Top champions of women’s careers

The Financial Times and HERoes, a gender-equality initiative, is launching a ranking of the leading champions of women in business. We are looking for male and female executives who have effected the greatest changes in women’s careers in the UK and beyond. To make a submission or nominate a champion, go to www.out-standing.org/heroes/ by May 5. We will rank champions in three categories:

● Top 50 female champions of women in business in the UK
● Top 30 male champions of women in business in the UK
● Top 10 global champions of women in business

Submissions will be judged by a panel including Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments; Mark Wilson, chief executive of Aviva, the UK insurer; and Helena Morrissey, co-founder of the 30% Club, which campaigns to boost the number of women on UK boards. The lists will be unveiled at the FT’s Women at the Top conference in London on September 27 and in the next Women in Business report, to be published on the same day.

The business case for gender diversity has been made, but progress has proved slow. Top teams remain relatively uniform while women continue to be paid less than men, especially after the first decade of their career. The lists will “help accelerate progress towards gender equality in the workplace”, says Ms Morrissey.

HERoes is a new gender-equality initiative of OUTstanding, a corporate membership organisation for LGBT executives.