Women of Impact
The Women of Impact Collective brings together the women who are not simply navigating the future of work, but shaping it.
From flexible working and childcare to investment, women’s health, mental health, digital inclusion and meaningful diversity at the highest levels of leadership, these are the women asking better questions - and insisting on better answers.
They understand that equity is not a gesture but a structure. That representation is not symbolic but transformative. And that when women and families thrive, workplaces - and economies - thrive with them.
Together, they are widening opportunity, challenging complacency and setting a new standard of fairness, ambition and possibility for the generations that follow.
Alex Mahon
CEO of Superstruct & ex‑Channel 4 CEO
Under Alex's leadership, Channel 4 introduced the industry’s first menopause and pregnancy loss policies - pushing the media industry (and others) to recognise these issues in workplace policy. She has also been vocal about representation, closing the gender pay gap, and increasing impact in the UK’s nations and regions to broaden who can participate in creative/media roles beyond London.
At Channel 4, Alex provided models for other employers and helps normalize these policies which have fed into future legislation or stronger guidance.
Alex was also the 'third musketeer' without whom, the Women In Work would not exist!
Anna Whitehouse
(aka MotherPukka)
Anna has been a powerful campaigner for flexible working “Flex Appeal”, arguing that flexible working is crucial not just for parents but for closing the gender pay gap and keeping women in work past age 40. Anna has also spoken up about menopause at work, emphasising that many women ‘step out’ of careers because employers fail to understand menopause’s impact.
Her campaigning around flexible working and menopause helped shift public awareness and employer practice, feeding into acceptance that these should be covered under guidance (e.g. via CIPD / Acas) and considered under employer policies.
Joeli Brearley
Founder, Pregnant Then Screwed
The Founder Pregnant Then Screwed, after personal experience of pregnancy discrimination, campaigned for the rights of pregnant and parenting employees.
Joeli was instrumental in policy change, influencing investment in childcare (£5.2bn), reform of flexible working laws, tribunal time limits & redundancy protections. She also organised a mass protest “March of the Mummies” to highlight parent/work equity.
Debbie Wosskow
Entrepreneur
Debbie is a prolific angel investor and Co-Chair of the UK Government-backed Invest in Women Taskforce. Appointed by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, she has raised £250 million to support female-powered businesses - the largest fund of its kind globally.
She is Co-Founder of WJV, championing diversity and economic empowerment, Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, and a Non-Executive Director of Channel 4. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company and is co-author of the business bestseller Believe, Build, Become.
Debbie sits on The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and The Women’s Prize for Fiction, where she Chairs the Development Board. She was awarded an OBE in 2016 and the Freedom of the City of London in 2019.
After having her first child, Lyanne became a powerful advocate for postnatal care and later wrote Your Postnatal Body, raising awareness of the gap in support for women in the postnatal period. She also works in the charity sector helping small & medium charities on fundraising, research etc., giving voice to women’s experiences after childbirth.
Jo Farmer
Joint Managing Partner, Lewis Silkin
A partner at Lewis Silkin, Jo has championed gender equity through her role in making the firm the first UK law firm to offer equal parental leave for all employees. She is also a passionate advocate for social mobility, working to open up access to legal careers for people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.
Rita Clifton
Portfolio Chair and Non-Executive Director of leading businesses
Rita Clifton CBE is a portfolio chair and non-executive director across major businesses, start-ups, and non-profits, as well as a writer, speaker, and board mentor.
A Cambridge graduate, she began in advertising, becoming Vice Chair and Strategy Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, then London CEO and later Chairman of Interbrand for ten years. Her current roles include Deputy Chair at John Lewis Partnership and Chair at Simplyhealth, alongside numerous past board positions. She also co-founded BrandCap in 2013, later selling it to management.
Her pro bono work has included roles with WWF, the UK Sustainable Development Commission, Green Alliance, and The Conservation Volunteers; she now chairs Forum for the Future.
Rita is a regular media commentator and author of several books, including The Future of Brands and Love Your Imposter. She was awarded a CBE in 2014 and became a Visiting Fellow at Oxford Saïd Business School in 2019.
Karen Blackett
Former WPP UK President
Karen Blackett CBE has helped reshape leadership in Britain. With over 30 years at the top of business, including as UK President of WPP leading 13,000 people, she proved that commercial success and cultural change go hand in hand.
A powerful advocate for inclusion, Karen expanded representation at senior levels and embedded equity into how business is done. As the first businesswoman to top The Power List and co-founder of the Black Equity Organisation, she continues to drive structural change and generational progress.
Karen exemplifies leadership that widens opportunity, redefines ambition and makes it easier for the next woman to rise.
Fiona Howarth
Founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles & Earth Set
Fiona Howarth founded Octopus Electric Vehicles - part of the entech unicorn Octopus Energy Group - to make driving electric easy and affordable. Since launching its leasing business in 2021, the company has raised over £2 billion, helped 50,000 drivers and 7,500 companies, and earned recognition as a Sunday Times Best Place to Work.
Passionate about the planet, Fiona also founded the climate community Earth Set and serves on the boards of TransitionZero and Open Climate Fix, both using AI to accelerate clean energy systems globally.
At the heart of it all is the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive - from different genders and backgrounds, today and in future generations. This includes creating environments where everyone can work, lead and just be brilliant; and creating products that are great for customers, employees and the wider community.
Sue Fox
Former Estée Lauder Companies President, UK & Ireland
Sue Fox is the former President of The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland and a global beauty leader with over 30 years at ELC, having led key markets including Japan, South Africa and Travel Retail EMEA.
A strong advocate for employee wellbeing, she launched a landmark initiative offering complimentary annual mammograms to women over 40, setting a model for preventative workplace healthcare.
She is widely recognised for championing diverse talent, purposeful leadership and sustainability, and continues to mentor the next generation of industry leaders.
A celebrated medical doctor and academic, Dame Jane has been actively involved in addressing the gender pay gap in medicine, leading a review into pay disparities. Her work led to recommendations for improving job evaluations, reducing pay scales and providing flexible working options to support women in their careers. She is also a prominent advocate for women in the medical field, supporting initiatives that promote equality and recognition of women’s contribution’s the healthcare.
Pavita Cooper
UK Chair, 30% Club
A culture and diversity executive with over 30 years in blue‑chip firms, Pavita chairs the 30% Club UK, a long‑standing campaign pushing for greater female representation in boards and senior leadership. She also campaigns for the inclusion of “hidden talent”, women, ethnic minorities & people from non‑traditional backgrounds, and has spoken publicly about how people from minority backgrounds often feel they must adapt their personality to fit in.
Sam McAlister broke ground as a senior TV news producer in a male-dominated media landscape, using her tenacity and behind-the-scenes influence - showcased in Scoop - to highlight the power of women shaping high-stakes journalism and negotiating access at the highest levels.