Kate Hills’ Post

Honoured to be invited to chair a fashion retail event with these two very inspirational women this week. Jane Shepherdson CBE & Sim Scavazza 75 senior execs in high street retail attended the event, organised by Claire Beasley and Sue Willis at Court & Spark Consulting, to hear Jane and Sim’s experiences transitioning to non-exec, trustee and advisory roles. Despite women dominating the workforce in fashion and retail, the boardrooms tell a different story—more men, less diversity, and fewer opportunities for women to make key decisions. 🤦♀️ Let's get real. When women make up the lion's share of the workforce, why are there so few in the boardrooms? It’s certainly not lack of talent or ambition as the women in the room proved! The issue here is systemic. It's not just about putting women at the table; it's about changing the shape of the table altogether. Gender should never be the deciding factor for a seat at the board, but talent, skills, and contribution to the industry should be. It’s the same when it comes to setting up a small retail business. The majority of founders are women, yet the lion’s share of the funding goes to the men! A massive shoutout to Jane and Sim for sharing their experiences at the event. We need more voices like theirs, encouraging and guiding aspiring female leaders to change the way retail operates. #womeninleadership #fashionindustry #retailindustry