‘Greater Diversity Reshapes Expectations’: Women in Energy Storage Network on Strengthening and Empowering an Inclusive Industry

Why It Matters

By fostering a supportive community, WinES accelerates women’s career progression, helping the sector tap a broader talent pool and improve innovation outcomes. Its model demonstrates how targeted networks can reshape industry culture and leadership pipelines.

Key Takeaways

• WinES grew to 1,600 members since 2024
• Won 2025 Energy Storage Diversity & Inclusion Award
• Hosts session on senior leadership at 2026 Energy Storage Summit
• Provides speaking, mentorship, and visibility programs
• Aims to expand partnerships and training in 2026

Pulse Analysis

Energy storage is one of the fastest‑expanding segments of the clean‑tech economy, yet its talent pipeline remains skewed toward men, especially in senior roles. Research shows diverse teams deliver higher innovation rates and better financial performance, but the sector’s rapid scaling often leaves inclusion initiatives behind. As companies race to deploy batteries, grid‑scale solutions, and hybrid systems, the need for a balanced workforce that reflects broader societal demographics becomes a strategic imperative.

Enter the Women in Energy Storage Network (WinES), a UK‑based collective that has quickly become a catalyst for change. Since its 2024 launch, WinES has built a cross‑disciplinary community of engineers, financiers, policy experts, and legal professionals, offering mentorship, public‑speaking workshops, and high‑visibility events. Winning the 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Award amplified its credibility, attracting corporate partners eager to showcase inclusive hiring practices. The upcoming session at the 2026 Energy Storage Summit underscores WinES’s growing influence, providing a platform to discuss concrete pathways to board‑level positions and to dismantle systemic barriers.

Looking ahead, WinES’s expansion plans—extended training programmes, deeper conference collaborations, and broader industry partnerships—signal a shift from isolated networking to systemic impact. As more firms embed WinES‑aligned metrics into talent strategies, the sector can expect a richer pool of leadership talent, improved decision‑making, and stronger ESG credentials. For investors and policymakers, the network offers a measurable lever to accelerate gender parity, ultimately enhancing the resilience and competitiveness of the global energy‑storage market.

‘Greater diversity reshapes expectations’: Women in Energy Storage Network on strengthening and empowering an inclusive industry

By Andy Colthorpe · February 17, 2026

“Women progress faster and with greater confidence when surrounded by a strong, empowering community.” – Women in Energy Storage Network (WinES) committee

Women in Energy Storage Network (WinES) discusses how the organisation fosters collaboration and leadership as it works to create an inclusive industry community.

Based in the UK, WinES is a collaborative effort by some of the energy‑storage sector’s leading women, who, recognising the need for a supportive environment that connects and empowers women in the sector, founded the group in 2024. It was the winner of the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the 2025 Energy Storage Awards, and, as the WinES committee explains, the win marked a milestone, but “the momentum that follows is what truly matters”.

Speaking with Energy‑Storage.news, the committee says the motivation behind the formation of WinES was simple: “to create a space where women can learn from each other, build confidence, gain visibility, and ultimately help shape the future of this industry.”

WinES will host a special session at the Energy Storage Summit 2026 next week in London, “Operating at the top – getting to the senior leadership team and beyond,” at 12:40 pm on Wednesday, 25 February. Points of discussion will include pathways to senior leadership, overcoming barriers to progression, building influence and visibility, and more.

The committee comprises technical, legal, financial, market and policy experts and professionals including: Louise Dalton of CMS, Sabrina Polito of Constellation, Rosalind Smith‑Maxwell at Quinbrook, Nikke Bell at Centrica, Shaniyaa Holness‑Mackenzie at Modo Energy and Georgina Morris‑Rowbottom from Zenobē.

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How would you describe WinES, and what motivated its creation?

WinES is a community built to empower, elevate and connect women across the energy‑storage sector. We founded it in 2024 because, despite the sector being relatively young and fast‑growing, women—especially at senior levels—were still significantly under‑represented. We saw incredibly talented women entering the space, developing deep technical and commercial expertise, yet not always being visible, platformed or connected to one another.

Our motivation was simple: to create a space where women can learn from each other, build confidence, gain visibility and ultimately help shape the future of this industry.

WinES now brings together more than 1,600 members, and our mission remains rooted in collaboration, knowledge‑sharing and increasing representation.

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Are there examples where WinES organisers or members have been surprised by working cultures in energy storage?

Every organisation is different, but we do see contrasts. Many companies are making thoughtful, genuine strides in building inclusive cultures—creating visible pathways for women, encouraging female speakers, and actively engaging with us to diversify panels or fill senior roles. That progress is encouraging.

At the same time, we occasionally hear from women who have felt overlooked, underestimated or excluded—often unintentionally. It reflects the fact that the sector grew quickly, with many companies building teams rapidly without always embedding inclusive practices from day one.

These stories reinforce why WinES matters: they highlight the need for networks that provide support, visibility and opportunities for women to thrive and lead.

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What does WinES bring to help rebalance the dynamic when women feel patronised or not treated as equals?

We hear this too, especially from women at earlier stages of their careers. WinES helps counter‑balance that dynamic in several ways:

• Normalising women’s expertise by showcasing female leaders across technical, commercial and policy fields.

• Creating speaking opportunities through our events and training programmes.

• Confidence‑building through community.

Ultimately, WinES helps women feel seen, valued and empowered to take up space—without apology.

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Is WinES about bringing women into the sector or raising the profile of those already here?

It’s both. We want more women to join the sector, and we want those already in it to have clear pathways to visibility and leadership. Our outreach includes:

• Supporting broader initiatives like ReWiRE and the Women’s Energy Network Alliance.

• Public‑speaking training in partnership with major conferences.

• Collaboration with industry groups to increase representation.

• Events that highlight female expertise at every career stage.

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What can you tell us about the community element of WinES?

Community is at the heart of WinES. Energy storage is a young, fast‑moving sector, and people often find themselves navigating it without traditional support structures. WinES fills that gap by creating spaces to connect and collaborate, building a cross‑sector network across development, finance, policy, optimisation, legal and engineering, and by offering a supportive environment for mentorship, advocacy, and career development.

Women progress faster and with greater confidence when surrounded by a strong, empowering community—and that is exactly what WinES provides.

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Can initiatives like WinES help other under‑represented groups in the industry?

Yes. While our mission focuses on women, the ripple effects extend far wider. Greater diversity in panels and leadership reshapes industry norms and expectations for everyone.

We hope to do more collaboration with networks supporting other under‑represented demographics. The more we normalise inclusion, the more doors open across the industry.

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What’s next for WinES after winning the 2025 Diversity & Inclusion Award?

WinES collected the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the 2025 Energy Storage Awards. The award was a wonderful moment for our community—not because WinES needed validation, but because it brought visibility to our mission.

In 2026, we will:

• Extend our public‑speaking training programme.

• Deepen collaboration with major conferences.

• Expand our events programme.

• Build partnerships with companies committed to representation.

• Continue growing a supportive, inclusive community.

The award was a milestone, but the momentum that follows is what truly matters.

Additional reporting by Molly Green.