Are you happy with the way you’ re developing opportunities for women leaders in your organisation, and what needs to be done?
Lauren, United Airlines: Part of my other role is helping lead United’ s employee resource group for women. It’ s really important to recognise that we have to lift each other up and acknowledge things that are often unsaid but happen all the time.
In aviation, we have a significant challenge when you look at the pilot population; it is largely drawn from those with a military background or those who can afford the flight lessons required.
We want to keep safety first, but that demographic doesn’ t reflect our flying population. Then you look at cabin crew and customer service – there’ s a whole different demographic there that doesn’ t fully reflect our passenger population either, and we need more men in those roles.
And then you look at management, where there is a more diversified group. We have to support one another so that we can advance success based on merit, but also based on creating opportunities for those who are coming up.
I love sustainability in part because there are a lot of female voices in it, though I’ m frustrated by that because it shouldn’ t be the anomaly.
104 July 2026