Building a business or climbing the corporate ladder is rarely straightforward, and for women the path often comes with extra obstacles. Yet the UK is home to women who have built global brands, led major companies and reshaped entire industries. These inspirational quotes from leading UK businesswomen offer more than a morale boost: they are practical, hard-won guidance for anyone running or starting a business.
Today, women-led businesses contribute an estimated £85 billion to the UK economy, according to the 2019 Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship. The review also estimates that if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, the economy could receive a £250 billion boost, and that women account for around one in three UK entrepreneurs. All-female founder teams still receive less than 2% of UK venture-capital investment, according to 2024 British Business Bank and Beauhurst data tracked on the female founder VC funding gap page. Meanwhile, the 2024 FTSE Women Leaders Review reports that women hold around 42% of board positions in FTSE 350 companies, a record high that still falls short of parity.
With that context in mind, here is some of the best advice from leading UK businesswomen, from banking and retail to technology and fragrance.
Inspirational quotes from leading UK businesswomen
Alison Rose on confidence and being yourself
Alison Rose became the first woman to lead a major British bank when she was appointed chief executive of NatWest Group in 2019. She chaired the government-commissioned Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, which continues to drive recommendations on funding, mentoring and networks for women-led businesses. Although she stepped down from NatWest in 2023, her influence on the entrepreneurship agenda remains significant through the ongoing review that bears her name.
“Learn. Invest in yourself. Invest in your skills. Seek advice and support. But remember to be yourself.”
“You don’t have to be perfect. And you don’t need to have a role model of a super uber-confident person. I know lots of people who are not confident and are immensely successful.”
“Diversity in business is essential. You want diversity of thought. You want the best people regardless of their background, their gender, so that you can get the best out of people.”
Dame Anita Roddick on daring to be different
Dame Anita Roddick remains one of Britain’s most influential start-up stories. In 1976 she opened the first Body Shop in Brighton with little money, a few crates and some green paint, building it into a global brand long before ethical business became mainstream. The Body Shop has since changed hands and continues to trade under new ownership, but Dame Anita’s commitment to values-led entrepreneurship continues to inspire founders today. She died in 2007, yet her advice still resonates.
“If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.”
“To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality.”
“Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that’s exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking. Running that first shop taught me business is not financial science; it’s about trading: buying and selling.”
Lady Barbara Judge on building your board
Lady Barbara Judge was one of the UK’s most accomplished business leaders, with a career spanning law, banking and nuclear energy. After training as a lawyer and completing an MBA in the United States, she worked in Hong Kong merchant banking and became the first female chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority. A trailblazer who built her career during an era of overt gender discrimination, she died in 2020. Her counsel on visibility, sponsorship and building a personal advisory board remains essential reading for women aiming for the boardroom.
“If you want to be promoted you have to let people know.”
“Employers will assume that you are happy doing what you are doing if you don’t say anything, especially if you are a woman.”
“I have another saying that ‘mentors will talk to you, sponsors talk about you’. Therefore, I think you need to have your own private board of directors around you. People who you respect and want to listen to.”
Martha Lane Fox on thinking big
Martha Lane Fox shot to prominence as co-founder of Lastminute.com, one of the best-known British dot-com successes. She went on to become a crossbench peer, Chancellor of The Open University and a leading voice on digital inclusion and responsible technology. Her career demonstrates how technology, purpose and public service can intersect, and why ambition should not be tempered by modesty.
“Think big. That’s what I have always been encouraged to do and it works. Throughout my life, I’ve been taught that anything is possible. My father, in particular, has always made me feel that I can do anything. It’s an incredibly powerful feeling to have instilled in you from a young age. If you think massive, then you will get further than if you think realistic.”
“Brands that respect you as a person and make you feel like you are you, and that you, rather than they, have control over you, will be the ones who are successful.”
Jo Malone on instinct and perfection
Jo Malone built one of Britain’s best-known fragrance brands from her kitchen table. After training as a facial therapist, she began blending scents and opened her first London boutique in 1994. She sold Jo Malone London to Estée Lauder in 1999 and worked as creative director until 2006. After a period away from the industry, she returned with Jo Loves, a fragrance house rooted in personal memory and creative experimentation. Her story is a reminder that entrepreneurship is rarely linear.
“I think sometimes in business you get that real gut feeling and when you know something is right, don’t keep questioning it because you will eventually talk yourself out of it.”
“Never settle for second best and strive for perfection. You also shouldn’t be afraid of not knowing something, naivety can be an advantage.”
Dame Sharon White on bravery and curiosity
Dame Sharon White became chair of the John Lewis Partnership in 2020, bringing decades of public-sector and retail experience to one of Britain’s most recognisable employee-owned businesses. Previously chief executive of Ofcom, she has consistently broken new ground as a Black woman in senior leadership. Her advice encourages women to step outside their comfort zones and embrace learning curves.
“Be brave enough to be bad at something new.”
“Work hard, be curious and be kind.”
Poppy Gustafsson on failure and hiring well
Poppy Gustafsson co-founded Darktrace, the Cambridge-based cybersecurity company that grew into one of the UK’s most valuable technology firms and listed on the London Stock Exchange. In 2024 she was appointed Minister for Investment and a minister of state at the Department for Business and Trade, combining her entrepreneurial experience with policy influence. Her rise illustrates the value of persistence, technical excellence and surrounding yourself with strong talent.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is just part of the journey, and every setback teaches you something you need to know.”
“Hire people who are better than you, and then get out of their way.”
Turning advice into action
The themes that run through these inspirational quotes from leading UK businesswomen are remarkably consistent: invest in yourself, seek support, think boldly, and do not let perfectionism hold you back. In 2026, those messages matter more than ever. Women-led businesses are a major economic force, yet the female founder VC funding gap and under-representation in senior roles show that structural barriers remain.
Whether you are launching your first venture or aiming for the boardroom, the experiences of these UK businesswomen show that success comes in many forms: through authenticity, bold thinking, resilience and the courage to keep learning. Their words are proof that progress is possible, and that the next generation of women in business can go even further.
