There has been significant progress in British business when it comes to women holding senior positions. Initiatives like the 30% Club – a global campaign launched in the UK to increase the number of women on boards and holding senior roles – have had a real impact, with the proportion of board positions in the FTSE 350 held by women now standing at more than 40 per cent, up rapidly over the past decade.
The launch of the E2Exchange, or E2E, Female Track 100 for 2025 was another mark of that progress. In association with The Independent, E2E, the leading business networking and mentoring organisation, has published the definitive index of the 100 fastest-growing female-led or founded private businesses in the UK. The list is based on their profits growth rates over the past three years.
It’s the first in a series of Track 100s to be produced this year. Others will cover different categories, including profitability, job creation, growth and exports. E2E has tens of thousands of members and rising. Their Track 100s are designed to showcase the best British companies that are excelling, exhibiting consistent dynamism and presenting disruptive business strategies to impact not just their own sector, but also on a nationwide – and in some cases, a global – scale.
Shalini Khemka, founder of E2E, assembled a panel of female corporate stars to herald the unveiling: Alison Milam of Porta Romana, Anita Dougall from Sagacity Solutions, Brigitte or Brie Read of Snag Group, Charlotte Harrington at Belu Water and ITN’s Rachel Corp. They were joined in discussion, before a large online audience, by two men, yours truly and Alex Shepherd from Universal Partners, the foreign currency payments provider that is partnering the Track 100s.
First, Shalini said there was genuine cause for celebration but added, “there is still a need for us.” The business community, media, politicians, they all require pushing and reminding; the foot should not be taken off the equality accelerator. Worryingly, the recent PwC Women in Work index shows that Britain has slumped to 18th among the largest OECD economic nations, its lowest position in a decade, for workplace parity.
All agreed that women bring a different perspective from their male colleagues. Anita Dougall said in her experience they had more emotional intelligence and were better communicators and more able to get to the point quicker. Alison Milam concurred but added they also brought higher attention to detail and were able to think longer term and cover more bases.
Things have improved. Alex Shepherd recalled how when he first joined the foreign exchange industry, it was heavily male dominated. No longer and certainly not at Universal Partners. Flexible working and increased childcare provision have undoubtedly helped. What was telling, though, was that while there was general nodding it was not entirely shared. In some sectors, like manufacturing and construction there is much to be done. Their jobs tend to be constant, five days a week, on the shop floor or on site. They struggle to offer the same leeway – not helped either by the fact their bosses tend to be male.
What was clear as well, was the chasm between different parts of the country. In some areas, those collecting children from school each day are nearly all women – indicating there is little shared male/female childcare. Indeed, in parts of cities like London and certain industries, there is a danger in assuming everything is fine, when it plainly is not.
There was talk, though, about the need to push ahead, to drive through the problems, and for individual woman to forge ahead. It was no use waiting for assistance, from an outside body, like the government or council, say, when none or only little was forthcoming. As Rachel Corp said: “We are all facing the same challenges, we’re all pushing through.” Charlotte Harrington said similar and stressed that while problems remain, women should also “be proud of where we’ve got to.”
Just as difficult, even more so, was the task of shouldering a brand with all the responsibility that brings in today’s economic and political environment. As Brie Read stressed: “This is a very tough time in which to be running a business.”
That took us to the end. Clearly, there remains some distance to go, but women are breaking through – the panel and the E2E Female Track 100 supply conclusive proof of that.
