Diversity and Inclusion Q4 Dec-2019

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JAKE YOUNG (CIPD) Senior leaders need to actively role model inclusive behaviour. » p2

HELEN WOLLASTON (WISE) Treat diversity and inclusion like any other business transformational change project. » p4

BRENDA TRENOWDEN (30% CLUB) Positive commercial outcomes from greater gender diversity. » p6

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Engineering is tackling the modern day challenges SALLY SUDWORTH WES Trustee, Sustainability Lead and National Programme Manager, Environment Agency

The modern world is facing more challenges than ever. It is important to examine how a diverse range of engineering talent can help tackle these emerging issues.

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ngineers save lives, fact. It is through the infrastructure we provide, that communities are able function. As Director for the engineering charity, Engineers for Overseas Development, where graduates who are training to become professional ly qualified, t his is very apparent. Alleviating poverty through food stores, water supply, grinding mills, maternity units and health centres in villages in subSaharan Africa, our graduates return with a keen sense of purpose of their role as engineers.

Specifically, the climate change emergency is the biggest challenge that we face as engineers. Being innovative and finding creative solutions to how we can work, live and play – now and in the future – relies on drawing on the fullest possible pool of talent. Diversity will be one of the keys to unlocking that opportunity.

The contribution of women in the past century Employees at all levels are vital in ensuring that everyone feels welcome at work. Being aware of how we relate to others helps contribute to a positive environment. Even small gestures, such as having a chat over coffee, help everyone feel involved.

Employees mu st a l so d i splay w illingness to suppor t their colleagues by calling out exclusionary behaviour, particularly if it is from someone influential in the organisation.

The importance of being an inclusive manager Over the last 100 years, we have recognised the contributions that women can make. The opportunity that the first and second world wars provided to so many women unfortunately dissipated.

O u r a m b i t i o n at W E S i s t o reach 3 0% fema le eng i neers i n the UK engineering workforce by 2030. Current statistics from the Eng ineer ing Counci l show t hat fema le eng i neers ma ke up just 12% of the entire UK engineering population. And, while there is a trend in the right direction, we definitely need more women.

Finding inspiration in your career A not her key to u n lo c k i n g t he future is for employers to provide an environment where employees are comfortable and confident to be their natural selves, and to find the right job that inspires them. When people love the work they do, the power of discretionary effort kicks in. Now you’re really talking: added value to the organisation and immense job satisfaction for the individual.

Helping children understand the possibilities School children and students are generally unaware of the range of engineering careers available to them. From tackling climate change and alleviating flooding, to providing prosthetics for patients with lost limbs, outfitting warships, designing rollercoasters and robotics; there is something for everyone.

We can also reach young people through social media; hoping that t h i s e a s y-to - ac c e s s k nowle d ge w i l l help t hem become more aware of their choices. The climate c h a n g e emer g enc y i s a d r iver that is ver y likely to draw in a cohort of enthusiasts who want to protect their future and those are future generations. Engineers need to be at the heart of this. #bestjobintheworld

Sally Sudworth Sally Sudworth is a chartered engineer and chartered environmentalist. She is the sustainability lead for flood and coast at the environment agency and is national programme manager for asset management.

Sally is also the honorary secretary and a trustee for the women’s engineering society and is a director for engineers for overseas development. She is married with two grown-up children.

Sally.sudworth@environmentagency.gov.uk | @SallySudworthEA

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Empowering employees to champion inclusion at work JAKE YOUNG Research Adviser, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

There is a clear moral and business need for developing a diverse workforce. However, efforts to build a diverse workforce won’t be effective if an organisation fails to create an inclusive environment for its people. Why is inclusion so important, and what can businesses do to push for positive change?

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t an individual level, consider whether you feel like you belong, have a voice and are valued for your unique skills. More widely, think about the opportunities you r orga n i s at ion g ives you: valuing difference and encouraging development, irrespective of your background, are all key indicators of an inclusive workplace.

So why should businesses aim for this? Recent CIPD research 1 finds that feelings of inclusion are linked to greater commitment and lower absenteeism, encouraging a healthy, collaborative climate for employees. F ur thermore, an inclusive environment has strong links with innovation, creativity, and wider knowledge sharing within and between teams.

Everyone in the organisation has a role to play Employees at all levels are vital in ensuring that everyone feels welcome at work. Being aware of how we relate to others helps contribute to a positive environment. Even small gestures, such as having a chat over coffee, help everyone feel involved.

