What does it take to be a bold and fearless business leader? Here, Anne Pitcher shares the lessons she's learned throughout her incredible career.

There's no denying that Anne Pitcher is the queen of high street retail. Her career took her from Harrods to Harvey Nichols before she landed a top job at Selfridges in 2011. Since then she has been promoted to Managing Director of the Selfridges Group and steered it to win an incredible four Best Department Store In The World awards.

Her latest innovation is a sustainability initiative, called Project Earth, which has seen Selfridges’ London flagship store offer the rental of designer goods, refills on high-end perfumes and the sale of pre-loved luxury items.

She is the winner of this year’s Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award, which was created in honour of Madame Clicquot herself. This special award aims to celebrate the achievements of powerful women making a difference in the field of business through their leadership, tenacity and creativity – three traits that Anne has in spades.

Below, we catch up with Anne to hear more about her career and achievements, and her advice on making it to the top.

Many congratulations on your Bold Woman Award!

Thank you. It’s an honour – and very humbling to have won the award, considering the exceptional and talented group of women shortlisted.

In what ways do you consider yourself a bold and fearless leader?

I wouldn’t say I’m fearless – in fact I think being bold is the opposite of being fearless. To me, it’s about being aware of all the risks, some of which may be very challenging indeed, and making decisions anyway.

Have you always been bold or has that developed over time?

I would actually have to say both. I’ve always been clear of the direction I wanted to travel in, so I’ve worked hard and made the most of any opportunities afforded to me. And I have always been passionate about what I do – I think I’m extremely fortunate to love my job so much. I think passion gives you that extra something you need to be bold.

There are certain connotations associated with the word ‘bold’ – assertive, confident, with a certain presence when you walk into a room, for instance. Do you see those in yourself?

Having a certain confidence in my abilities, my experience, in conveying my thoughts and ideas clearly and articulately, as well as asking the right questions, are all important to me. But being bold is about more than that. It’s also about building a great team and empowering others to succeed by providing vision, purpose and values that everyone can unite around, as well as a framework and clear goals. Being bold can often be as much about knowing when to step in as when to stand back.

Why are strong female business leaders so important right now?

Women are showing the world that there is a different way to lead built on creativity, courage and respect for people and the planet. Now more than ever, we need a more collaborative and inclusive approach to deal with the challenges we are collectively facing, and I think women are well equipped to do this.

What drew you to the retail sector in the beginning of your career?

I love the buzz of retail and how it’s constantly evolving; it’s where so many new ideas come from. I actually fell in love with it at 16 when I worked as a Saturday assistant selling artists’ materials in a shop in Welwyn Garden City. So instead of going to university, I signed up to a retail training scheme. I think I’ve now worked in every single department in a department store. I love talking to people, and have found that on the shop floor you really learn what’s working for your customers and teams, and how you can be even better at what you do.

What professional achievements are you most proud of?

Selfridges being voted Best Department Store in the World in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018 has got to be pretty near the top! Our most recent awards have been for sustainability from Positive Luxury and then we were named a 25 best big company to work for by The Sunday Times this year. Our purpose is to create a more sustainable future for retail, and being recognised for our people experience, as voted by our teams, is really important to me.

What have been the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome?

This year has been one of the most challenging of my career to date, and when I look back it has typically been external factors that have caused the most pain. Recessions, crises and pandemics, and the impact they have on our people, are really hard to bear. This year, we have had to make some really tough decisions that were sadly unavoidable. Nobody wants to do that.

How have you seen attitudes to women change – particularly in leadership roles – since you started out?

I think there is finally recognition that a more gender-balanced boardroom and workforce is not only the right thing, but that the businesses achieving this are more successful as a result. But if we think of diversity and inclusion in the broadest sense there is so much more to do. That must be our focus.

What advice would you give AllBright leaders about being fearless in their work?

Confidence comes from knowing your business, your customers, your colleagues and partners. You have to build your knowledge and experience, which means being open to learning and receiving feedback. What are the goals and ambitions for your organisation and how can you contribute to them? Ask for feedback from others on what your development areas are and listen to their responses. Listening well is a very underrated ability and ultimately helps us to learn and grow.

The 2017 Selfridges pay gap report showed that women still earned less than their male colleagues. What does this say about female representation at the top of the Selfridges’ structure, and how have you addressed this issue?

Gender pay is one of the many metrics we look at to ensure Selfridges remains an incredible place to work and grow your career, whoever you are and wherever you come from. There is a lot we can be proud of in the past year, from growing the number of women participating in our development programmes to launching new modern workplace tools that enable easier flexible working, and introducing sabbatical leave. But we know that there is still much to do as we build a strong, diverse and sustainable business for the future. This work will never stop.

Retail is going to go through some major changes in the next few years. What is your vision for the high street?

How we work, shop and socialise is all changing. As a creative business at the forefront of retail, Selfridges Group has a proud history of leading the way. We must continue to listen to and reflect the changing behaviours and mindsets of our customers. Our vision is nothing less than reinventing retail. We want to reshape our industry into one that we’re proud of – one that’s sustainable and plugged into the needs of our customers. We want to be an employer of choice, creating destinations that are the envy of any cultural institution in the world. It’s ambitious, but it is also necessary.

Which bold women – in business or otherwise – do you most admire and why?

A woman I have always been inspired by is former editor-in-chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland. Her famous line was ‘the eye has to travel’ – and one thing I enjoy doing is looking. You have to allow your eye to absorb everything around you. It’s why if I ever see anything out of place or a piece of litter on the shop floor, I always put it back or pick it up!

Do you have an outfit you wear for a confidence boost?

Clothes are of course important, especially in my line of work, and there is no doubt that looking your best can boost confidence and help you feel good, but fundamentally it’s about behaviours. Your gestures, your actions, the words you use — focusing on getting these right make me feel bold.