Lucy Oakshott, CPL One’s new board director, says that cultivating inclusivity in the boardroom and beyond helps businesses thrive.
The UK celebrated a notable increase last year in the proportion of FTSE board seats held by women, rising from 28% to 40% over five years – a positive shift for women across the country.
Given statistics like those, joining the board of CPL One last month – where four out of five board members and 55 per cent of our 69 employees are female – felt like a significant personal step.
If I think back to a decade ago, when news outlets were advising female leaders on how to navigate boardrooms dominated by white, male and middle-class members, it feels like progress.
As an award-winning full-service content marketing agency, having a strong female board is indicative of the inclusive culture and work ethic we cultivate with our employees and clients, which contributes to our success.
At CPL One our purpose is that ‘We help people belong’ . We are about supporting real people doing real things in the real world. When we do that, we help people belong: our staff, our clients and their audiences thrive.
We help people belong is also a principle we use for future-proofing the relationships we build with our clients and their audiences.
I’ve always been fortunate to work in environments that prioritise excellent leadership, irrespective of gender. Perhaps, I’ve subconsciously but consistently sought out organisations that value their people, fostering a culture where belonging is paramount.
As a mother of three young girls, I really hope that female board directors will soon be an unremarkable reality across all workplaces. And regardless of the career path they choose, I hope my girls always feel a sense of belonging and empowerment.
