Despite significant progress in gender equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles. At the current rate of progress, full gender parity won't be reached until 2158—that's roughly five generations from now.

International Women's Day taking place on 08 March 2025 isn't just about celebrating progress—it's a call to step forward in solidarity and push for real, measurable change. This year's theme, #AccelerateAction, calls for us to break down systemic barriers, challenge biases, and take decisive steps toward gender equality in leadership and beyond.

The McKinsey & Company Women in the Workplace 2024 report shows that while female representation in C-suite positions has grown from 17% in 2015 to 29% in 2024, progress is still frustratingly slow at earlier career stages, particularly at the entry and manager levels. The report also found that women remain underrepresented throughout the corporate pipeline, with the gender gap persisting across racial and ethnic groups.

In this article, we celebrate some of the many women who are breaking the glass ceiling, share their inspiring journeys, and hear their advice for other women that want to rise to the top.

Breaking down barriers

Despite growing awareness of gender inequality, women are still facing barriers that hold them back from accessing leadership roles. One of the biggest challenges is the "think manager—think male" bias—the unconscious assumption that men are naturally more competent leaders, despite evidence showing that women generally excel in most leadership skills.

The leadership path is still an outdated, male-centric model that continues to exclude and disadvantage women. If we’re to change this, we need to address these challenges head-on:

• Unconscious bias: Given that men have historically dominated leadership positions, women often face biases that can affect hiring, promotions, and career progression. These biases stem from assumptions about leadership styles, competence, and the ability to manage work alongside family responsibilities, all of which can hinder their progress.
• Lack of mentorship, sponsorship, and "connections": Although mentorship and sponsorship are needed for career advancement, they aren't always as readily available to women as they are to men.
• Work-life balance and outdated workplace structures: Many workplaces are still structured around obsolete gender roles, making it difficult for women—especially those with family responsibilities—to thrive.

While progress has been made, change isn't happening fast enough. We already know that companies that actively promote gender diversity in leadership benefit from more innovation, better decision-making, and stronger overall performance. The question now is: how do we accelerate progress?

Spotlight on female leaders

Ellie Murphy, managing consultant and chair, CIM Scotland

Initially embarking on a graduate training programme with Associated British Ports, Ellie Murphy transitioned from industrial operations into PR and marketing. She later took on key roles with iconic brands like Gatwick Airport, First Group, and ScotRail, where she became head of marketing. However, after starting a family, Murphy wanted a more flexible career path, leading her to establish Flourish Marketing 15 years ago. Today, she leads the agency and serves as chair of the CIM Scotland board.

Leadership reflections

Recognising the challenges of balancing professional ambitions with personal responsibilities, Murphy champions inclusive workplace policies and mentorship. Reflecting on her own journey, she says: "I don't feel that I've personally experienced any specific challenges based on my gender that have come about due to lack of opportunity or bias. I run a female-led agency, where the vast majority of the team happens to be female, but that's not by design – simply who was the right person for the role on each occasion that we were recruiting. Obviously, I took a significant decision to change course after my children were born, and there's a good section in the CIM Marketing podcast about where I felt I was failing in a number of areas and needed to take a new direction."

She emphasises the importance of understanding your own strengths and aspirations: "I'm lucky enough to chat with people at all stages of their marketing career with all sorts of different challenges, particularly through my volunteer role with CIM—and they often boil down to being able to carve out time to really articulate what your skills and interests are, to represent this effectively to colleagues, peers and clients and to be able to see a clear path for a career that you'll want to get out of bed for each morning! Don't be afraid to put your hand up and ask for help or to admit you don't know something—marketing has so many specialisms, and the pace of change is so fast that you need to keep learning every day, and that's where CIM comes in handy."

Amina Folarin, CEO, UK Group at OLIVER

Beginning her career in HR at Burberry, Amina Folarin went on to hold roles at Metro UK, ITV, and DigitasLBi before joining OLIVER, where she transformed international HR operations. Under her leadership as chief inclusion officer and HR director, OLIVER was recognised on The Times' Best Places to Work list before she took on the role of CEO in 2023.

Leadership reflections

Folarin sees leadership as a way to drive both business growth and meaningful social change. Drawing from her own experience, she recognises that inclusivity and representation are essential for building a stronger, more dynamic industry.

"Leadership isn't just about commercial success—it's about creating lasting positive change. As one of the few Black women leading a major UK agency, I've learned that excellence in business performance and social progress are natural allies, not competing priorities.

"The marketing industry still has work to do in building inclusive leadership pathways. From my experience, three key elements can make a difference: structured mentorship programs that connect diverse talent with senior leaders, progressive workplace policies that acknowledge the full spectrum of women's experiences, including initiatives like our menopause policy, and a commitment to measuring and improving representation at all levels.

