Liv Garfield
CEO, Severn Trent

When people ask me how it is being a woman at the head of a big business, I reply that it is no different for me as a woman, than it would be for a man. Any successful leader needs to be able to work closely with people, understanding their views, creating the right spark and making decisions. I believe corporate success is most easily achieved when the organisation and the senior team have a good mix of skills, backgrounds and experiences helping us thrive in our ever changing world.

I’m so proud that we have been able to recruit talented women into a range of roles here at Severn Trent that might not have attracted them in the past. At the more senior levels we have women in two key Engineering leadership roles and our top two Property roles. In all of these cases, we’ve sought out those we believe to be the best and right people for the jobs, and I’m delighted they have been women.

Also I know the power that role models can play in encouraging women – from young girls making choices at school, through to more experienced women keen to explore options to build their career further. We all need to continue investing time, energy and creativity in this endeavour and I shall be delighted to play my part!

With 60% of the Severn Trent executive team being female we are completely committed!