In this session, Professor Susan Vinnicombe CBE reviewed the progress made by women onto FTSE boards over the past 20 years, marking the time that Cranfield has been involved in this research project. The major issue is the lack of women in the executive pipeline. Cranfield has been working in partnership with the executive of HSBC HOST to address this issue over the past two years. Professor Kim Turnbull James discusses this challenging and innovative project and how it has really underlined the critical importance of embedding women’s leadership programmes in the organisation.