Leading British fashion firm teams up with Central Saint Martins to boost number of female CEOs

Only a handful of women occupy chief executive positions despite women accounting for two-thirds of fashion customers
Rashid Razaq23 January 2017

A leading British fashion company is teaming-up with Central Saint Martins to encourage more women to aim for top jobs within the industry.

Suzie de Rohan Willner, chief executive of designer womenswear brand Toast, said not enough women are reaching boardroom level because they lack confidence and role models.

The fashion boss, who has previously worked at FitFlop, Levi Strauss and Puma, will launch a mentoring competition on February 2 as part of the university’s Women in the Arts scheme.

Saint Martins course leader Jennifer Tuckett said research shows only a handful of women occupy chief executive positions despite women accounting for two-thirds of fashion customers.

Central Saint Martins - 2016 graduate runway

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Ms de Rohan Willner said: "When you look at the leading brands at CEO level they’re nearly all men. There are talented women coming into the industry, but they’re not getting to the top positions."

"We need to ensure they take every opportunity they get to connect and learn from mentors to give them the confidence and skill-set to lead."

Ms de Rohan Willner is one of 15 women bosses taking part in the programme including Royal Court Theatre artistic director Vicky Featherstone and English National Ballet head Tamara Rojo.

For more information see universitywomeninthearts.com

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