Gill Whitty-Collins is an acclaimed author and advocate for gender equality whose work has shaped conversations in boardrooms and global organisations. Known for her straight-talking and deeply human approach, she draws on a significant corporate track record, including her role as Senior Vice President at Procter & Gamble, where she led some of the world’s best-known brands. Her bestselling book ‘Why Men Win at Work’ is widely recognised as a landmark contribution to the inclusion debate.
Her early path started near Liverpool, where she grew up as the youngest of three sisters in a close-knit Scouse Catholic family. A passion for language carried her from the local comprehensive to Selwyn College, Cambridge, where she studied Modern and Medieval Languages. She joined P&G soon after graduating, balancing the demands of a new corporate career with life as a young mother. The pace was relentless, yet it shaped her leadership style; she learnt to think commercially, act decisively and rebuild brands with clarity. That early exposure to high-pressure environments made her a sought-after strategist, and she rose quickly within the company.
Across 26 years at P&G, Gill built a reputation as a world-class brand architect and business leader. She revitalised Olay, Always and Pantene, eventually becoming Senior Vice President for P&G Beauty across Europe, India, the Middle East and Africa. Her achievements extend far beyond the corporate world. She is an author, a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach, a NED at Cellular Goods PLC, CEO & Founder of The Brand Execs, a Founding Member of The Boardroom, a Trustee of 50:50 Parliament, and a long-standing RSA Fellow. Her book ‘Why Men Win at Work’ has been published in multiple languages. It was praised by figures such as Paul Polman and Lorraine Candy, and has become essential reading for organisations seeking progress on equality and culture change.
Organisations hire Gill Whitty-Collins because she brings clarity, energy and practical direction to topics that matter. She speaks on gender equality, leadership, the psychology of workplace culture and the behaviours that unlock high-performing teams. Her Umbrella Theory and FeMANist framework give audiences language and tools they can use immediately. One example is her explanation of how unconscious bias influences day-to-day decisions, something she illustrates with stories from her time leading global teams. Her sessions provoke reflection and action in equal measure, helping leaders rethink how inclusion shapes performance.
Gill Whitty-Collins’ official speaker topics are listed below:
- Why Men Win at Work
- The Umbrella Theory
- First Class FeMANism
- Gender Equality and Inclusive Leadership
- High-Performing Teams and Strengths-Based Leadership
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
“One of the best webinars we have ever put on.” - Mick, Co-Founder, LEAD Network
“One of the best sessions I have ever attended.” - HAVI
“A very good session, one of the best overall, the choice of the main speaker was excellent - very real and very insightful… engaging and had a good story to tell… We received glowing feedback from our audience as Gill’s speech (and Q&A) was interesting, engaging and filled with practical advice for our members. We look forward to Gill speaking at future FT events.” - FT Live
“Utterly captivating & down to earth… our top speaker (out of 60)” - Future of Work & Learning
“Gill was a brilliant speaker… She is passionate about her subject but also rational and pragmatic about the route to change. I found her to be an energising force and someone who is liked by, and motivational to, a diverse community. Her book is great, too.” - Roger, Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge
“As inspiring in real life as in the written word.” - Jane, FD, Reed Exhibitions
“Gill did a keynote speech and was truly inspirational. The feedback was the best we had received in a long time. What really resonated with our business was her unbiased perspective and the fact it was relatable not just to women but to everyone in our organization. Her experience within the industry and forthright vision is credible and truly inspiring.” - Leah, General Mills
“Magnificent, highly engaging and energizing… Gill has engaged the almost 300 participants from the start with her pragmatic, energizing mindset and her openness to share her experience and learnings… If you are organizing an event or activity around Diversity and Inclusion, I highly recommend inviting Gill!” - Valérie, Unilever
