LEAD Network has announced its 2025 Changemakers, recognising the businesses and industry leaders that are advancing gender equity across Europe’s consumer goods and retail sectors.
Morrisons and Kenvue, along with David Lawlor, SVP at Kellanova Europe, have been recognised for their efforts in embedding inclusion into their business strategies, as well as bolstering equity across their respective organisations.
‘Practical, sustained action’
“Despite increasing pressures, most companies in our sector are staying the course on inclusion because they see the business and workforce benefits,” commented Allyson Zimmermann, CEO of LEAD Network.
“Our 2025 Changemakers demonstrate what practical, sustained action looks like: clear accountability, structural change and results that improve workplaces for everyone.”
‘Championing inclusive leadership’
Kellanova’s Lawlor received the ‘Inspirational Change Agent Award’ for his efforts in ‘championing inclusive leadership and accelerating Kellanova, a subsidiary of Mars Inc’s progress towards gender balance’, LEAD Network said in a statement.
Under his leadership, the company has achieved 50/50 gender balance across its leadership roles, three years ahead of schedule, it noted, adding that the firm has ‘strengthened policies supporting menopause, pregnancy loss, fertility treatment and co-parenting leave’.
Elsewhere, Morrisons received a ‘Best in Class’ Award for its inclusion strategy, which spans the entire organisation, and for launching its Leadership School – a self-nomination, merit-based development programme that welcomed 750 participants in its first year.
Kenvue also received a Best in Class Award for expanding its European Women’s Resource group to more than 530 members.
The personal care firm has implemented a series of mentoring programmes, as well as workshops under its ‘#IamRemarkable’ initiative and a series of inspirational talks. It also supported efforts to address gender and menstrual inequality in sport through a partnership between its brand o.b. and German soccer club Fortuna Düsseldorf, where it helped establish a U15 women’s football team.
LEAD Network is a non-profit, volunteer-led organisation dedicated to attracting, retaining and advancing women in the consumer goods and retail sector across Europe, boasting more than 26,00 members from over 80 countries, as well as 65 partner companies and over 430 active volunteers. Read more here.
