To mark the release of our Women in Business report, we caught up with Jan Atkinson, Group Talent and Capability Director at Royal London, about her career journey as a woman in business.
Having spent 15 years in banking, beginning with early roles in the people department, Jan developed a passion for understanding how organisations can create value through people during times of change. This passion led to an eclectic career across various industries and sectors.
Learn about her challenges, how she overcame them, and her advice for women looking to advance their careers – plus, Royal London’s successful diversity and inclusion strategies including their targets for gender diversity.
The first was when I was in my late 20s and stepped into my first major operational and people leadership role as a regional manager. It was uncommon for someone with my background to take on such a role, especially as a female among mostly male colleagues. It was a constant learning experience and real turning point for me, showing me that I could push myself and succeed in challenging situations.
Another pivotal moment was when I decided to leave banking. Sometimes it can be hard to know when it’s the right time to jump into a new opportunity, but I always say to think of yourself like an elastic band. There should always be a healthy stretch in it – it shouldn’t ever feel too tight, or like it’s about to snap. That’s a good way to test whether you’re still learning and growing, or it’s time to make a change.
From a young age, my parents never made me feel like certain jobs were off-limits because of my gender. This attitude has stuck with me.
My biggest challenges have come from within, questioning whether I belong in certain spaces. Of course, there are still systemic issues that need to be addressed for women in the workplace, but for me, the biggest obstacles have been more about changing my own mindset.
This is why I think it’s so important to proactively seek out opportunities to develop a strong support network. I've organically developed many mentorship relationships and a strong support network to lean on. Many of my mentors are people I’d consider not only givers of sage career advice, but role models for the kind of leader I want to be.
One of my proudest achievements is setting up LGBTQ+ networks from the ground-up in two organisations.
It’s been fabulous to see the positive impact of this, not only for colleagues who identify as LGBTQ+, but for the entire organisation. It really changed the conversation and enhanced the sense of inclusion, positivity and pride.
It's great to have achieved this in sectors like construction and manufacturing, where it may be perceived as more challenging. Despite initial doubts from others, having the bravery to start the conversation and gaining support from senior leaders has been incredibly rewarding.
Witnessing the impact on colleagues who have worked in these organisations for many years and hearing them express that it's the first time they've been able to truly be themselves in the workplace, is a source of great pride for me.
Diversity efforts can’t be one and done – it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Gender equality and diversity and inclusion are fundamental strategic priorities for us, and I couldn’t be prouder of that. Our executive team lead our strategy, and we have developed an action plan focusing on creating an inclusive culture while better representing the diversity of our customers and communities, including improving the representation of women in senior roles and supporting all underrepresented groups.
Our People Promise that all our colleagues will work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling reflects this. It’s a set of principles we developed in collaboration with colleagues, drawn from over 600 hours of focus groups and insight. Every year, we publish and share commitments based on colleague feedback to make sure the People Promise accurately reflects their voices.
The Career Confidence programme is another initiative designed to support women and other underrepresented groups in advancing their careers, giving our colleagues the skills to be in the driving seat. After taking part, our participants were feeling more confident to put their names forward for career opportunities, leading to tangible progression.
We're taking a strategic approach by using data and insights to empower each of our business leaders to address diversity and inclusion in their own departments. We work on the basis that if each part of the business focuses on their opportunity to make a difference, collectively that moves us forward.
For example, for our IT operations function, getting more women into STEM careers is key. That team has made real strides to raise our profile as an employer of choice to female talent and encouraging them to consider a digital career. We're already seeing more external women coming into the pipeline and more women putting their hands up internally for senior progression opportunities in this area.
The progress is far too slow, and it's too easy to find excuses for it.
My advice to any leader in any organisation is to resist taking the easy route. It requires relentless focus, determination, and an unwavering commitment to driving change, refusing to accept "no" for an answer.
Emphasising fairness and equity is fundamental, but it's also important to recognise that gender diversity makes commercial sense. Limiting the pool of talent and diversity of thought and experience to one group doesn’t benefit anyone.
To access this talent, organisations need to assess whether their workplace genuinely offers equity of opportunity for everyone. If not, they must take decisive action to address this. It's critical for individuals to lean in and take responsibility for progress.
Creating opportunities for women to excel in leadership roles is key to addressing issues like the pension gap and pay disparity. There are still too few women in the most senior C-suite roles, and this needs to change.
It’s important for organisations to remember that it’s not just about what's happening internally. At Royal London, a key part of our Purpose is securing financial wellness and security for everyone, not just our colleagues. We've completed research on the pensions gap and commit time to raising awareness of what is needed to support women and close that gap.
For me, accelerating action is about how organisations walk the talk not just for their own colleagues, but for wider society in the years ahead.
Lean into opportunities to grow and develop. It's not about having a detailed 10-year plan, but rather about planful opportunism. The most interesting opportunities are often the ones that you can't yet see, and they can come from various directions. Be willing to take risks and embrace them.
Most importantly, I encourage women to support other women. As you progress in your career, avoid being the one who pulls the ladder up behind you. Instead, be the one extending a hand down to pull others up along with you. This is how we can truly make a difference.
For 21 years, we’ve tracked the ratio of women occupying senior management roles in mid-market firms around the world. Our 2025 report revealed only 4.6% of UK mid-market firms have at least one woman in their senior management teams.
By working together, we can do better. Get insights into UK data and download the report for strategies to make a real impact on parity.
