Why the Latest McKinsey Report Matters to Women in Nutraceuticals

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by Rebecca Takemoto - Executive Director, Women in Nutraceuticals

In December 2025, McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org released the 11th annual Women in the Workplace report — the largest and most comprehensive study of women’s experiences in corporate America. The findings are a powerful reality check for every sector, including our industry, where women’s representation, well-being, and leadership potential are central to innovation and growth.

While progress has been made over the past decade, the study reveals that advancement for women is stalling and, in some cases, regressing — especially when companies fail to support women at all career stages. These insights resonate deeply with us here at WIN, where we are constantly working to help the industry achieve gender equality.

Here’s what the report means — and why this moment calls for recommitment, not retreat.

A Declining Commitment to Women’s Advancement

One of the study’s headline findings is that only about half of companies currently prioritize women’s career advancement — a notable decline that suggests many organizations may be rolling back their efforts to foster gender equity.

This matters for women in nutraceuticals because:

• Our industry thrives on diverse perspectives — particularly in understanding nuanced consumer needs and health outcomes.

• Without prioritizing women’s advancement, companies risk losing top talent, especially at entry and leadership levels.
  

Despite overall recognition of the value of workplace inclusion, the commitment specifically toward women’s career paths and promotions has softened. This can stall not just individual careers, but also entire leadership pipelines.

Women Are Less Supported — and Less Likely to Get Ahead

The report highlights stark disparities in support structures such as sponsorship and managerial advocacy:

• Women are less likely than men to have a sponsor — someone who actively champions their career progression.

• At the entry level — a critical stage where training, mentorship, and visibility are essential — this gap is particularly acute.

• Even when women do have sponsors, their promotion rates lag behind their male peers.
  

These findings underscore the importance of deliberate career development programs — something WIN is committed to providing for our members. Industries that innovate women-centric mentorship, leadership programs, and advocacy structures are the ones that will retain and grow their talent effectively.

Ambition Isn’t the Problem — Support Is

For the first time in the report’s history, women expressed less interest in pursuing promotions than men — a phenomenon the study attributes not to lack of ambition, but to women’s experience of systemic constraints.

The key insight:

“When women receive the same career support that men do, the ambition gap disappears.”

This is a critical takeaway from the report, of particular importance for all team leaders. Too often, women may hold back not because they aren’t capable — but because they don’t see a realistic path forward. Removing barriers and reinforcing support systems can re-ignite women’s pursuit of leadership roles.

The “Broken Rung” Still Holds Women Back

The report reinforces the persistent “broken rung” — the first critical step up from entry-level to manager — where women continue to be promoted at lower rates than men.

In practical terms:

• Women who enter the workforce with comparable qualifications to men are less likely to be put on management tracks.

• Without those early career advancements, the pipeline for senior-level leadership shrinks.

This trend carries long-term risk for both women in the workforce and also for companies. Women often excel in cross-functional roles that bridge science, marketing, and customer insights — experiences that equip them for leadership. If they are stalled early in their careers, companies lose out on a wealth of future leaders.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com M on Unsplash

Remote Work and Flexible Arrangements: Not a Level Playing Field

The report also highlights bias against remote or hybrid work for women:

• Women working mostly remotely are significantly less likely to be promoted or to secure sponsorship compared to women working on-site.

• In contrast, men’s career outcomes are relatively unaffected by remote status.
  

This is especially relevant for companies working with distributed research teams, sales professionals, or cross-functional specialists who can be remote or hybrid. Misalignment between work arrangements and advancement opportunities can compound existing inequities if not addressed.

Women of Color Face Even Greater Barriers

Across the pipeline, women of color remain underrepresented at every level, with disproportionately low promotion rates compared to both men and white women.

For the nutraceutical industry — which sells to diverse consumers and operates in a global market — this is more than a workplace issue. It’s a competitiveness issue:

• A workforce that reflects the diversity of its customers is better positioned to innovate and engage across markets.

• When women of color are underrepresented in leadership, companies miss out on essential insights into diverse consumer needs.
  

What Companies Can Do Now

The McKinsey findings point to actionable solutions — opportunities that align well with the people-centric values of the nutraceutical sector. At Women In Nutraceuticals, we are working on all of these issues — to bring additional training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to our members, and to bring transparency and understanding of the issues to the industry at large. What can your company do now to address the inequalities the McKinsey report highlights?

1. Invest in Sponsorship and Career Advocacy

Formal sponsorship programs — where senior leaders actively advocate for women’s advancement — are shown to boost promotion rates and close the ambition gap.

2. Fix the Broken Rung

Targeted programs for entry-level women — including stretch assignments, leadership training, and early visibility into promotion pathways — can strengthen the entire leadership pipeline.

3. Reframe Remote Work as a Career Asset

Rather than penalizing women who choose flexible work, firms can redesign performance metrics and sponsorship opportunities to be location-agnostic.

4. Prioritize Well-Being and Burnout Prevention

Programs that enhance mental health support, encourage healthy work-life integration, and recognize the unique strains women face — especially in leadership — will retain women leaders longer.

5. Champion Diversity Across Identities

Elevating women of color requires more than general gender equity efforts — it calls for targeted strategies and accountability that close the gaps at every career stage.

Final Thought: Progress Isn’t Automatic

The Women in the Workplace report makes one thing clear:
Advancement for women isn’t inevitable — it’s intentional.

In the nutraceuticals industry, where women are shaping research, product innovation, and consumer trust, this should be a call to action. Real progress comes when companies commit year after year — through policies, sponsorships, cultural shifts, and accountability — to building workplaces where women not only thrive, but lead.

By leaning into these insights and designing workplace systems that actively support women’s careers, the nutraceutical sector can become a model for inclusive growth — and unlock the full potential of its workforce.

Need a good place to start? Our upcoming WIN Leadership Summit is focused on many of these issues — with real conversations and real solutions. We’d love to have you join the conversation!