woman female wholesale staff

Source: Getty

Businesses that have boosted the number of female leaders include Sugro, CJ Lang, Blakemore and Booker

The number of women in top jobs in the wholesale sector has increased by 55% over the past three years.

According to the latest research from industry group Women in Wholesale, the percentage of women holding senior roles at the UK’s 30 biggest wholesalers and leading buying groups has jumped to 17% compared with just 11% in 2016.

According to the latest figures, 33 females out of a possible 192 positions are currently in senior level roles, in 2016, 23 females held senior level appointments out of a possible 199 positions.

Businesses that have boosted the number of female leaders include Sugro, Musgrave, Reynolds, Country Range, CJ Lang, Blakemore, Birchall and Booker.

“Gender diversity in leadership teams shouldn’t be a race to hit quotas, it’s about finding the right people for the right job,” said Women in Wholesale founder Elit Rowland. “That won’t happen overnight but we can see that management pipelines are starting to get more diverse, which is great news for wholesale. It’s exciting times and we will continue to support and inspire women with our events, sponsorships and coaching.”