Pinky Lilani CBE DL | Founder and Chairman, Women of The Future

Photograph of Pinky Lilani CBE DL

Pinky Lilani CBE DL CMgr CCMI is an internationally acclaimed champion for women.

She is the force behind the Women of the Future Programme, a portfolio of global events, projects and networks that support women and celebrate their talent and success. The Women of the Future Programme events include; the Women of the Future Awards, Summit and 50 Rising Stars in ESG; the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and the Southeast Asia Awards. Over the last 25 years, Pinky has done an incredible amount to move the needle on gender equality and also to agitate change and progress on the diversity and inclusion agenda. In 2018, she launched the 50 Leading Lights campaign, highlighting the value of kindness in business. The campaign has been a great success, shifting perceptions of ‘strong’ leadership and, in 2019 it launched in the Asia Pacific region. Pinky has won several awards for her work and was listed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She was also featured on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Pinky is a Fellow of the GSA; a member of the board of Global Diversity Practice and the Character Project, University of Oxford as well as being an Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School; Patron of DIL, the Westminster Society and Frank Water. She is an Ambassador for the Tiffany Circle of the Red Cross. In 2007, Pinky was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to charity and as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015 for services to women in business.

What one action would you like to see organisations, or the government take to drive gender equity?

Organisations and the government should ensure a strategy which has economic security education, Health and leadership for women. They should have an intersectional approach to those who experience discrimination and bias ensuring that there is fairness and equality.