Events

One of the UK’s most senior female business figures says closing the gender pay gap and achieving parity at the top of big business has to be achieved more quickly.

Baroness Ruby McGregorSmith, the president of the British Chambers of Commerce, was the guest of honour at the launch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s 21in21 Women in Business Mentoring Programme.

The new scheme has matched 21 mentors with 21 mentees across the region to offer one-to-one support including advice, guidance and inspiration to help drive forward with their ambitions, either within an existing business or with their own venture.

Mentors have been handpicked from a range of sectors and backgrounds – including manufacturing and logistics through to hospitality and professional services.

Baroness McGregor-Smith said mentors played a crucial role in supporting women to achieve their goals in business and praised the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber’s new programme.

But she said more had to be done to level the playing field.

“There’s nothing acceptable about there being a large gender pay gap and, if we carry on at the rate we are going, it won’t be closed until 2043,” Baroness McGregor-Smith told an audience of businesswomen. “We have to be bolder and we have to go faster.

“It’s not acceptable that we haven’t got 50/50 boardrooms at the top of big business. It has to change.”

She added: “Mentors are incredibly important in helping individuals to achieve their potential in business. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great people who have told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be.

“I’ve had tough times along the way too – I don’t believe anyone who says that it’s all been plain sailing!

“I’d say to the mentors on this programme to be really good listeners and help the person you are mentoring to develop a plan of what you both want to achieve from it. Have some defined deliverables that you can check the progress on.”

The new initiative is being sponsored by the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (WM RFCA) and builds on the Chamber’s successful Women in Business network which has provided networking opportunities and inspirational role models for businesswomen across the region over many years.

Siamha Butt, Head of Engagement at WM RFCA, said: “We strongly believe in female leadership and that’s why we continue to support the Chamber’s Women In Business network through this new 21in21 initiative.

“We want to increase the number of female leaders in our own world and this kind of engagement is key to that.”

Keely Hancox, Operations Manager of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were all truly inspired by Baroness McGregor-Smith’s story and her call to action on achieving parity for women in business.

“We were also delighted to hear from our sponsor – the WM RFCA – and look forward to seeing how the programme progresses over the coming months.”

Leading figure says parity needs to be achieved at the top of business

“Mentors are incredibly important in helping individuals to achieve their potential in business. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great people who have told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be.”

Virtual expo welcomes over 2,000 visitors

“We’re all still feeling our way in this new virtual world and, whilst we had to overcome some difficulties getting used to new technology, it was important that we tried something new for our members. The feedback we’ve received has been excellent from those who attended across the week.”

More than 2,000 visitors attended a West Midlands-wide virtual expo as Chambers across the region continue to lead the support for firms through the Covid-19 crisis.

Around 200 exhibitors – including over 50 from Coventry and Warwickshire – signed up to the West Midlands Business Week & Virtual Expo, which was organised by five Chambers of Commerce across the region.

It was a chance to pilot both a virtual expo experience and the five Chambers working in collaboration on a region-wide event.

As well as being able to visit virtual stands, which included information on each exhibitor, access to their website and video content, the expo also offered a series of business focused webinars across the week, delivered in the Virtual Seminar Room.

The Coventry and Warwickshire region, which was sponsored by Wright Hassall, took the lead on Thursday and visitors heard from chief executive Louise Bennett before getting the latest on Coventry’s plans for UK City of Culture 2021.

The day’s events were concluded by a seminar hosted by Wright Hassall on the Commercial and VAT implications of Brexit on businesses in the region.

Chris Nagle, Events, Communications and Marketing Manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to have delivered our first week-long West Midlands expo in collaboration with other Chambers across the region.

“We’re all still feeling our way in this new virtual world and, whilst we had to overcome some difficulties getting used to new technology, it was important that we tried something new for our members. The feedback we’ve received has been excellent from those who attended across the week.

“Throughout the pandemic, Chambers have been pioneering ways to help companies through the crisis and the expo was an opportunity for businesses to come together in a virtual way to network and market themselves.

“We were very grateful for the support from Wright Hassall, which helped to make the event a success, and for the update on UK City of Culture and the exciting opportunities it is bringing to the region.”

Sarah Perry, Managing Partner at Wright Hassall, said: “Attending and supporting events such as this play a key role in ensuring that we keep our fingers on the pulse of the challenges and opportunities facing the business community, and how we can help.

“There has never been a more important time for businesses to come together to support each other as the country emerges from this pandemic.”