Employees must a l so d isplay willingness to support their colleagues by calling out exclusionary behaviour, particularly if it is from someone influential in the organisation.

The importance of being an inclusive manager Being inclusive has parallels with being a good manager – appreciating employees’ differences, ensuring they have a say and supporting their development. What’s important, however, is that managers take time to reflect on their own behaviours,

questioning their bias and whether their own assumptions about people are a basis for success.

Senior leaders are role models Senior leaders need to actively role model inclusive behaviour because they set the tone of what values and behaviours are expected at work.

These begin with leaders and funnel down – if those at the top don’t practice what they preach, why should anyone else? Leaders must do this in an authentic way – believing it is the right thing to do, rather than an opportunity to simply tick boxes.

Policies and practices support inclusive behaviours Fair policies and practices, when supported by an inclusive c u lt u re, w i l l enable employe es to develop and contribute to the organisation’s success. Creating such practices ensures that inclusion is ‘institutionalised’ and taken seriously as a workplace commitment.

Creating an inclusive culture In building an inclusive organisational culture, workplaces need to reflect on their current norms and values, thinking about how these need to be changed to move towards b e c o m i n g i n c l u s i ve . C r e at i n g new management practices while adapting current ones in accordance with these values is an effective place to start.

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“Diversity of thought is the secret to being innovative” SIMONE DAVINA General Counsel and Company Secretary, Siemens GB & Ireland, Board ambassador for Diversity and Inclusion

Businesses that thrive on creating dynamic solutions can’t play at diversity and inclusion. To ensure they keep innovating, D&I has to be central to everything they do.

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hink it’s simple to implement a successful diversity and inclusion strategy throughout your business? Think again, says H a r r ie t P ad i n a, D iver s it y a nd Inclusion Communit y Manager, Siemen s GB & I rela nd. No - one is saying it will be easy or that it will come naturally. But doing it well is absolutely critical if you’re seeking to generate innovation.

And what business doesn’t want to be innovative?

Keep innovating to stay ahead of the competition “Diversit y and inclusion is fundamental to the success of our company, which is all about ingenuity and creating innovative solutions to complex problems,” says Padina.

“To be able to solve those complex problems we know we need diversity of thinking.”

Unfortunately, some businesses too readily fall into the trap of s u r r o u n d i n g t he m s e l ve s w it h people who all think alike, notes Simone Davina, General Counsel and Company Secretary, Siemens GB & Ireland. “If you’re successful and profitable, it’s easy to become complacent and repetitive,” she says.

“But you have to keep innovating, otherwise the competition will take over. Now, it’s not always easy to hear a different voice at the table — but you need it if you’re to keep challenging yourself and making sure you’re ahead of the game.” The bottom-line is don’t be resistant to different thinking says Davina, because different thinking is a gift.

HARRIET PADINA Diversity and Inclusion Community Manager, Siemens GB & Ireland Making diversity and inclusion the essence of your business It’s also important to be aware that diversity and inclusion can’t be added on as an afterthought. To be real and effective, it must become part of your company’s DNA. “D&I isn’t just a separate HR topic,” says Davina. “It has to be the essence of your business.”

Padina points out that there may be those in your organisation who will view diversity and inclusion as a hollow box ticking exercise. It’s therefore important to effectively communicate the purpose of D&I in order to make it meaningful to staff. “But this is something that doesn’t happen over n ight,” she warns. “Behavioural change is a slow evolution. Every single time you have a conversation, you have the opportunity to bring one person along with you. We’re working to build a culture of trust and empowerment here — and that’s a gradual shift that we have to keep working at.”

Plus, realise that diversity and inclusion isn’t something you can do in isolation. You have to include wider society, too. For example, Siemens works with schools to encourage different diverse groups to study STEM subjects, runs training programmes for teachers and talks to customers and partners about their D&I activity.

“D&I isn’t an area where businesses feel competitive,” says Padina. “When I meet people from other companies, we all want to share and learn from each other because we know we’re working towards a common goal.”

WRITTEN BY: TONY GREENWAY Read more at siemens.co.uk/diversity

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The business case for greater diversity and how employers can achieve it Today, there are one million women working in STEM in the UK. WISE, the campaign for greater gender balance in science, technology and engineering (STEM), says there is still more to be done and is setting a target of 30% of women in STEM in the UK.

