Supplier investment means greater support for women in wholesale

Women in Wholesale (WiW) has expanded its programme of inspiring, supporting and progressing women thanks to the support of 20 suppliers and service providers in the wholesale channel.

WiW founder Elit Rowland described the outpouring of support in recent months as “inspiring and invaluable.”

“It’s an incredible commitment to equality in the wholesale channel and this level of support has helped us to offer even more content and new initiatives, including WiW Breakfast Briefings and Mental Health First Aid Training, which are truly helping to promote diversity and wellbeing in wholesale,” she says.

Among the newer sponsors is Mars Wrigley, on behalf of whom Customer Development Head – Wholesale, Julie Saxton says: “At Mars we are passionate about driving the diversity and inclusion agenda. Women in Wholesale gives us an opportunity to help females within the industry to learn and grow, as well as networking with other like minded individuals. I hope our sponsorship will allow individuals to participate in the WIW events and to help progress their careers in wholesale.”

“WiW is a great programme and many of our team have attended over recent years,” said Eleanor Gooding, People & Culture Director at Boost Drinks. “We want all of our people to thrive, and WiW helps our women, and women in the industry, to grow their profiles, strengthen their skills and network. The events promote understanding, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and best practices and we are proud to be a sponsor this year.”

Eleanor will lead the next Women in Wholesale event Breakfast Briefing on July 8th, on the topic of Making a Difference to Your Company Culture.

“Companies with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to be innovative, six times more likely to anticipate changes and respond effectively, and twice as likely to exceed financial targets,” says Yleana Leal, UK/IRL Sales Strategy Director at Brown-Forman Beverages.

“Supporting Women in Wholesale is just one way that we are able to help women in our industry to break down barriers and achieve success. Through this partnership in particular, we hope to raise awareness within the sector to make wholesale an attractive long-term career choice.

“Highlighting our best women is a constructive way to make the industry more appealing to a greater diversity of talent.”