United Utilities: Embodying Transformational Leadership from the top down

United Utilities sponsored the Transformational Leader category at the Northern Power Women Awards 2022; an award that celebrates the leader who has championed gender diversity as a key attribute for organisational success. Not only have United Utilities sponsored this award category, but they are truly committed to inspiring transformational leadership styles at all levels. By taking this transformational approach when it comes to attracting early careers talent, United Utilities aim to create exciting opportunities within local economies and communities that are accessible to people of all backgrounds and experiences.  

This is achieved, in part, through United Utilities’ award winning Apprenticeship Programme. Full of exciting early year career opportunities, the programme features 18 different apprenticeship roles within the organisation. Giving apprentices the ability to earn while they learn, the programme also equips participants with personal development opportunities, experience in different areas of the business, and tailored support from their mentors. In addition, United Utilities’ Engineering Masterclass, facilitated with schools in Warrington, works to inspire future generations to take up a career in STEM. As well as changing perceptions around what a career in STEM looks like, the programme also builds much needed relationships between United Utilities and harder to reach communities..   

Particularly within the STEM sector, it can be particularly challenging to encourage young women to explore a career within the industry. United Utilities has been able to tackle this problem, transforming the leadership of the organisation from top to bottom. Their support of future female talent can be seen through their ‘Female Leadership Pipeline’ programme, along with their ‘Aspiring Manager’ programme, which equips female employees with the skills to take managerial positions throughout the organisation.  

As such, United Utilities has been recognised for their efforts to champion gender parity in the workplace. As well as ranking within the top 100 FTSE companies, the company also ranked at Number 7 on the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List 2021/22, and were a finalist at the British Inclusion Awards. Earlier this year, United Utilities also joined the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which tracks the performance of companies committed to transparency in gender-data reporting.  

As well as supporting LGBT employees within the organisation, United Utilities has also supported The Proud Trust, an LGBT+ organisation that supports LGBT+ young people through youth groups, peer support, mentoring programs and the Proud Connections chat service.  

We are delighted to have United Utilities sponsoring the Transformational Leadership category at the Northern Power Women Awards 2022. As an organisation committed to creating opportunities for those at the start of their careers to become their own transformational leader, supported and encouraged by leaders from the top down, United Utilities truly embody and practice the values of transformational leadership everyday.