UK manufacturing expert & small business mentor with over 30 years experience in design, product development and retailing. I've helped hundreds of small businesses to launch and grow their British-made brands since 2011
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
You did a great job and so lovely to meet you.
Congratulations Kate Hills great to see you still championing the cause
Well chaired Kate and great to meet up again after a long time!
Kate, your dedication to empowering women in leadership roles within the fashion and retail industry is truly inspiring. It aligns perfectly with our interests in promoting diversity and excellence. 🌟 Could you share more about successful initiatives or strategies that have worked well in promoting women in these industries? We believe this is a crucial step toward a more inclusive future. Keep up the great work, and continue to be a champion for women in leadership! 💪👗 #WomenInLeadership #FashionIndustry #RetailIndustry #Diversity
Thank you for flying the flag for British manufacturing Kate - I’m a passionate supporter of buying ‘local’ & British as much as I can. Great chairing of a brilliant panel :)
Looks like you were in very good company.
@katehills great to be in same room , love what you stand for … and excellent MC !
A natural ! Lovely to talk about the old days . Great that you’re flying the flag for UK 🇬🇧 manufacturing. Brilliant 🤩
You did a great job Kate Hills 👏🏻 and you make some good points, especially about entrepreneurship and funding. We need to make our voices louder!