Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast
Episode 65
Dr Anino Emuwa – Why women leaders face unconscious bias
SUMMARY
Dr Anino Emuwa is an entrepreneur, academic and thought leader. She is also a passionate advocate for women in leadership. In Episode 65 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, Dr Anino talks to Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi about the unconscious bias faced by women leaders. She also highlights how AI is reinforcing centuries-old stereotypes – and explains why gender-balanced leadership benefits everyone in society.
INTRODUCTION
• Dr. Anino Emuwa is a distinguished international management consultant, renowned for her expertise in women's leadership, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies.
• She has more than 25 years of experience spanning corporate banking, consulting, and academia. She has significantly contributed to promoting gender diversity and leadership excellence globally.
• She is founder and Managing Director of the Avandis Consulting, a strategy and financial advisory firm based in France, specialising in empowering leaders and entrepreneurs.
• Dr Anino is also founder of 100 Women@Davos, a global community of women leaders, collaborating with the World Economic Forum to foster leadership and innovation.
• She is also founder of the African Women CEOs Network, a pan-African platform connecting over 500 women CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs to drive economic growth and leadership.
• Dr Anino has served on the board of Nottingham Trent University since 2022.
• She has a Doctorate in Business Administration from Nottingham Business School, focusing on women's leadership and entrepreneurship; an MBA from Cranfield School of Management; and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
• She serves on the Expert Advisory Group on Diversity and Inclusion of the Institute of Directors and holds a Fellowship of the Chartered Management Institute.
• Dr Anino was born in Nigeria and has lived and worked in six countries. She is fluent in English and French.
• Since 2023 she has been a LinkedIn Top Voice (invitation-only group of professional experts, worldwide) on Gender Equity. Her posts are extremely well read.
TEN LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS from Dr Anino Emuwa
1. Leadership is about creating value for others…
"Leadership is not about personal glory but about driving positive change."
2. Early role models are important…
"Growing up with my mother [a senior lawyer], I considered it completely normal that a woman could have a successful professional career."
3. Effective leadership combines assertiveness with empathy…
“There’s a misconception that certain leadership qualities like assertiveness and decisiveness are inherently masculine. Research shows that both men and women possess these traits.”
4. Unconscious biases affect perceptions of leadership…
"There’s an experiment in schools where children are asked to draw a scientist, an astronaut, or a surgeon… and 90 per cent draw men."
5. Diverse leadership teams perform better…
“Studies from organisations like McKinsey have shown that companies with gender-balanced leadership perform better."
6. Despite their qualifications, women face leadership bias…
“This unconscious bias means women are often overlooked for leadership roles even when they have the requisite skills and potential."
7. Gender equality impacts societal well-being beyond work…
"In more gender-equal societies, even male suicide rates are lower. This shows that inclusivity and balanced leadership have benefits that extend beyond just individual companies."
8. Women must develop robust professional networks...
"Women very often do not have the kinds of networks that are essential in business. They frequently end up growing their businesses alone."
9. Everyone should advocate for inclusive AI development…
"Unless we’re very careful, AI can institutionalise gender biases from historical data."
10. Women make good leaders…
"Women need to be confident in their ability to lead – and I’m passionate about helping them realise that."
RELATED LINKS
• Dr Anino Emuwa is a LinkedIn Top Voice, for gender equity.
• Dr Anino is an international management consultant. She founded the company Avandis Consulting
If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Dr Anino Emuwa, listen to previous episodes with…
