UK Enterprise Awards 2026 / 152 Most Dedicated Workplace Gender Equality Consultancy 2026 UK headquartered, Shape Talent is the partner multinational organisations turn to when they are serious about breaking barriers to career progression and transforming leadership. Its work helps clients make the systemic change needed to nurture diverse and inclusive cultures where both individuals and business can flourish — with gender equity as the lens that makes that change measurable and real. We speak to CEO Sharon Peake to learn more about the Talent and Leadership Partner’s award-winning work. Shape Talent specialises in providing targeted support where organisations need it through consulting and diagnostics, leadership development, talent acceleration, and Breaking Barriers Coaching programmes. “Our goal is breaking barriers and transforming leadership for better business and a fairer world,” Sharon explains. “We work with organisations to dismantle the personal, organisational, and societal barriers that prevent people of all genders from thriving and reaching their potential, and we help them develop their leaders to succeed in jobs that are constantly changing". Everything Shape Talent does is guided by five core values, which underpin its approach to transforming leadership while creating and sustaining change. First is, “We think big, then make it real”: the firm’s ambition is to achieve fundamental, systemic change. This is reflected in its proprietary Three Barriers® framework, which identifies the personal, organisational, and societal forces that prevent women, and other underrepresented talent, from reaching senior leadership roles. Shape Talent doesn’t just name the problem; it designs targeted, evidence-based interventions to address it, and it holds itself accountable for achieving positive, effective results. Second is, “We rise by lifting others”: its belief being that it only succeeds when its clients succeed. Shape Talent works in sincere partnership with its clients, starting out with a clear diagnostic of the barriers specific to each organisation before working on a solution. Its programmes aren’t one-size-fits-all; it builds something that is entirely bespoke, and it stays invested in the outcome. Third is, “We consistently raise the bar”: Shape Talent’s work is deeply grounded in psychology, behavioural science, and original research, because it believes that organisations deserve the highest standard of thinking and delivery. Whatever project it does take on, it strives to complete exceptionally well. Fourth is, “We embrace difference”: diverse backgrounds, experience, and perspective all make its work more fruitful and its advisory more robust. It recognises that barriers to progression vary from organisation to organisation, so it approaches every engagement with the curiosity and rigour that each one demands. Last is, “We are evidence-based”: at the heart of everything Shape Talent does is a commitment to understanding what actually works, not just what sounds good. Its Three Barriers® research spans the UK and Europe and, most recently, the retail and consumer goods sector. This is ultimately building a body of evidence that drives more accurate and impactful action for every client it works with. With all of this in mind, what really makes Shape Talent stand out is the way it blends a focus on both individual development and structural change. “Too often, organisations try to ‘fix the individual’ without addressing the systems around them,” says Sharon. “Our approach tackles both. Our work is grounded in behavioural science and informed by our evidence-based Three Barriers® research, which identifies the personal, organisational, and societal obstacles that restrict career progression. By combining this research with practical leadership development, diagnostics, and consulting, we help organisations create the conditions where all talent can truly advance. “The result is stronger leadership pipelines, more inclusive organisations, and measurable progress on gender equity.” One of Shape Talent’s most significant pieces of work in 2026 is its new research report, “Rethinking Leadership for an AI-Driven World”, which delves into what it calls the Leadership Leap: the fundamental shift in leadership capability that organisations need to make as AI becomes embedded within their structures, decision-making processes, and everyday ways of working. Sharon emphasises how this work connects directly – and urgently – to the firm’s mission. “The evidence is clear that AI is not a neutral force: it has the potential to either accelerate or entrench existing inequalities, depending entirely on how it is led,” she explains. “Research already shows that disparities in access to AI tools, training, and augmentation opportunities tend to follow similar fault lines, and women, along with other underrepresented groups, are disproportionately at risk of being left behind.” At the same time, the leadership capabilities that the AI era demands, such as emotional and social intelligence, inclusive decisionmaking, ethical governance, and the ability to build psychological safety through change, are exactly the capabilities that diverse leadership teams are better positioned to practice. Sharon concludes, “We are optimistic about what this next phase of work can achieve. The AI era creates a genuine opportunity to redesign leadership and organisational systems from the ground up, and we intend to ensure that equality is at the centre of that redesign, not an afterthought. Company name: Shape Talent Contact name: Sharon Peake Website: www.shapetalent.com Email: info@shapetalent.com
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