IWD 2025 - an interview with: Ceri Gott

Tell us a little about your career journey leading to where you are now.

13 years ago, I surprised myself by joining my little brother, Huw Gott and his best friend Will Beckett, co-Founders of Hawksmoor. I thought I’d be there for 6 months to “think about the people side”, but stayed to help them grow the business “in the right way”. My job has evolved from People Director (and originally the whole HR team!) to Chief Growth and Culture Officer, and Board member, leading on people, planning and purpose.

Hawksmoor has grown and stayed special: evolving from 150 people in 3 restaurants in London to an award-winning international brand and BCorp with 1250 people across 13 restaurants. For 13 consecutive years we have been named a top 100 Best Company to work for in any industry and achieving a 3 star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant. 97%+ of people still say they share Hawksmoor’s values; that Hawksmoor welcomes everyone; and that they feel comfortable being themselves – with no significant difference by gender or race. 48% of the senior management team identify as women and 18% as Black, Asian or ethnic minority, although there is still a way to go to be representative at all levels.

I joined from a very different world … with over a decade as a Government Economist, working in the Treasury, Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, Office for Disability Equality and more. It equipped me to introduce frameworks and strategies for growth and informs our work on DEIB. In April, I’m flying the nest to coach full time, working with organisations, teams and leaders who want to grow, lead and live with more intention and impact.

Running alongside all of it, of course, is life – I’ve navigating pregnancies, the parenting/work juggle, cared for my son through a serious illness, looked after older relatives with mental and physical health conditions, supported my daughter as one of many teenagers affected by the post-Covid mental health crisis, and navigated perimenopause. I share this because so many people, especially women, are juggling work with responsibilities outside. I never want anyone to feel less valuable, professional or capable as a result. 

What does the International Women’s Day slogan “accelerate action” mean for you?

It means our daughters - or granddaughters - won’t be disadvantaged by living in a world designed by men for men. 

Women are more likely to die in car crashes because seat belts were tested on male dummies. They’re more likely to be misdiagnosed or undertreated in hospitals because most medical research is based on men. Even in A&E, women wait longer and get less pain relief than men. Women have often been socialised to care for others, not to expect the same care for themselves.

How important is diversity across senior leadership teams?

Without diverse leadership, these biases won’t just persist - they’ll be exacerbated. Technology and AI reflect the gap: when asked to generate an image of a CEO, AI produces a white man 97% of the time. Facial recognition tools misidentify darker-skinned women 34% of the time but get it right for light-skinned men in 99% of cases. Faster change starts with better representation in management - because products and services reflect their creators.

In Hospitality, we are not saving lives, but we pride ourselves in creating safe, warm environments that attract and welcome everyone. We need to embrace diverse perspectives to make sure we live up to that – for our customers and teams – and to keep Hospitality thriving. Almost 100% of people at Hawksmoor say it’s important to them to work somewhere that takes DEIB seriously.

How can men help?

People in positions of power – the majority of whom are men – nee to make it happen. This isn’t about being responsible for thousands of years of history, or feeling guilty or defensive, it’s about taking responsibility for the present and for changing the future. It’s time for all decision-makers to ask themselves what more they could be doing.

Everyone is part of creating spaces that are safe and welcoming - being kind, listening and flexing their emotional intelligence. Listening and learning is an act of allyship. Great training on inclusive behaviour and allyship is available including from Culture Bar, Be Inclusive Hospitality and Be the Riot. If you don’t know how to help, find out!

What can businesses do to accelerate action toward closing the gender gap and ensuring equal opportunities in the workplace?

First, develop emotional intelligence – Hawksmoor has always put it at the heart of management development. Leaders who listen, empathise, and make people feel valued create a stronger sense of belonging in their teams. Research shows that they also deliver higher customer satisfaction and profitability. It’s a win-win.

Second, invest in inclusion training, including in anti-harassment, inclusive behaviour and good bystander. It helps people to open their eyes and minds to bias and equips them to be part of the solution. Trainings by Be Inclusive Hospitality, Be the Riot and Culture Bar make a real difference.

Third, check your processes are fair - the recent report by Be Inclusive Hospitality makes the case for more transparency and less discretion in pay and training - Hawksmoor sets pay and training by role and has a negligible pay gap. 

Finally, be part of the bigger picture – start by signing up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter on London.gov.uk.

How important is data?

Data on representation and pay gaps is needed to track outcomes. Lorraine Copes taught me how important it is to also know how people feel – every year we collect anonymised survey data by diversity characteristics to understand people’s experience. Regular data also means we can target areas we need to improve and follow up to see if it had impact. Targeted manager training has led to a 22% improvement - to over 90% satisfaction - in satisfaction with how concerns about customer harassment have been handled and the support received. 

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career at leadership level?

Liberate yourself from other people’s stories and judgements! Lots of girls are raised with versions of good girls are helpful, quiet, pretty, look after other people, always perfect. Contrary behaviour can be labelled as “pushy”, “bossy”, “overemotional”. This can hold some women back from embracing their potential as managers and leaders. Coaching was a game changer for me – it can give you the space to think, explore, and put yourself on a path to more growth, joy, and agency. 

And always ask for feedback – it tells you is what other people want from you, which changes as you grow in your career. Hawksmoor runs 360s for managers every year – it can be a really powerful tool for development.

Have there been any role models through your life (work or professional) who have helped shape you as a leader?

Senior women have always lifted me in my career – by showing me what’s possible, and by being generous with feedback. I feel incredibly fortunate to be on a Board with a female chair – Karen Jones – who has done both of those things and really helped me on my journey. I try to use every opportunity to pass it on.