She encourages women to embrace their unique strengths: "Don't feel pressured to conform to traditional leadership stereotypes. Some of the best advice I received was to 'become more of who you are, not less.' Build your support network, seek out mentors who align with your values, and most importantly, lift others as you rise."

Cindy Van Horne, global head of marketing and communications, McKinsey's Growth, Marketing & Sales Practice

Cindy Van Horne leads global marketing and communications for two major functions at McKinsey, helping clients turn challenges into growth opportunities. Before McKinsey, she spearheaded significant global marketing initiatives in B2B organisations, including scaling a tech-enabled managed services division and accelerating business pipeline growth.

Leadership reflections

Van Horne credits her success to the women who have inspired her: "I've been fortunate enough to have been inspired by exemplary women leaders who have pushed boundaries and broken through them. When I look at the qualities of these leaders, they all share the same energy for taking bold action. But that energy is nuanced—they do it with care, courage, tenacity, and optimism.

"Attaining a leadership role in marketing requires just that. A dedication to innovation and a passion for positive change. It is not enough to just advocate for your vision. You must inspire and rally your leaders, your colleagues to move together as a cohesive unit. But it also requires knowing when and how to fail fast and quickly pivot." 

She emphasises the need for continuous innovation and strategic agility: "Good leaders stand out for their ability to inspire others. They deeply care for their colleagues. This is often grounded in the ability to champion and elevate others—putting the spotlight on the team first, themselves last—and celebrate the wins along the way. Doing so fuels momentum, inspires action, and reinforces the belief that change is not only possible but attainable. Because leadership isn't about the individual; it is about 'the team, the team, the team'. With that mentality, you can become unstoppable."

Hayley Knight, group head of marketing and business development, MEC Consulting Group

Following school, Hayley Knight initially pursued a sales apprenticeship in steel manufacturing—one of the many male-dominated industries she has worked in. She then spent six years in customer retention before moving into housebuilding, where a female director encouraged her to shift into marketing, where she discovered her passion. Determined to build credibility, she pursued CIM qualifications and worked her way up into senior roles across housebuilding, engineering, and consultancy. Today, she leads marketing and business development for MEC Consulting Group while advocating for the role of marketing in traditionally undervalued sectors.

Leadership reflections

Knight has had to work twice as hard to earn respect in male-dominated industries: "Marketing in male-dominated industries has meant not only pushing for my own career progression but also fighting to elevate marketing beyond the outdated perception of it being a 'colouring-in department.' I've had to educate colleagues and even a previous business owner on why marketing is far more than just branding or social media."

She believes real change requires action, not just awareness: "Women don't need more 'awareness' campaigns; we need companies that continue to remove barriers. I personally believe that means flexible career pathways, fair pay, and workplaces where women don't have to justify their seat at the table."

Her advice to women: "Own your expertise and never stop growing your knowledge. Don't wait for permission to give your opinion or to take that next step, and when you get there, hold the door open for the next woman because if a woman hadn't done this for me, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Allyson Stewart-Allen, CEO, International Marketing Partners

Allyson Stewart-Allen's childhood move from Los Angeles to Munich sparked her interest in international languages and cultures. After completing her international marketing degree, she began her career as a strategy consultant at PwC in LA before relocating to London. She held roles at PA Consulting and Hay Management Consulting before establishing her own firm, International Marketing Partners, in 1992. Over the years, she's advised over 260 clients across 27 countries, working with some of the world's top organisations.

Leadership reflections

Stewart-Allen Allyson believes that while marketing has better gender representation than many other fields, there are still too few women in boardrooms. She advocates for increased visibility through networking, public speaking, and leveraging professional platforms.

"Influencing the ecosystem is one place to start, such as promoting our achievements more explicitly on LinkedIn, creating and/or using women's networks within the companies where we work to raise our profile, volunteering for more public-facing opportunities such as speaking at conferences and appearing in the media."

She stresses the importance of mentorship and taking initiative: "Finding mentors is also a very helpful source for insights and professional support—whether within or outside your organisation—to get advice from people who want you to be successful."

Her advice for women is: "Take the opportunities you're given which make you happy, where you'll learn new skills, where you'll broaden your networks and world view. Taking charge rather than waiting to be recognised is the only way to go!"

The future of female leadership

Things are moving in the right direction, but there's still a long way to go. These stories show how strong, resilient and ambitious women are, and the many contributions they make, but also remind us of the systematic challenges that remain.

For things to truly change, we must commit to tangible actions. This means investing in more mentorship and sponsorship programs, reshaping workplace policies, and actively dismantling the biases that hold women back. It's not enough to simply acknowledge the need for gender diversity. Instead, companies must embed it into their culture.

Expand your marketing leadership knowledge with CIM’s ED&I in Marketing Principles training course. You’ll learn all the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion to make the most of new opportunities while ensuring all stakeholders feel valued, included and welcome.

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