Executive Pipeline Limited
is a private company, limited by shares, incorporated in England & Wales, registered number
08495647
. The registered office is Office 436 33 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0PW.
Review of the business
A. Overview
Founded in 2012, Executive Pipeline Ltd. (trading name: The Pipeline) is dedicated to addressing gender inequality in leadership by supporting women’s advancement through leadership training, coaching, sponsorship, and campaigning.
Inspired by research from Harvard’s Professor Michael Porter, who identified the untapped potential of increasing women’s participation in leadership after the 2007 crash, the organisation believes gender parity is essential for economic growth and innovation.
Building on this purpose, The Pipeline campaigns for greater gender equality in leadership and for the advancement of women in the workplace. It works across the private, public and third sectors, partnering with organisations to address the barriers that continue to limit women’s progression into senior leadership. Its evidence-led approach combines research and data with consultancy, coaching and leadership development to help organisations develop, promote and retain female talent. Over the past decade, The Pipeline has worked with more than 170 organisations and supported more than 1,500 women at middle and senior management level, alongside 270 senior female executives progressing towards Executive Committee, CEO and other senior leadership roles.
B. Key programmes in 2025
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Top Flight (Open Programme): A year-long leadership programme for senior women in business and the Civil Service. In 2025 there were 19 senior women on the programme.
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Leadership Summit: An intensive three-day programme for mid-to-senior level women. 61 women took part across four summits. 78% reported increased confidence, 70% were more likely to seek promotion, and 35% were promoted within six months.
C. Women in work 2025 report
Our latest report takes a new approach because we want to understand the real barriers women face in work today from their perspective. Without data on the actual blockers to gender representation in leadership we cannot begin to address them. For the very first time, The Pipeline conducted a nationwide survey of 2,000 women and 500 men to better understand the underlying obstacles.
What did we find?
Despite soaring leadership aspirations among women of all ages and ethnicities, persistent barriers remain and new challenges are emerging. The old obstacles - caregiving responsibilities, gender and racial bias, and ageism - have not been solved. New challenges, such as the rise of AI and anti-DEI rhetoric, are creating additional hurdles.
Our report also shines a spotlight on an emerging problem: the new generation of women workers (aged 18-24) are the most pessimistic about the barriers they face, despite having high aspirations equal to their male peers. Progress is not meant to look like this and the situation demands action.
Key findings:
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Bias remains prevalent: Two in three women see gender bias as a barrier, and nearly 80% of Black women report racial or ethnic bias.
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Caregiving impacts progression: Almost half of women with caring responsibilities have missed at least a month of work, costing our economy around £10 billion a year.
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Ageism persists: More than 40% of women have been told they are either too young or too old for leadership.
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Health challenges are overlooked: A third of women with long-term health conditions experience bias – and among younger women, that figure climbs to nearly half.
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DEI is under threat: One in four women now feel less safe or comfortable at work due to the politicisation of diversity and inclusion.
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The future of work is uncertain: Almost half of young women worry that AI could replace their jobs.
Our report calls for action: from individuals, organisations, and government. Without effort and coordinated policies and initiatives, progress will continue to stall or reverse. This report does not merely present a problem; it highlights an opportunity for real, positive change for society, organisations, and the economy.
D. Overall impact in 2025
At The Pipeline, we are contributing to closing the gender gap in leadership through programmes and campaigning.
- 80 women supported directly through programmes.
- Research used in national media and campaigns.
- Ongoing advocacy kept gender diversity central to policy and business discussions.
The Pipeline continues to lead change in UK leadership by driving gender equality through programmes with both individuals and organisations, research, and campaigning