Recognition as a Most Improved Charter Signatory finalist reflected something Fujitsu sees as important: sustained effort over time.
Instead of focusing on individual initiatives, the organisation has worked to make gender balance and inclusion part of how decisions are made across leadership, talent and workforce planning. The result is progress that feels increasingly embedded, supported by visible leadership and shared accountability rather than isolated activity. Themes throughout our conversation with Emma Webb, Senior HR Business Partner – Defence and National Security, repeatedly returned to one idea: inclusion is strongest when it becomes part of everyday business.
What does being recognised in the Most Improved Charter Signatory category say about the journey your organisation has been on?
Being recognised was meaningful because it reflected consistency rather than a single moment of success.
The work behind gender balance and inclusion at Fujitsu has developed over time, through continued effort, gradual improvements and embedding changes into everyday decision making. Recognition felt less like acknowledgement of one initiative and more like validation that long-term commitments were turning into practical outcomes.
Importantly, it also reinforced that progress does not always come from launching something new. Often, the real change happens when approaches become embedded enough to feel like business as usual. Reaching that point -where inclusion influences planning, leadership and people decisions naturally - is seen as an important part of the journey.
Looking back over the past few years, where do you feel your organisation has made the most meaningful progress?
The most noticeable progress has been in leadership representation and, perhaps more importantly, the effect that visibility has had across the wider organisation. Women now hold several senior leadership positions within Fujitsu UK, including CEO-level roles and senior positions within the defence business. As a technology company, in the Defence sector and being led by a woman, the visible leadership has encouraged others to step forward, creating what feels like greater permission and confidence around progression.
That influence is increasingly visible in succession planning, leadership pipelines and senior recruitment. The impact goes beyond numbers alone; it changes expectations about who leadership roles are for and who sees themselves in them.
At the same time, accountability has shifted. Gender balance is no longer viewed as something owned solely by HR but as a leadership responsibility shared across the business.
What has helped turn your commitment to the Women in Defence Charter into practical action within your organisation?
Clear ownership and leadership accountability have made a significant difference.
Representation is discussed through regular business reviews and sits within leadership objectives, meaning progress is visible and performance against ambitions is monitored over time. Workforce data is used to understand trends and identify barriers rather than relying on assumptions.
That evidence has helped shape priorities. For example, attracting women into the organisation is not necessarily the biggest challenge - retaining them - remains an ongoing focus. Understanding where those priority issues sit allows action to become more targeted.
Crucially, there is a genuine belief across leadership that better representation strengthens decision making and capability. That shared understanding has helped maintain momentum.
Are there particular approaches, initiatives, or ways of working that have been especially valuable in supporting that progress?
Several approaches have contributed, but one common thread is integration rather than addition. Development programmes for women, mentoring, succession planning and male allyship initiatives all exist, but they sit alongside broader talent processes rather than separately from them. Partnerships with organisations such as Hatch Digital, who take women with no experience in technology and turn them into technologists, helpestrengthen talent pipelines and challenge thinking.
Alongside leadership development, practical support matters. Policies continue to evolve in response to colleague experience, including fertility support, pregnancy loss provision and menopause conversations. Colleague-led groups have created space for more open discussions around issues that have historically been absent from workplace dialogue. Those changes reflect a wider principle: listening to lived experience and acting on it.
What insight from your experience might be helpful for other organisations working to strengthen gender balance and inclusion?
One of the strongest lessons has been that meaningful change is shaped through everyday decisions. How opportunities are presented, whose potential is recognised, whether flexibility exists and whose experiences are heard all contribute to progress over time. Sustainable improvement is often less about large interventions and more about consistent behaviours becoming part of organisational culture.
Initially, that focus may feel deliberate and conscious. Over time, however, the aim is for inclusion to become instinctive - simply part of how an organisation operates. That is often when progress becomes more resilient.
For organisations considering putting themselves forward for the Most Improved Charter Signatory category this year, what would you say to them?
Many organisations underestimate the value of what they are already doing. Practices that feel ordinary internally may offer useful insight or inspiration to others across the sector. Entering for the Most Improved Charter Signatory Award creates an opportunity to reflect, recognise progress and share learning more widely.
It is also worth remembering that improvement is not always dramatic. Incremental progress, maintained over time, matters and often says more about long-term commitment than rapid change.