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hile one million women working in core STEM roles is a major milestone towards increased representation, the priority now is to close the gap in technology and digital roles that cut across every single sector.

Tech roles are growing faster than any other occupation group and employers are struggling to find talented people to fill them. There are an estimated 600,000 tech vacancies at any one time in the UK and yet women represent just 16% of the IT profession.

Approximately 600,000 tech vacancies in the UK We know from our members that, when faced with skills shortages like this, employers need to do something different. Setting a target of having at least 30% of women in their organisations is one solution. After all, when the talent pool is already small, it simply does not make sense to reduce it further by cutting out 50% of the population.

There is very strong evidence that shows that, where diversity and inclusion are embedded in the workplace, businesses are more competitive, more productive, more profitable and more innovative.

We’ve established our industry-led ‘Ten Steps’ to help employers from all sectors achieve this, but it needs all of us to work together – men and women.

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Treat diversity and inclusion like any other business transformational change project.

There needs to be a named director on every company board to drive sustainable change for inclusivity and diversity.

Make leaders accountable for change Our fi rst recommendation is to treat diversity and inclusion like any other business transformational change project. There needs to be a named director on every company board to drive sustainable change for inclusivity and diversity. They must be supported by the full board of directors who must also take action to deliver this culture.

Earlier this year, some of the companies working with WISE reported linking diversity targets to bonuses.

You need to establish and understand your baseline position; an analysis of your gender pay gap data is a good place to start. Work with your teams to set realistic targets, timescales and tactics to drive progress.

HELEN WOLLASTON Chief Executive, WISE Recruitment policies can help iron out exclusions Rev iew your recr uitment policies. A re you restricting the applicant pool by requiring long periods of technical experience or qualifications?

Could you offer training or returner programmes?

Don’t forget to demonstrate to the women who are already part of your team that you are committed to retaining and developing them; this is particularly important for women taking a career break. Ensure that senior leaders sponsor women to the same extent they do men within the business seen as having high potential.

F ina l ly, adopt a company-w ide approach to f lex ible work i ng. Th i s w i l l w iden you r t a lent pool by a l low i ng people to ba la nce their careers with other commitments such as caring responsibilities. Gender balance is better for everyone; individuals, businesses and the economy.

Read our Ten Steps guidelines on: www.wisecampaign.org.uk

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The benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace Three employees explain why diversity in engineering is important to them, and how they are promoting the benefits and driving progress in MBDA (UK).

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LGBTQ+

The importance of D&I

Women in STEM

JO CHAMBERS-GRANT Head of Business Improvement, Weapon Systems, MBDA

GRAEME LAYCOCK Head of Integration and Systems Validation, Weapon Sytems, MBDA

HELEN BARRY Chief Engineer, MBDA

think that people outside t he s e c t or wo u ld b e surprised if they saw how readily the diversity and inclusion [D&I] initiatives that are happening have been embraced in MBDA, but also across the defence industry and engineering as a whole.

It’s important for people to be themselves in the workplace and not feel as though they need to leave their humanity at the door. If people are holding a part of themselves back, or fearing prejudice, they won’t be fully present or be able to act instinctively.

So, from the point of view of having healthy, happy staff — and helping them meet their full potential — it is vital that businesses create an environment where their people can be open about being LGBTQ. One mantra that I have when it comes to Pride at MBDA (MBDA’s LGBTQ+ network), is that all of us have the ability to be allies. In MBDA, the feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive across the business. I’ve been approached by many people who have said how happy they are that we are growing this network.

It would be nice to think that sexuality isn’t an issue for anyone these days, and huge strides have been made, but we still have challenges to face.

It can be easy for businesses to think they’re doing all the right things when it comes to D&I, based on people’s goodwill and the goodwill of the organisation. But we all have blind spots.

Businesses need to be listening to voices from across the spectrum of diversity. If you have D&I networks, engage with them and use their expertise to shape a set of inclusive policies and demonstrate that you value their contribution.

t MBDA we try to be on the leading edge of technology and solutions so that we can provide the best products to our stakeholders. We need to find the best talent to help us do that. We have to challenge our unconscious biases about where people come from, their education, their gender, sexuality or what they look like. The vital thing is what they can contribute and the value they add to the company.

This is why at MBDA we have moved to a strengths based assessment in our recruitment, aiding diversity.