“Gill is a confident, engaging speaker who is clearly well-informed on the topic. She made my job very easy and we had excellent feedback.” - Felicia, CEO, The Fawcett Society
“Gill is an incredible speaker, lending her powerful voice to the critical issue of gender inequality… Her message prompted both men & women in our organization to self-reflect on the work to be done by all to make gender inequality history.” - Julie, Microsoft
“Smart, strategic, impactful… challenging, thought-provoking & inspiring… We were honoured to have her be with us.” - Austin, CEO, Verisure
“It was fantastic! Gill is such a thoughtful, engaging and passionate speaker. Her event was enjoyed by all levels of our organization, from new associates up to our leadership team. If you are looking to engage on gender equality and diversity in general, Gill is your person. Highly recommend!” - Carolina, PhD, Clarion
“A fantastic talk for the Virtual Campus… Excellent… Great speaker… she spoke engagingly & clearly. Fascinating.” - The Marketing Academy
“As a speaker and facilitator, Gill exhibits exactly the qualities that made her a superb business leader. She is inspiring, passionate, thoughtful, challenging, courageous, experienced, insightful, connected and empathetic. I can not recommend her highly enough as a true change maker; any organisation or team will benefit immediately.” - Will, Managing Director, Kinetic Consulting
“Thank you Gill Whitty-Collins for bringing enlightenment to a critical topic… The conversation you had with our Women’s Leadership Group, GROW, at Bayer brought clarity to gender inequality… Thank you for challenging us to be ‘allies who take action’ to end gender inequality.” - Patrick, President, Bayer US
“A truly inspirational talk at KC… straight talking and passionate… you made a huge impact.” - Nuala, KC
“She is simply AMAZING! Inspiring, grounded, insighful, relatable, professional and energizing… The talk was fact/data based… THANK YOU Gill from all of us for this amazing session.” - Ozge, R&D Senior Director, Wella
“Gill was simply brilliant as our guest speaker for International Women’s Day… very inclusive bringing men and women together to solve this.” - Mary, Vice President, GE Appliances
“Gill is a phenomenal keynote speaker and she has truly inspired me and the VF community.” - Alicia, VF Corporation
“The session was powerful and thought-provoking… Her sharing of personal stories gave the session much authenticity.” - Shalinee, Vice President, Global Talent, Wella Company
“An amazing discussion… inspirational concepts… very actionable advice.” - Lorène, BIC
“Any woman at P&G needs to see this!” - Procter & Gamble
“Gill is passionate, authentic and inspirational… Her candor, anecdotes and advice sparked many questions.” - Candice, General Mills
“Gill is nothing less than brilliant… her extensive experience informs her incredibly compelling voice.” - Phoebe, CEO, Una Collective
“Gill presented at the RSA’s International Women’s Day event… making an inspiring and accessible case for gender equality.” - Kirby, Fellowship Development Coordinator, The RSA
“On top of being a great author, Gill proved she was also an excellent speaker… her passion for gender equality oozed out of every word.” - Kelsey, Zonta Club of London
“Why Men Win At Work is one of the best books I’ve read… Gill manages to paint an accurate picture of unconscious bias in a business setting…” - Anna, Gender Equality Professional & Board Member
“The session was highly engaging, deeply insightful and provided practical advice… She is a woman on a mission.” - Anneli, Perrigo
“We had the honour of having Gill as a guest on our webinar… Gill was highly engaging, open and intensely knowledgeable.” - Kerrie, Sinclair Dorman
“Gill is a passionate & engaging speaker, who shares her experiences in a thought-provoking way.” - Karen, Board Director, Lewes FC
“Gill brings wisdom, energy and passion to the conversation…” - Hannah, Gallup
“Gill was extremely engaging… insightful and often amusing insights…” - Melinda, Director, Amcor
“Gill was an amazing guest… deep research on inequality at work and very practical advice.” - Zorina, The New Game of Leadership Summit
- 2024 - Trustee of 50:50 Parliament
- 2023 - CEO & Founder of The Brand Execs
- 2022 - NED at Cellular Goods PLC
- 2021 - Named ‘Inspirational Woman 2021’
- 2021 - Founding Member of The Boardroom
- 2020 - Author of ‘Why Men Win at Work’
- 2010 - RSA Fellow
- 1992 - Joined Procter & Gamble
How to hire Gill Whitty-Collins
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Gill Whitty-Collins for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
