrate things when others are doing so. But the impact that this has on the real issues at hand – lack of representation, lack of females in executive roles, and lack of diversity at every level in every industry - is so microscopic that we need to be celebrating the successful women of this world all year round.
Women have been changing history and dramatically influencing the world around them for centuries. And, whilst not always noted in the history books or taught in schools, they should absolutely be recognised today.
In this post, we’ll shed a light on the female figures that have played an instrumental part in the success of UK businesses and culture over recent years. We hope to share with you our belief in the importance of celebrating women in leadership and empowering future female leaders to take the right steps in their careers.
Why is celebrating women in leadership important?
“The world’s most prominent women leaders show the importance of honesty, courage, impact, and decisive action in leadership.” - Oprah Winfrey
“Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.” - International Women's Day
So, we’ve covered why celebrating female leadership is important, and why we believe more businesses should do so. Now let’s look into the positive and instrumental impact that females have had on the business world in the UK over the last few years, and why it’s important to recognise these people and remember that diversity should be applauded, encouraged, and celebrated.
3 Real Examples Of Successful Female Business Owners
Highlighting some of the most successful female entrepreneurs allows us to start the conversation on what it means to be truly diverse and inclusive. We aim to use our platform as a spotlight highlighting the achievements of female leaders, giving them the recognition they deserve.
Here are some examples of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs:
Anne Boden
Image source: Anne Boden/Starling Bank.
Anne Boden is a welsh tech entrepreneur - she is the Founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a mobile-based regulated bank that allows users to keep better track of their finances. After 30 years at some of the world’s biggest financial institutions, she founded Starling “to offer people a fairer, smarter and more human alternative to the banks of the past.”
Starling Bank is one of just six UK unicorn companies (businesses worth more than one billion dollars) to be female-founded.
Guan Dian
Image source: Guan Dian/Patsnap.
Guan Dian is Co-Founder and Asia Pacific Senior Vice President at Patsnap, an AI-driven organisation that allows subscribers to access intellectual property patents in order to analyse trends and drive innovation. Having worked as an analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston and a software engineer at MooWee, Dian has used her background to optimise the software and its journey to market.
Patsnap works by using machine learning to comb through datasets, providing users with only the information they need. This could be patent expiry dates, renewals, licensing or litigation data.
Cherry Freeman
Image source: Cherry Freeman/LoveCraft.
Cherry Freeman is the Founder and Non-Executive Director at online crafting community, LoveCrafts. Before founding the business in 2010, Freeman received a degree from the University of Cambridge and then worked in operations and consultancy.
LoveCrafts is a home for creatives who want to find new inspiration and learn new techniques. The platform acts as a marketplace for supplies and a social place for members to share their work. As reported by the Huffington Post, the site’s visitors skyrocketed during the pandemic.
See the full list of female entrepreneurs to watch in 2022 here
The success of female leaders and entrepreneurs in the UK should be recognised and celebrated by businesses all year round. The innovation and transformative waves that these women are making is historic.