If everyone in your team thinks the same way and makes the same judgements, then that might create an easier-going environment with less confl ict, but it won’t prov ide t he critical thought necessary for improvement. If we deny ourselves the opportunity to make improvements, we leave ourselves vulnerable to doing things in the same way, just because it’s ‘comfortable’.

The risk from this is we could end up becoming inefficient and that would put us at a disadvantage.

By being striving to be an inclusive workplace, MBDA can embrace and harness difference and try to create a cohesive workplace where our people feel empowered to challenge decisions, and understand the thought processes behind them. Just because we did something a certain way last time, doesn’t mean it’ll be right this time. We could end up making the wrong decisions, even if the reasons are believed to be right.

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TEM is in my blood - my parents were academics, my sister is a vet. At school, maths was always ‘my thing,’ so I decided to do a joint mathematics and physics honours degree at Bristol University.

I fell into engineering by accident, although I’m really pleased I did. I wasn’t put off by the fact that it’s a male-dominated industry.

When you’re in the minority, you do tend to be remembered.

If you perform well, people say: ‘Gosh, she was good!’, although it can make you feel as though you can’t afford to have an ‘off day’ in front of strangers.

You need to be resilient, make sure you have a support network when you need it, and strike a balance that allows you to feel confident in your identity.

I’d recommend a career in STEM. It’s very interesting, rewarding and I’ve learned (and c ont i nue to le a r n) s o muc h . The v a r ie t y of oppor t u n it ies ava i lable, pa r t ic u la rly i n engineering, are massive and I’ve found the team spirit to be fabulous. I look back and feel proud of what I’ve achieved.

WRITTEN BY: TONY GREENWAY

MBDA is a global defence business with customers across the world. We want our teams to reflect the markets and communities in which we operate, and welcome the innovation that different cultures, working styles and backgrounds bring. That is why we’re driving positive change in our recruitment processes, the learning we offer, and our policies and people practices.

We are committed to attracting diverse talent by providing a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential, to feel they belong and are valued.

Email: RESOURCING@MBDA-SYSTEMS.COM

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Top tips for recruiting an inclusive workforce CHARLOTTE VALEUR Chair, Institute of Directors (IOD)

Is your business missing millions of opportunities?

BRENDA TRENOWDEN CBE Global Co-Chair, 30% Club, Partner PwC

When recruiting someone, what should we be looking for? We all know that diversity and inclusion should be considered carefully, but when and how should this influence our decisions during the recruitment process?

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he first thing to consider when recruiting a candidate is skill and experience. It is important to establish if the candidate has a particular expertise in the sector, or if they have dealt with similar situations to those they might face within the role you are hiring for.

Once these boxes are ticked, broader questions may be useful, often with less clear-cut answers. Does the candidate want to develop in the role? What is their underlying motivation for the role? And, most simply, but perhaps most often, are they ‘the right fit’ for the organisation?

It’s this last question that underpins all the others, but it can also be the most dangerous to rely on. You want a new member of the team to buy into the values of your organisation, it’s true – up to a point.

Don’t look for ‘mirror image’ candidates The danger is that an employer won’t just look for people who buy into their business values. They may also look for people who have the same views, ideas, and perspectives as them.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of looking for a mirror image.

This is particularly perilous in the current environment.

While different generations have always spoken different languages, it’s now the case that new technologies and platforms can upend received wisdom within weeks.

YouTubers have built vast platforms to engage with audiences and fi rms have, at times, been slow to catch up.

All companies are engaged in a constant battle not to be outflanked. Successful businesses thrive on the ‘new’. It can be tempting to settle into certain ways of operating, but this temptation must be resisted. Change is hard, and not always enjoyable. But, as was once said, ‘If you don’t like change, then you will like irrelevance even less.’ The best way to ride the wave of change is to get people on your team who understand it. That’s why my new mantra is ‘hire someone who doesn’t fit in’.

You need people to challenge the existing ways You need people in the building who will stir the pot and challenge the existing way of doing things. Disagreement can be healthy, it is through differences of opinion that we grow. This is where leadership comes in. True leadership does not consist of quashing differences and disagreements, but rather embracing them and capitalising upon the opportunities they give rise to.

The tone of inclusivity must be set from the top. This doesn’t mean that everyone can or should agree all the time.

It means that people have the space to disagree and not feel threatened. As a leader, you have to be ready to explain your decisions, not simply expect people to accept them as gospel.

