Spearheaded by a cohort of global nutraceutical leaders, a new non-profit called Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN) has been formed to ‘empower women in nutraceuticals to unlock their personal and professional potential’.
WIN’s four focus areas are: leadership, growth, investment and opportunity. The group aims to ‘ensure better opportunities for rising female leaders’, including increase the number of women with positions in executive leaderships roles and on corporate boards; expand investment opportunities for female-owned businesses; and push for the growth of women in science and women’s health research.
Julia Wiebe, managing director of WIN, comments: “WIN will help the nutraceutical industry to live up to its full potential and exploit 100% of its talent, by increasing women’s presence in research and innovation, in the C-suites and on company boards.
“The identification and elimination of glass ceilings, glass walls and stereotypes, and the creation of flexible working and equal economic conditions, will foster increasing participation of women in decision making. The support through mentorship and sponsorship will help women to reach the C-suite, increasing the openness to change, the ability to adapt and the chances of financial success of companies.”
The lack of female leadership representation is a disservice to the industry
Heather Granato, WIN president, told Nutraingredients: “To truly make a difference in consumer health we need to ensure that our industry and our organizations reflect the face and values of our consumers. Having honest dialogue on how we bring more women into the C-suite, fund women-led and owned businesses, and bring in more women in science – both running research and the need for studies on women – will help us collectively make positive change. Further, offering opportunities to empower the next generation of female leaders will keep our nutraceutical industry at the cutting edge as we think differently and proactively to impact health in a positive way.
“The lack of female leadership representation is a disservice to the industry as women represent the majority of consumers and consistently add significant value when they hold influential positions. WIN was formed to amplify women’s industry standing and provide them support, resources and tools to achieve professional and personal success.”
