CEO of BITC, Mary Macleod, to chair Women's Business Council
The CEO of Business in the Community will lead the refreshed Women鈥檚 Business Council as it takes evidence-based, data-driven action to empower women at work.
Photo of the Minister for Women on a purple background. A clip of her quote from the press notice is positioned to the right of her. The Equality Hub logo is on the top left.
- Mary Macleod will drive forward the refreshed council as it seeks to empower women at work
- The previous WBC was instrumental in initiatives on flexible working, and entrepreneurship
- Minister for Women, Maria Caulfield MP, says: 鈥淢ary Macleod鈥檚 vital expertise and trusted relationships with industry leaders will be key to ensuring every worker has the opportunity to harness their skills and reach their goals.鈥�
Appointed by the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch, and the Minister for Women, Maria Caulfield, Macleod will lead a team of expert business leaders to enable women from all walks of life to thrive in the workplace.
Since its inception in 2012, the WBC has been instrumental in initiatives to help with the cost of childcare, offer more flexibility in the workplace, and encourage women to start up their own businesses. The revitalised Council will look to make further progress on these key issues, whilst tackling a range of other barriers to women鈥檚 success.
Minister for Women, Maria Caulfield MP, said:
鈥淚n every industry, women face a range of issues that prevent them from maximising their potential. This is bad for women, bad for business, and bad for the economy.
鈥淔or more than ten years the Women鈥檚 Business Council has taken tangible action to tackle these barriers. I鈥檓 delighted that Mary Macleod is taking the helm of the refreshed Council. I know her vital expertise and trusted relationships with industry leaders will be key to ensuring every worker has the opportunity to harness their skills and reach their goals.鈥�
New chairperson Mary Macleod, chief executive of Business in the Community, said:
鈥淚 am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as the Chair of the Women鈥檚 Business Council for the UK Government.
鈥淭he Council has a key role in bringing the voice of business leaders to the heart of government to make sure we are doing all we can to support women in the workplace and help them progress and thrive.
鈥淚 look forward to harnessing the collective insight of all the council members, to help shape Government initiatives that will unleash the potential of women, bolstering economic growth in the UK.鈥�
This work sits alongside a package of Government measures to level up work for women:
- a returners programme to help women back into STEM (science, technology, engineering & maths) careers
- an industry-led taskforce supporting women entrepreneurs leading high-growth businesses
- a transformation of childcare including an increase to 30 hours free childcare from 9 months to school age, as well as 拢100m in capital funding to help nurseries expand and 拢289m for the wraparound care across the country
- facilitating easier access to flexible working and giving workers鈥� a right to request a more predictable working pattern
Further members of the WBC will be appointed shortly.