What can leaders actually do to act on this?

One tool is ‘reverse mentoring’: embed the idea in your organisation that those at the top can learn from everyone.

Rigorous stakeholder mapping may sound dull, but it’s also vital. But it’s through taking a truly inclusive approach to recruitment that business leaders can make the most impact.

That means embracing those who are different from you.

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We’ve come a long way in our campaign for greater gender diversity on Boards – from the low level of 9.5% in 2010, 30% of the 3017 FTSE 350 directorships are now held by women.

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o we ve r, w h i l e we p au s e t o congratulate ourselves on hitting that milestone ahead our 2020 target date, we have to admit that there is still much work to be done in terms of better gender balance in executive roles.

We a re a l s o e n g a g i n g w it h p e e r organisations around improving senior level representation for women and men from other backgrounds e.g. ethnic minorities, LGBT+ and those with disabilities to ensure we have truly representative decision-making bodies.

Gender diversity at work opens up greater opportunities for insight However, companies that are only thinking about gender and other forms of diversity from an internal perspective – like leaving it to HR to count female Board members and women at each level of the organisation - are missing commercial opportunities.

The more enlightened CEO realises that gender diversity isn’t an HR problem; it’s a huge, but largely untapped opportunity to differentiate their business, boost brand loyalty and reinforce their social license to operate. Compa n ies shou ld have a n enterprise-wide gender lens, and gender diversity should be woven into corporate strateg y running through all aspects of the organisation. It should be incorporated into product and service design, marketing a nd c om mu n ic at ion s, r i sk, s upplyc h a i n , a nd a l l a s p e c t s of u nderly i n g strategic planning.

Positive commercial outcomes from greater gender diversity On the 8th November, the 30% Club launched a new campaign ‘Are You Missing Millions?’ to showcase examples where leading companies have done t h i s a nd have had posit ive commercial and social outcomes.

Our report (which is available for download from our website) draws on the experiences of 30% Club members Diageo, GSK, HSBC, Mastercard, PwC, Unilever and Vodafone.

Our objective is to use these examples to provoke thought and encourage others to share their stories and best practices in doing this so that this becomes business as usual.

Interestingly, while the majority of large businesses understand the case for greater gender diversity in their organisations, it’s

not been easy to get them to understand the difference in approaching gender diversity from the outside in.

Taking an enterprise-wide approach to diversity – not just 30% at board and senior management level There has been some challenge around whet her a n enter pr i s e -w ide approach means we are suggesting ‘moving on’ from addressing the representation issues when we are still only hitting 30% and not true gender balance yet.

To be clear, we are not abandoning our original aims. But we do believe that the wealth of best practice that now exists to help improve female representation means we can continue to get on with that while we expand our view across the rest of our organisations where, to date, there has been less knowledge and insight.

We believe we must star t to develop solutions to many of the types of problems that Caroline Criado-Perez raised in her book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. In t he book, M s Cr iado -Perez points out many examples where businesses or governments have not taken women into account, with significant consequences of exclusion in areas as broad as medicine, consumer products, town planning, office and factory design, agriculture, the collection of data and design of algorithms.

Pa r t ic u l a rly w it h t he ever-g row i n g number of women in senior leadership roles, companies should proactively deploy their diversity of thought to reduce the organisational gender insights gap and address external opportunities to drive better outcomes for both women and men.

The bottom line is that this is not just a social issue and it’s not a problem that requires a quick tactical solution. This is a major commercial opportunity that, for some businesses, will result in millions of new revenues, millions of new customers and potentially millions of unexpected benefits. Can you really afford not to do think about it?

Read more at businessandindustry.co.uk

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Why companies need to think about diversity AND inclusion SABRINA SUMMERS, Emerging Talent and Inclusion Lead, Jupiter Asset Management

A robust diversity and inclusion strategy can benefit a company by ensuring it has access to the best talent, without bias towards gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, background and disability.

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ome people have a misconception about d iver s it y a nd i nc lu s ion (D&I)” says Andrew Formica, CEO of London-based fund management group, Jupiter Asset Management.

“D&I doesn’t simply mean making sure an organisation is open to people regardless of their gender and race – important though that is. It’s about being open to everyone, regardless of age, religion, background, sexuality and disability, too.”

