WIN, a non-profit industry organisation that champions and empowers women in the health and supplement sector, will be introducing its initiatives at Growth Asia Summit 2025, which will take place between July 15–17 at the Marina Bay Sands hotel and convention centre.
The summit will explore Infant and Childhood Nutrition alongside Maternal and Women’s Health on Day 1, followed by Active Lifestyle Nutrition, Healthier Product Innovation, and Protein Opportunities on Day 2, before concluding with Healthy Ageing on Day 3.
Delegate tickets are now available, providing industry leaders a chance to engage with key stakeholders shaping the future of nutrition.
The summit will provide a platform to help raise awareness of WIN within the Asia Pacific market.
Issues such as gender equity challenges, industry leadership representation, and opportunities for women in the sector will be discussed.
Gillian Fish, a nominee for the WIN Board of Directors, emphasised the significance of this opportunity.
“I’d really like to thank the NutraIngredients team for inviting us to be part of the Growth Asia Summit, which is highly regarded. While this isn’t an official launch, it’s still a valuable opportunity for attendees to learn more about WIN and gain insights from a 2023 survey conducted on gender diversity in the nutraceutical industry.
“The survey covered Europe and North America, and we’ll also incorporate additional data from external sources during the summit to provide insights on leadership representation, salary gaps, and gender pay disparities across Asia-Pacific,” said Fish.
Promoting gender diversity
The Women In Nutraceuticals (WIN) Gender Diversity in Nutraceutical Industry Leadership Survey (2023) included 355 global respondents, and provides key insights into the current representation of women in senior leadership roles within the nutraceutical industry.
The survey found that globally, women hold about 36% of senior leadership positions in North America and 33% in Europe, with a slightly higher representation in the rest of the world at 46%.
However, women still make up fewer than three out of 10 CEOs and occupy fewer than four out of 10 leadership roles overall.
While these figures highlight progress in some regions, WIN sees significant opportunities to drive gender and societal equality in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
“As we expand the WIN reach and programmes (mentoring, entrepreneurship, women in science and women in leadership with other programs emerging) across Asia and ANZ, we will focus on having a detailed understanding of the local market landscape and importantly the diverse cultural nuances and sensitivities, adapting our approach to reflect the unique dynamics of each country, within the APAC region,” said Fish.
This mirrors the organisation’s global mission to increase women in leadership, grow female representation in science and research, and expand investment in women-led businesses to achieve gender and societal equality.
Representing WIN at Growth Asia Summit, Fish will present an overview of the movement’s global momentum, highlighting key statistics, opportunities, and pathways for involvement – whether as a volunteer, paid member, sponsor, or industry partner.
“Highlighting WIN’s achievements to date, I will share a vision for how expanding WIN’s footprint in these markets will unlock new talent, fuel innovation, and position the sector for sustained success in the decades ahead,” said Fish.
Unique challenges in Asia
Fish also shared that women professionals in the Asian nutraceutical sector may face a combination of cultural, and hierarchical challenges, as is seen in many industries.
She said: “Societal expectations and traditional gender norms about the role of women in the family and careers can hold women back from advancing their careers. Business practice and restrictions can also further limit women’s visibility and voice in leadership and entrepreneurial ventures.”
Fish added that traditional patriarchal business cultures in Asia often keep leadership roles male-dominated, limiting women’s access to key networks and decision-making opportunities.
In addition, networking opportunities and professional communities tailored to women in this sector are still emerging across much of Asia, which can make it more difficult for women to connect, share knowledge and advocate for themselves and others, said Fish.
The WIN Board of Directors will play a vital role in striving to achieve economic and social equality for women in the nutraceutical industry.
Voting for the board elections is ongoing from March 24 to April 7.
The candidates are Gillian Fish (founder and CEO of The 6AM Agency), Heather Granato (president of Nutrachievement Inc.), Kenn Israel (co-founding partner and nutrition practice leader at BeyondBrands), Michelle Martin (president and COO of Cypress Minerals), Karen Todd (vice president of global brand marketing at Kyowa Hakko USA), and Dr. Sybille Buchwald-Werner (director for business development at ABF Ingredients and managing director of Vital Solutions GmbH).
