Grayling was proud to be named among the Top 100 Companies for Women To Work For at this year’s GEM Summit, celebrating organisations leading the way on gender equity and workplace culture. Our participation reflected both our pride in this recognition and our ongoing commitment to building a more equitable industry.

The Summit’s central message was clear: stop chasing perfection. Perfection is not empowerment; it is what holds women back. In a world that still expects women to overprepare and overperform, the pursuit of perfection can become a barrier to progress. As one speaker put it, “No one is coming to do it for you. It is down to you.”

Voice. Visibility. Value.

True equity begins with voice. “Start saying out loud what you want,” was one of the most powerful calls from the Summit. Position. Power. Progress. Silence does not protect women; it protects the system.

Across industries, women are being urged to name their ambitions, claim their space, and ask for access rather than permission. The challenge now is to normalise ambition and ensure workplaces reward that openness with opportunity.

The Power of Allies

The GEM Summit also highlighted the importance of allyship and shared success. “Be the woman who claps when another woman rises” became a defining theme. Progress thrives when women support women, and when businesses actively create the conditions for that support to flourish.

Grayling’s Commitment to Equity

At Grayling, equity is not a statement but a measurable commitment. We are proud to have a 0% gender pay gap and a 0% ethnicity pay gap, with 50% female representation on our UK board. All of our workplace policies are publicly available, reflecting our belief that transparency drives accountability.

Our policies include enhanced maternity and paternity leave, a baby loss policy, and dedicated policies on menopause and men’s mental health. Each is designed to ensure that every person can show up honestly, be supported at every life stage, and feel heard.

As Heather Blundell, CEO of Grayling UK, shared at the Summit, “We cannot expect equity to exist unless we build the conditions for it. It’s about structure, not slogans.”

A Shared Responsibility

Chancellor Rachel Reeves also reminded delegates that gender equity is essential for growth, telling the audience: “If we want to grow our economy, we need to use the talents of everyone.” Equity is not only a moral imperative but an economic one.

The GEM Summit was a timely reminder that progress depends on courage, clarity and community. The path to equity is one we all shape together.

Let’s stop chasing perfection and start building progress. Let’s keep speaking up, showing up and standing up for each other.

Because silence protects the system, but our voices can change it.