“I’ve always been a strong believer in D&I,” says Formica. “It’s an area I’ve focussed on both as a fund manager – creating a team of very different people and then getting the best out of them – and as a CEO.” At a c ou nt r y level, i ndu s t r y level and company level, diversity

and inclusion can deliver massive benefits, he says. “Our clients are diverse, so it’s important that we mirror them. New and existing employees see this as a valuable characteristic of the organisation and the way it treats people.”

Indeed, Formica is so passionate about D&I, in 2010 he co-founded Investment 20/20, an initiative to improve diversity and inclusion in the asset management industry.

How an anonymised recruitment process can benefit you The trouble is, some firms embrace diversity but completely forget about the ‘inclusion’ part of the equation.

“Companies can bring in people

ANDREW FORMICA CEO, Jupiter Asset Management who think differently and bring a different perspective,” says Formica.

“But if they put them in the corner and don’t allow them to contribute, t hen t hey quash t he benef it of diversity. Actually, inclusion is just as important as diversity. Probably more important, because it allows diversity to grow.”

Anonymised applications mean: “From a business perspective you want to ensure you’re hiring the best people,” says Sabrina Summers, Jupiter ’s E merg i n g T a lent a nd Inclusion Lead. “So, for entry level, we recommend moving away from CVs and, instead, asking applicants to complete an online form that helps draw out the relevant information and removes names, links to social media, university attendance, and dates of birth.

This stops managers going straight to the things that are traditionally thought of as ‘important’ and gets them to think about what they need from the candidate.” In a trial last

year, the company saw a big boost in the progression and recruitment of diverse applicants.

As for the future of D&I, Summers hopes that, one day, companies won’t need dedicated D&I roles like hers, because building a diverse team will just come naturally. “Companies need to create an environment that cares about everyone, respects everyone, learns from everyone and sees the value of everyone,” she says. “That’s why you must embed inclusion into everything you do.”

WRITTEN BY: TONY GREENWAY Read more at: jupiteram.com

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Female entrepreneurs are undervalued compared with male peers Data collection and analysis are critical tools in uncovering patterns that may be difficult to observe in day-to-day life.

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iases and prejudices against female entrepreneurs may be less overt than in years gone by - some female founders we interviewed attested they had never felt its effects - yet the data tells a different story.

F or ou r l ate s t re p or t , we’ve partnered with Newable to explore gender diversity in entrepreneurship across the high-growth ecosystem.

Our deep dive into the data illustrates the profound systemic inequality that can be found across the UK’s ent repreneu r ia l space. Wh i le our repor t uses many examples to evidence this, the gender gap observed in equity investment paints a particularly shocking, though tentatively encouraging, picture.

Deals with a female founder are growing Over the past eight years, the number of deals secured by companies with a female founder has grown massively, increasing 777% between 2011 and

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Our deep dive into the data illustrates the profound systemic inequality that can be found across the UK’s entrepreneurial space... The gender gap observed in equity investment paints a particularly shocking, though tentatively encouraging, picture.

2017. This is a much more accelerated rate of growth than the number of deals secured by companies with a l l-m a le fou nder s, wh ich on ly increased by 462% in the same period.

Angel network Newable and other investors note that they have received increasing numbers of applications for funding from female-founded companies in recent years.

While female founders are clearly securing a lot more investment year on year (18-fold between 2011 and 2018), this is largely driven by the stratospheric growth seen across a l l i nves t ment. B y prop or t ion,

AVA SCOTT Research and Consultancy Associate, Beauhurst

compa n ies w it h at least one female founder secure a dismal and stagnating percentage of the amount invested: just 9% in 2019, though representing 11% of all highg row t h compa n ie s. Compa n ie s with all-female founding teams are even more underfunded, securing just 1.5% of pounds invested - the lowest share since our records began - though representing 14% of all highgrowth companies.

There are many reasons for this, i nclud i n g a m a rket preferenc e for larger deals with later-stage companies (where female founders are particularly under-represented), as well as other prejudices found across STEM sectors, grant awards and in attitudes towards female entrepreneurs. The data in our report demonstrates that, ultimately, a lot more needs to be done across all these areas before female entrepreneurs emerge on equal footing with their male counterparts.

Beauhurst Beauhurst provides research and insight on the UK’s highgrowth companies and the supporting business ecosystem.

Established in 2011, we have collected unrivalled data on over 30,000 ambitious companies, all the investments and grants they have received, and data on every competitive start-up accelerator programme.

Read the report here: about.beauhurst.com/research/ female-entrepreneurs

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