International Women's Day 2025

Accelerate Action

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women and reaffirm our commitment to gender equality. The 2025 theme, Accelerate Action, reminds us that progress requires urgency to make faster, more effective strides toward gender equality and meaningful change.

As part of this, we’ve spoken with some of the inspiring women from our Leadership Team to hear their perspectives on leadership, empowerment, and the steps we can all take to drive much-needed change.

Danielle Farrar 

Head of People 

I am fortunate enough to know many great women, friends, colleagues and family members and International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise those and so many other women around the world, to take a moment to celebrate them and their achievements.

It’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress women have made throughout time but also acknowledge that challenges still exist. It’s incredibly important we continue to foster inclusive and supportive environments where women have equal opportunities.

I have two young daughters who I know will go on to do great things, let’s clear the road and make it easier for them and other generations to come to do just that. 

Ana Ciubotaru 

Chief Operating Officer 

International Women’s Day has always been special to me. Growing up in Romania, March 8th wasn’t just another date on the calendar—it was a celebration deeply embedded in our culture. Flowers, gatherings, and moments to appreciate the incredible women in our lives are traditions I still look forward to every year.

But even as we celebrated, I grew up seeing a much fuller picture of what it means to be a woman—leading, pushing boundaries, nurturing families, and constantly balancing it all with resilience and grace. That’s why this year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” feels especially important to me—it’s a reminder that while we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

Women’s rights and representation have certainly progressed, but gender discrimination still exists in every corner of the world. Progress isn’t guaranteed just because we talk about it. To keep moving forward, we can’t limit our recognition of women’s contributions to a single day each year. Positive change requires us to actively challenge discrimination and bias, not just in obvious situations but in the everyday moments that are so easily overlooked. We need to go beyond celebration and step into action—having difficult conversations, questioning outdated ways of working, and making sure we’re not just opening doors for women, but keeping them open for everyone in a way that is fair and equitable.

For me, International Women’s Day is ultimately about shared responsibility. Positive change can’t be achieved by women alone—it takes all of us, regardless of gender, background, or role, speaking up, challenging norms, and working together to build workplaces where everyone feels they belong and has the chance to thrive.

Helen Priestley

Head of Brand 

I can hardly believe it, but I'm coming up to my 35th of being in the workplace - I've always worked full time except for a few months off with my 3 children. I've seen MASSIVE changes take place in that time. When I started work, it could be pretty grim, and I have some stories that would make your toes curl. Things are different, and for that, I am grateful.   

BUT change is still to slow - we are losing too many women too early in their career journey and we need women at the table at all levels in our businesses - women of all religions, sexual orientations and physical abilities too - if there is not equality in representation it is very hard for these voices to get heard. And we need all the voices to represent our employees and customers the best we can. We all need to do our bit to unblock bias; we all have a part to play. 

Jo Graham 

Chief Digital Information Officer 

International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to proactively focus, celebrate, and encourage diversity.  I am privileged to have had a career that gives me the opportunity to be a role model and with this I feel a responsibility to share my story, my journey and hopefully inspire anyone with aspirations to reach whatever their career goal may be.  I do feel that I have been having this same conversation however, for a number of years but still feel it is very very necessary in the Technology world to keep on banging that encouragement drum.  We still need to encourage more females to feel like they can have a career in any role in Technology; and there is much more still to do before we can claim to be representative.

I also feel it is important on International Women’s Day to celebrate all the allies that we have in our lives, those that call us colleagues, friends, wife and Mum. 

Here's to strong women and allies, may we known them, may we be them, may we raise them.