Seen, Supported, Sponsored: Turning Talent into a Competitive Advantage

Despite sustained effort, gender balance in the European chemical and logistics sectors has barely shifted over the past decade. Companies have invested in policies, training, and awareness‑raising, but progress remains slow, especially in operational, technical, and leadership roles. The data points to a clear gap between intent and impact.

In 2025, EPCA and Women in Logistics (WIL) partnered to conduct a survey examining gender parity in the chemical industry. The findings reveal a consistent pattern: while mentorship, training, and DEI frameworks are widely used, sponsorship is not. Yet sponsorship is one of the strongest drivers of career progression.

Only around one in five companies surveyed by EPCA has a formal sponsorship approach in place, and sponsorship continues to rank low among promotion criteria. WIL’s research reinforces this picture from the logistics frontline, where women – and particularly drivers, operators, and first‑line leaders - often struggle to gain visibility, access influential networks, or secure advocates who can connect them to career‑critical opportunities.

This joint EPCA–WIL webinar brings the evidence and practice together. It will begin with a concise presentation of key insights from both studies, followed by a panel discussion focused on how sponsorship can be put in place and made to work in practice, across functions, levels, and operating environments.