{"id":1861,"date":"2025-04-30T09:28:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T09:28:42","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-26T16:23:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T14:23:43","slug":"inspirational-advice-for-the-next-generation-of-women-in-innovation","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leyton.com\/uk\/insights\/articles\/inspirational-advice-for-the-next-generation-of-women-in-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspirational advice for the next generation of women in innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As part of our Expert Exchange<\/a> podcast series, we spoke to four inspirational women who have each played leading roles in businesses excelling in innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


At Leyton UK, we\u2019re committed to driving gender equality. As such, we wanted to learn about the experiences of female leaders who have been successful in male-dominated industries and hear their advice for the next generation wanting to aspire to senior roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their advice couldn\u2019t come at a better time. A recent report from AND Digital<\/a>, which aims to close the digital skills gap, found that, while women make up half of the UK\u2019s workforce, just 24% of tech roles are filled by women. In tech leadership the figure is just 5%. It\u2019s a shockingly low statistic, reminding us all of our responsibility to do more to inspire and develop women in innovative organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why representation is essential<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was clear from our conversations that representation is essential for inspiring the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRepresentation really matters,\u201d says Nadine Bloxsome, CEO of the Aluminium Federation (ALFED)<\/a>. \u201cWhen I first started out, I\u2019d go to a conference, and it would be primarily men sitting on the panels… now, to be able to go to an event, to hear different viewpoints and just see the representation of women across the industry, already makes it feel like a completely different world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDiversity isn\u2019t just a nice thing to have. I think it should be positioned as a business advantage. Worryingly, there\u2019s now a bit of a shift in the US, which is trying to move away from DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion]. I\u2019m hoping that won\u2019t filter down into what\u2019s happening in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beena Sharma, CEO and co-founder of CCU International<\/a> and co-founder of Women in New Energy<\/a> agrees. \u201cPeople need to see faces like mine in order to inspire them,\u201d she says. \u201cImagine growing up in an industry and not seeing somebody that looks like you. You\u2019d think that you won\u2019t be able to achieve anything because you don\u2019t fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of communication and relationship-building skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kathryn Lynch, founder and CEO of Chronos Consulting<\/a>, feels that relationship building and being able to communicate with colleagues is vital for success, emphasising the importance of training the interpersonal skills for those in technical roles. \u201c<\/strong>I would advocate for organisations to really help the generations coming through with communication, presentation and influencing skills,\u201d she says.

\u201cI think what will differentiate people as leaders in the next ten to fifteen years is going to be their ability to take ambiguity, make sense of it, and communicate it to their organisation and get people behind a plan, a project, an idea, or a concept, and bring people along,\u201d she adds. Emma Swann, Managing Director at BOAL Extrusion UK<\/a> spoke along the same lines. \u201c<\/strong>I think leadership is all about people and relationships,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a finance director, I build relationships, and I work with people. Whether that\u2019s in manufacturing, finance or engineering, it\u2019s all about relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believe in yourself, but keep learning from others<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Each of the four inspirational leaders we spoke to talked about the importance of believing in yourself, while also emphasising the need to proactively learn from the people around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt really is about self-belief and perseverance,\u201d says Emma. \u201cI think for me, I had good mentors as well and started to build a strong network around me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to put yourself in front of leaders,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt can be as simple as having lunch, having a coffee, going for a walk, and just starting conversations. People who want to develop talent in organisations will be more than welcoming… as a leader, it can be quite hard to spot talent. So, if someone\u2019s looking for you, great!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nadine agrees. \u201cBelieve in what your skills can bring to the table. Try to use your voice but also, just don\u2019t ever stop asking questions either,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cBuild a strong network and ask other women, or ask anyone else that\u2019s in a leadership position, if there\u2019s anything else you could be doing or any kind of training,\u201d she adds. \u201cJust try and keep learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kathryn stressed the importance of self-belief when it comes to innovation. \u201cYou have to back yourself. But you have to back yourself with facts and allies to bring your ideas forward. It won\u2019t be simple, it won\u2019t be straightforward, there will be bumps in the road, but that\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beena also spoke about the importance of trying to seek out new people and new experiences to learn from. \u201cWhat I\u2019ve found is that as I\u2019ve been on panels, spoken at conferences and travelled and spoken to different people \u2013 it\u2019s expanded my knowledge base,\u201d she says.

\u201cI would never, ever have been able to know what I know if I\u2019d stayed in my lane reading books… put yourself out there. Don\u2019t fear the consequences because actually, the consequences are what will teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can listen to the full conversations on our Leyton UK podcast:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n