Water CEOs call for visibility of careers to young women

A successful business is a diverse one, so on International Women's Day Utility Week caught up with female leaders in the water sector to discuss what is being done to encourage women to work in the industry.

Statistics released this week show companies in the UK have made great strides towards improving diversity of gender in leadership positions. In water there is much to celebrate with female chief executives at six companies and gender balance becoming better represented at all levels.

Chief executives of Pennon, United Utilities and Northumbrian have shared their thoughts with Utility Week on what companies can do to encourage more people to take up a career in water.

Susan Davy, chief executive of Pennon – which was this week recognised for its gender balance in leadership roles – said: “All businesses today have an important role to play in championing diversity and addressing inequality.

“It’s a privilege to be a CEO, whatever your background, or gender, and we owe it to the teams we lead, and the customers we serve to ensure that everyone who works for us and with us, has a voice that can be heard, a point of view that can explored and a role to play.”

Reflecting on teams she has been a part of, Davy said balanced teams are better at solving complex problems, delivering innovative solutions, spotting new opportunities, as well as being powerful drivers of resilience.

Davy admitted there’s no single solution to encouraging diversity in your workforce, but explained the steps Pennon has taken to increase the proportion of women working for the company. The organisation uses software to check job adverts for biased language that could deter applicants, it dedicates time to school programmes to encourage the next generation and supports employees through networking groups as well as “taking the time to talk openly and honestly, and with empathy and care”.

Davy also listed the need for representation in a male-dominated industry.

“Whatever your aspiration, or goal in life, I think you need two things – tenacity and opportunity,” she said. “Unfortunately in life, sometimes having the opportunity to try something new, or progress, is hard to come by. However, having others around you, to encourage and support you to be the best you can be – is all you need. Some of my best mentors in life and business are female.”

Lou Beardmore, CEO designate, United Utilities also believes that women’s particular perspective and set of experiences are invaluable to any company. She said: “It is right, and long overdue, that more organisations have more women in leadership roles.”

Championing diversity not just at board level, but right across the business will be on Beardmore’s agenda as she takes up the chief executive role this spring when Steve Mogford retires. “I want United Utilities to be representative of the wonderful diversity we see across our region, helping to reassure our staff and our customers that we understand, accept, and value them for who they are.”

This diversity reflects the customer base, Beardmore said. “Having equity and opportunity at the core of our working environment reminds us to always do all we can to support our customers, and to do it in ways that are appropriate to each individual.

“When girls see women fixing leaking pipes, driving water tankers, or building new treatment works, they will know it’s possible for them to do that too. We need more visibility of women who are doing these fantastic jobs here and now in order to inspire the next generation to come through and make our sector even better in the years to come,” she said.

“We also need to better demonstrate the opportunities, the flexibility, and the importance of our work. The water sector is an unknown field in so many ways, and I believe that greater transparency in everything we do and about the people doing it will be really beneficial for the future.”

Beardmore acknowledged the economic environment that puts pressure on career and lifestyle choices but said UU made efforts to appeal as a choice. “Flexibility in the workplace, coupled with exciting development opportunities and tangible support programmes, are crucial elements in helping us retain our great people.”

The former director of customer service and people explained she was particularly proud of work to enhance diversity in apprenticeship programmes. “In 2019, prior to our focused efforts on apprenticeship recruitment, just 17% of applications for apprenticeships were from women. In the 2021 applications, this increased to nearly 31%.”

“We have also just recruited our graduates for September 2023 and there’s nearly a 50/50 split male/female in these important roles, which is also really encouraging and reassures us that young women are open to careers in the water sector.”

She added: “We’re working really hard on encouraging girls to consider a career in our industry from an early age. We have a region-wide programme of school activities that bring water and wastewater to life and give pupils the chance to meet some of our amazing female colleagues. This visibility of women actually doing the job is vital, and we back that up with plenty of hands-on learning opportunities too, such as work experience and being part of the 10,000 Black Interns programme.”

Heidi Mottram, chief executive of Northumbrian Water also celebrated how far gender balance has come. “We’re in 2023 and we’re at a stage now where everyone understands the importance of diversity in all its forms – and how it can really add benefits to all aspects of a business,” she said.

Having worked in traditionally male-centric careers – in the rail sector before water –  Mottram explained the inspiration to her was seeing the difference these services make to people’s lives.

She added: “When we do our jobs well, our whole country succeeds. I find that being involved in a job like this and providing such a critical service is very motivating and is something worth getting out of bed for.”

She described both the water and rail industries as incredibly welcoming to work in.

“I think that the water industry is particularly inclusive to everyone, regardless of gender, background, sexuality or race. Throughout my career, I have learned that if you come to work to put a good shift in and get the job done, then everyone welcomes you regardless of your background.”

Northumbrian has a 50/50 executive leadership team and is constantly increasing female roles across the business. “Of course,” Mottram said, “there is always more to do but I am really proud of the way we are leading in this space.” One way she said the sector could reach more young women would be making itself more visible.

“It’s important where we can to try and interact with young girls and women and share how fantastic the careers are in our industry, and creating visibility of all of the opportunities available,” Mottram said. She praised the female ambassadors who engage with people through social media with positive content to help inspire the next generation of girls.

“Our role is to make sure they see what careers are available in our industry, and how to do it in a positive way,” Mottram said. “It’s all about where our voice is landing, and how we make that louder.”

So what’s the next step for the water industry?

Davy said she wanted to the promotion of a culture and environment where women can seize every opportunity. “We need to create workplaces which work for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background.  In doing so, we will ensure that the sector will continue to innovate,  bringing together the best minds, and diversity of thought and build a lasting legacy for our customers and communities.”

Mottram praised that there is nothing “off-limits or restrictive” for a career in this industry. She added: “I think it would be good to see an increase in diversity as a whole across the sector – encouraging more people from any walk of life. I hope we continue to celebrate that and champion diversity in all its form.”