Women of Impact

The Women of Impact Collective brings together the trailblazing women reshaping the future of work - from flexible working and childcare to investment, women’s health, mental health, and digital inclusion. These leaders are driving meaningful change for women, parents, and families, setting new standards of fairness, ambition and possibility across the workplace.

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 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. 

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 the co Chair of the U.K. government backed ‘Invest in Women Taskforce’. Appointed by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, she has raised an initial funding point of £250m to support female powered businesses, the largest in the world. She is the co-founder of WJV, the boutique investment and strategic innovation firm, championing diversity, wellness and economic empowerment and a Founding Advisor to Smart Society Ventures. Debbie is Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, empowering women's performance at midlife through science-backed products. She is a Non Executive Director of Channel 4 and a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company. She is the co- Author of the business bestseller ‘Believe, Build, Become - How to Supercharge your Career’ (Penguin 2019).

Debbie is a Board Member of The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and The Women’s Prize for Fiction, where she Chairs the Development Board. She is a Former Evening Standard 'Entrepreneur of the Year’ and Author of the 'Wosskow Review on the Sharing Economy' for the UK government (2015) and former Chair of Sharing Economy UK. Debbie was awarded an OBE in June 2016 & received Freedom of the City of London 2019. She graduated with an MA in Philosophy and Theology from New College, Oxford. 

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.

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 more than 30 years at ELC. Throughout her career, she led major markets including Japan, South Africa and Travel Retail EMEA, driving growth, innovation and market expansion.

A passionate advocate for employee wellbeing, Sue spearheaded a landmark initiative at Estée Lauder Companies to offer complimentary annual mammograms to every woman in the organisation over the age of 40 - a programme that has since supported early detection, improved health outcomes and become a model for preventative workplace healthcare.

Known for advancing diverse talent, purposeful leadership and sustainability, she continues to mentor and influence the next generation shaping the future of the industry.

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.

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.