Most buying decisions are made by women, yet only a third of European consumer leaders are female. It’s vital to address the disconnect between decision-making and consumers – one of many reasons we’re members of the LEAD Network. This non-profit, volunteer-led organisation is committed to attracting, retaining and advancing women in the consumer goods and retail sector in Europe.

LEAD Newton Conference 2025

Each year, the influential LEAD Network Conference inspires important conversations about how the industry can create a sustainable, equitable and thriving future. From how to take data-driven decisions to fuel diversity, to using AI to improve inclusion and innovation, to creating campaigns to drive change internally and internationally – this year’s conference balanced short-term action with long-term vision.

To continue to move the dial, conversations need to continue beyond the conference and outside an audience of engaged leaders. So, we’ve grouped our team’s field notes into this document to capture some of the ideas we think are worth sharing to inspire ideas and for further exploration.

Part 1. Data reiterating the case for diversity and inclusion

Part 2. A story of reinvention: From blonde to belonging 

Part 3. 4 takeaways on building a more equitable future

One story stood out for us at LEAD – the story of Birra Peroni successfully driving greater inclusiveness and diversity within its Italian in just five years. 

In the 70s and 80s, the beer brand’s advertising famously featured the Birra Blonde – an iconic image of a beautiful woman holding a beer bottle. It was decided it was time to actively move away from that tradition and reinvent the brand for modern consume

To achieve this shift, Peroni’s leaders looked inside. This was not an aesthetic change but a whole and genuine new direction to create a space where everyone can shine as their true selves.

Their first stop: review the data to enable bold action to be taken to address any issues. It showed:

• Only 34% of their leaders were women
• 0% of men at Birra Peroni took part in paternity leave

So, to create a more gender inclusive culture, the team created:

• An Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to women’s empowerment within the company.
• BEpowER, an active internal community of women that is part of the DE&I Committee and runs i
• A STEM training programme which has reached over 200 women.

The BeHer Campaign, a bold, above-the-line, multi-channel initiative extended Peroni’s commitment to gender equity. It sees images of the Birra Blonde being ripped up and replaced by footballers, business women and female chefs.

Five years later, not only have sales continued to rise but, demonstrating increased gender equality throughout the organisation, there has been…

• A 15.5% increase in female leadership
• 81% of fathers now take paternity leave

Thank you to Arianna Schiavoni, DE&I Talent Development Senior Manager and Viviana Manera, Marketing Director from Birra Peroni, for your advice and insights and showing that culture can not only change, but fast.

Trust + Psychological Safety = Collective Courage

With several interlinked traits, leaders can accelerate the required cultural change and set up the environment for successful delivery. These are:

• Being courageous but vulnerable – reaching for excellence, not perfection
• Building psychological safety by trusting people to innovate and supporting them to make mistakes.

Strategy sets the direction but it’s then a constant practice of showing up every day to create the cultural conditions employees need to forge ahead, feel safe to speak up and take action. If we view mistakes as a step towards innovation and celebrate bravery, people feel supported and go further to grasp opportunities and collectively thrive. 70% of variability in employee engagement scores is driven by line managers, so asking, ‘How do I make this possible for you?’ can be game changing.

The mattering cycle creates momentum (or stasis)  

People disengage when treated like cogs in a machine, and performance falters. But if people feel like they matter – like they are needed – they are more willing to push forward, and they are more likely to show their colleagues that they too matter. 

When employees know they are supported and matter, they become emotionally invested. They stop asking, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ and start responding, ‘How can I make my best contribution?’ And that’s when the wheels start to turn.

• Culture shapes us.
• We shape culture.
• Lean in and others lean in for you.

Diverse teams:

• Make 87% better decisions
• Produce better data and products
• Outperform peers by 25%

Their inclusive practices and diverse teams drive innovation, people’s differences leading to unexpected sparks, ideas and consequences in conversation. Our differences are our strengths, energising those around us and creating better outcomes for consumers.

But we’re nowhere near on an equal footing: 13x more patents are registered by men than women, and that is unlikely to change:

• Only 26% of AI roles globally are held by women
• Just 18% of C-suite leaders are women
• Less than 2% of global VC funding goes to women, Black and LGBTQ+ founders

Part of the answer lies in addressing these three issues – closing the digital skills gap, improving allyship and mentorship to increase female leadership, and ensuring funding for diverse founders.

But is there also an opportunity for AI for DEI to lead to a cultural revolution – not just a technical shift? 

AI is already being used to shape policy to drive equitable outcomes, increase access to financial services, ensure a fair share of voice for women in the media, remove bias from job descriptions and improve healthcare recommendations. 

What are the other DEI opportunities in each organisation?

Begona Jimenez Real, Global Corporate Vice President Laundry & Home Care at Henkel, outlined a powerful idea of the future leader. 

Bold: They leap into the unknown and chase growth

Real: They see vulnerability as strength

Aware: They are curious in action

Voice: They create psychological safety

Empowering: They lift others as they rise

Together, fittingly, the first letter of each spells BRAVE.

New research from LEAD offers a stark warning about the future of the industry, showing that the next generation of leaders is poised to leave:

• Less than half of 25-35 -year-olds think the industry is fit for their needs
• Only 28% think they will stay within consumer goods and retail for their career
• This will lead to $8.5tr in lost revenue

The research shows that organisations looking to counter this threat can: prioritise purpose, be flexible about flexibility, diminish hierarchical structures, encourage greater career exploration and accelerate career advancement.

But this is a systemic issue requiring the collective attention of the end-to-end industry, and we’re intent on being central to facilitating those conversations. 

For more food for thought, read our article featuring Allyson Zimmerman, from the LEAD Network, on what the next generation of talent needs to choose – and stay – in a career in food and drink