In Conversation with Liran Kessler, Group Director of Human Resources and Public Relations for 2M

Since joining 2M over a decade ago, Liran has been instrumental in transforming the company’s people strategy – establishing its HR department, driving inclusive policies and building leadership teams that reflects true gender diversity.

In this interview, Liran reflects on her journey, the systemic barriers still facing women in the chemicals and broader STEM industries and the real-world interventions that have helped 2M become an outlier in the best possible sense.

Can you tell us a bit about your career journey and what led you to your current role at 2M?

I had a varied career in the public sector, charity sector and then the private sector before I joined 2M. My background is in process improvement and that is the role I started in at 2M.

When I started to review the people processes, I saw that, with better HR interventions, our people would thrive and be more successful and 2M’s staff retention would increase. At this point, I had an MA in HR, so the Board assigned me to set up the HR Department. This was about 9 years ago and in all that time, no two days have been the same.

How have you seen the representation of women in leadership evolve over your career, particularly within the chemicals industry in EMEA?

Despite so much being researched, written, spoken about and actioned, for over two decades now, inside businesses, in academic papers and by various governments, there are still relatively few women on Executive committees (the “daily doing” c-suite jobs).

For example, the Female FTSE Board Report (led by Dame Vinnecombe at Cranfield) highlighted that 20.3% of directors in FTSE 100 companies were female in 2024, while female directors accounted for a mere 11.8% in FTSE 250 companies. Further to this, there are only 2 female CEOS across all the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.

While the UK has laudably achieved close to 40% representation on Non-Executive Boards in some FTSE companies, on closer inspection this number masks a huge issue, which is that in over 25 years, FTSE companies have not managed to increase the number of women in the c-suite.

But there is hope! I know progress is possible because at 2M, the policies I’ve implemented at 2M have made us unique in terms of the number of female MDs and Directors we have, way beyond most companies in our industry. I’m lucky to work with an amazing HR team who share my values and ethics and, because I’ve had an amazing Board who have supported my vision for doing things differently, it’s made us an employer of choice. If it’s possible at 2M, it’s possible everywhere.

What are the biggest barriers you see today that prevent women from reaching leadership positions in the chemicals industry?

Like in every industry, the hardest part of the career journey, and the weakest point in the talent pipeline for most companies, is when, for women, caring responsibilities compete with a full-time job.

If organisations aren’t flexible and supportive enough, this creates a talent loss, typically from middle management levels, meaning talent that was hired, grown and nurtured is forced out the door because “doing it all” is only possible when the organisation has enlightened support and retention practices, which not enough do.

Funnily enough, while some may mistake “family friendly” policies as being “for women”, we find that in organisations where this flexibility exists, men are happier and more productive too and retention is higher all round. It should be seen for what it is: talent retention.

How can companies in traditionally male-dominated industries, like chemicals, proactively tackle unconscious bias in leadership hiring and promotion?

We all hire in our own image – that’s a fact, so raising awareness of unconscious bias and putting training into place to prevent it is a great first step.

Secondly, there has to be a zero-tolerance approach to bias and discrimination, underpinned by policies which enshrine equality into core values. Simply put, there needs to be an open culture to tackle bias when it comes up.

What specific programs, policies or initiatives have you seen work well in supporting women’s leadership development?

The Women’s Leadership programme I built and ran in-house at 2M enabled us to make excellent progress in gender balance at senior levels at 2M.

I’ve also seen companies make real strides on enabling flexibility, mentoring and career planning for women. In isolation though, these don’t work. They only work if truly, a company is willing to embrace new and different ways of working.

How can HR leaders drive real accountability for gender diversity at senior levels?

Gender equality will thrive in environments that recognise that an inclusive workplace allows everyone to thrive, whatever point in their life they’re at.

It’s not about “women with kids”, it’s about everyone, male and female, not being asked to make an impossible trade-off between work and home. It’s about accommodating staff who want to care for elderly parents, and about making space for people to reduce their hours instead of retiring and leaving the workplace.

Work needs to encompass the full life journey in order to retain talent.

What metrics should companies be tracking to ensure progress isn’t just performative?

Retention percentages, progression of men and women after their first and second child, analysis to reveal pay disparity for similar roles that are filled by different genders and ethnic backgrounds.

What trends do you see emerging that may shape the future landscape for women in leadership within chemicals and STEM-related sectors?

One of the really positive things we’re seeing in our industry is schools outreach by companies, to raise kids’ awareness of the amazing jobs available in our industry.

We know that by the age of 12, boys are girls are already diverging in their career aspirations based on gender. When we see a dearth of female site managers or female chemical engineers, we need to be aware that those choices were set in motion at least a decade before a young person enters work.

At 2M, we have a huge STEM outreach programme, with our STEM Ambassadors going into schools and universities to show kids how exciting working in our industry can be. We reach over 600 young people a year through everything from our “kids at work” day to work placements and apprenticeships. This not only creates a more gender diverse pipeline, but it also creates a more socio-economic diverse pipeline.

How can women advocate for themselves more effectively in environments where leadership still skews male?

1. Know your metrics, your data: It’s important to be able to explain the positive impact of your work on the business and to know the metrics that evidence what you do.
2. Don’t assume your aspirations are obvious. Never assume that by working hard, alone in a corner, you will be noticed. Communicate clearly with line managers and mentors about your interest in leadership roles.

How can women in mid-level positions identify and position themselves for leadership opportunities?

A good starting point is to understand what leadership looks like in your organisation and who makes the decisions. What competencies are rewarded?

Also, make sure you’re known, for example by attending briefing meetings with senior stakeholders, coming forward with new ideas or leading on an initiative.

Mentorship and sponsorship are often discussed as key enablers. What’s the difference, and how can women access both?

Mentorship is about guidance. Mentors provide insight, support, and help you navigate challenges or decisions. They may share similar experiences and act as sounding boards.

Sponsorship is about advocacy. A sponsor is someone in a position of influence who actively promotes you, puts your name forward for opportunities, and helps open doors that you may not access alone.

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We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Liran for sharing her time, insights and expertise. Her leadership at 2M demonstrates what’s possible when organisations commit to meaningful, inclusive change – not just in policy, but in culture and practice.

If you’re interested in continuing the conversation around leadership, diversity and building inclusive workplaces in the chemicals sector, we’d love to hear from you.