International Women’s Day 2022

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and continue to push on breaking biases, I hope it’s not presumptuous to share a few of my own perceptions… personally having initially trained in two massive US headquartered organisations that led in their fields, and then worked as a female Founder & CEO, entrepreneurial leader and business adviser. For over two decades I have been passionate about and immersed in promoting female leadership across the Life Sciences, Health and Tech sectors.

We are very pleased to be working with industries that sing to the six missions of IWD, in particular Women and Technology and Women’s Health. Every day we see female leaders break down barriers, and witness organisations thriving with female leadership – claims supported by real data; we see women “forge empowerment” and create meaningful change, championing progress in inspirational ways and being committed, visible role models. There has been so much great progress, but as recent reporting has shown, for example on Board gender diversity in the UK, progress is still slow.

We are on our own path towards ensuring we are inclusive in our work and with each other, and strive to be leaders in advising clients on how to decode biases, build inclusive workplaces and make positive, relevant change. We are working with so many organisations that are providing choices for women; with their menstrual, sexual, mental and maternal health, menopause care and fertility. Amongst the progress that seems particularly encouraging are advancements in digital and technological innovation. The FemTech sector is represented by some 1,000+ start-ups globally, many steered by female-leaders and investors, and is expected to be worth over USD 60 bn by 2027. We are at last seeing true recognition that this is an under invested area and one which will change the lives of half the world.

What makes me most optimistic and happy is the opportunity to work on improvements for the future – with our own teams, our candidates and inspiring clients. We will continue to work towards an unbiased business world, with meaningful inclusion, empathy, promotion of gender and broader equality, diversity in all its forms…and focus on sustainability, everywhere, for everyone.

Bianca Coulter,

CEO