Empowering progress: The critical role of line managers in retaining women with Fiona Dawson

The Equality Conversation podcast with bestselling author Joy Burnford explores what we can all do to champion gender equality at work and is dedicated to the retention and progression of female talent in organisations. Each episode offers inspiration, stories and practical solutions from experts, leaders and senior business women from around the world. Achieving gender balance at work isn’t about fixing the women, it’s about changing the system. So, if you’re looking for insights, guidance or advice on how to enable women to thrive in your organisation, grab a cuppa, go for a walk, or escape for a while and join us for today’s conversation.

It is a pleasure to welcome Fiona Dawson as my guest today. Fiona spent 33 years at Mars, holding many leadership roles across the business, before retiring in 2021 to focus on building her non-executive career. She is a non-executive director at LEGO, Marks and Spencer and Kerry Foods as well as President of the Chartered Management Institute and a trustee to the Social Mobility Foundation. She was also awarded a CBE in 2021 for services to women and the economy so I’m really looking forward to this conversation and am sure we’ll learn a lot from her today!