Today marks International Women’s Day, celebrating women from all walks of life across the g...
Today marks International Women’s Day, celebrating women from all walks of life across the globe. Since its emergence at the turn of the twentieth century, it is a time to reflect on progress and call for continued change to be made.
Women in business have come a long way in every respect. Once upon a time, women found it difficult to get a foothold in business, but due to changing mindsets and government action, more and more women are entering the workplace.
On paper, things have never looked better for female entrepreneurs. In 2016, an estimated 163 million women were starting or running new businesses in 74 economies around the world. In addition, an estimated 111 million were running established businesses. Shedding light on the UK, women account for 17% of business owners, with female-led businesses having a higher ‘churn’ rate than males.
And it doesn’t stop there. New research released by The Centre for Entrepreneurs has revealed the stark difference between male and female entrepreneurs in Britain. It is believed 69 per cent of female C-suite executives reported they are either very or extremely interested in starting a business in the next three years, with just 29 per cent of male equivalents being of the same mindset.
So, who are the female tycoons that inspire the women of 3Search?
Below are just a few of the many female entrepreneurs doing it for themselves, becoming ambassadors for change for women in the UK and all around the world.
Dame Anita Lucia Roddick was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company producing and retailing natural beauty products that shaped ethical consumerism.
She was one of the first to introduce a cosmetics brand that prohibits the use of ingredients tested on animals and one of the first to promote fair trade with developing countries.
With over 19 years of experience in the business, Lucy Litwack has held senior roles at Victoria’s Secret, Bendon and La Perla, in addition to being the genius behind David Beckham’s bodywear range for H&M.
Since 2014, she serves as the CEO of Coco de Mer, the luxury British label best known for encouraging women to empower themselves and explore their sexuality.
Speaking with Fashion United, she speaks her mind about female executives working in fashion, saying, “Opportunities rarely come with a set of instructions. Take risks from time to time or you’ll never achieve anything. It’s a great industry, enjoy it!”
Helena is a woman of many talents. Not only is she the mother of nine children, but she also Heads the Personal Investing team at Legal & General Investment Management, as well as founding the 30% Club, which campaigns for a greater representation of women in the FTSE 100 boards.
Most recently, she released her first novel, revealing how we can achieve the next big breakthrough towards a truly inclusive modern society. This book sets out a way to reinvent the game – not at the expense of men but in ways that are right and relevant for this digital age.
Starting her career in Johnson and Johnson, propelling her career to the CEO and President of PepsiCo, Indra recently made headlines when she joined the largest e-commerce business in the world, Amazon. Her appointment raised the percentage of women on the board to 45 per cent, a high for the industry.
She is constantly ranked amongst the world’s 100 most powerful women, definitely a force not to be reckoned with.
Despite these women defying all the odds, the statistics only tell part of the story. Women-owned firms are still in the minority, and the hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship are vast and often very different than those experienced by their male counterparts.
This is where #BalanceforBetter plays a key role – campaigning for equality.
“The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage… Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.”
In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” ― Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook
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3Search is an award-winning UK recruitment consultancy, specialising in marketing, strategy & transformation, and tech positions. Whether you’re seeking new talent or looking for your next career move, we can help. Learn more at www.3search.co.uk.
