What is the Women's Utilities Network, and how was it founded?
The Women's Utilities Network was founded in 2018 by five influential women in the utilities sector who noticed they were frequently the only female in the room and felt strongly that increasing gender diversity in the industry could make a real difference. Over the eight years since its founding, the network has grown substantially — most visibly at the Future Utilities conference, where its networking event expanded from a handful of mentors and mentees gathered in a reception area to well over 100 women and allies coming together to support one another.
The network's core purpose, as described by Executive Director Karen Anderson, is to support and help women and allies across the entire utilities sector — not just within a single company or segment. The rapid growth of the Future Utilities event captures that momentum concisely: two years ago, attendance was measured in dozens; today it exceeds 100 participants. You can hear Anderson discuss this directly in the episode on The Future of Utilities Podcast on Listenly.
The network also runs the One Mentoring Programme, which pairs women in the sector with experienced mentors. The programme's impact is reflected in its own awards: Sophia Goring of Business Stream won Mentor of the Year in 2024, and Naz Khanon of Lane's Group followed in 2025 — both participating as panellists in the same episode alongside Anderson.
"Mentoring, for me, has given me a purpose. Seeing people build confidence, overcoming obstacles, they've set goals that they thought were impossible. Seeing them achieve those goals has been rewarding."
— Karen Anderson, Executive Director, Women's Utilities NetworkAbout Karen Anderson
Karen Anderson has served as Executive Director of the Women's Utilities Network for just over two years, leading an organisation that was built specifically to address the under-representation of women in the utilities industry. Her role places her at the centre of the sector's gender diversity conversation — coordinating networking, mentoring, and advocacy efforts on behalf of women and allies across the field. Anderson is an active presence at major industry gatherings, including the Future Utilities conference, where she engages directly with large audiences and represents the network's mission in public-facing settings. Her day-to-day work includes overseeing the One Mentoring Programme, which connects emerging talent with experienced mentors and has produced recognised award winners two years running. She speaks with the authority of someone who has watched the network's community grow from a small founding group of five women to a national network of more than 100 active participants — and who understands, from the inside, why that growth matters.