Helen Gordon
CEO, Grainger Plc

Women leaders matter because successful businesses should reflect the people they do business with. Grainger is the UK’s largest listed residential landlord and is responsible for thousands of homes. I value a diverse team, not just gender diversity but also age and ethnicity. It is essential for us to create an environment where we can share experiences and insights to understand our customer base and to make our business more resilient.

As corporate structures become less hierarchical and project work more common, there are opportunities for mixed teams to develop and for talent to be recognised and nurtured.

As a business with women in senior positions and 50% representation at board level I work to encourage all talent to realise its potential and guide those who follow our lead to consider the barriers we must address around flexible working or style of operating. The barriers within organisations or individuals need to be challenged and this involves challenging structures and perceptions which prevent talented women from rising to the top.

It is the role of all those focussed on creating a great business to identify and develop talent for the benefit of the business, and at Grainger also about creating great places to live.