Ginny Wakefield never planned to work in home improvement. As ecommerce director at B&Q, she now oversees the retailer’s digital marketplace, retail media, and a gender-equality effort that spans from boardrooms to building sites.
Her career began in fashion design, but a maternity-leave project at New Look in 2007 launched her into ecommerce. Within six months, the pilot grew so fast she returned full-time. “I became addicted to the adrenaline of trading,” she said. “Monday mornings became my favourite day.”
From fashion to digital: a career built on change
Wakefield’s move from fashion to digital happened unexpectedly. She joined New Look after university, but an ecommerce role offered during her maternity leave altered her path. The project started small, but demand surged. “I was back full-time pretty quickly,” she said. “My career expanded alongside the ecommerce business itself.”
Today, she leads three fast-growing areas at B&Q: marketplace, ecommerce, and retail media. The work requires collaboration across multiple teams. “Delivering change now involves many people,” she said. “A big part of my role is uniting those groups.”
She also serves on the B&Q board, calling it a privilege. “What excites me most is breaking down barriers and testing new ideas,” she said. “I’m still learning every day.”
Balancing work and family: “It’s been fairly chaotic”
Wakefield returned to work when her daughter, Sienna, was eight months old. The juggle was relentless. “Honestly, it’s been fairly chaotic ever since,” she said. Support from her husband’s local job and school clubs helped, but the pace remained demanding.
Other parents sometimes remarked they never saw her at school. “The funny thing is, Sienna grew up incredibly independent,” Wakefield said. By age 11, she was cooking gourmet dinners. Now at university studying sport and exercise science, Sienna’s path differs from her mother’s. “She’s passionate about women’s sport,” Wakefield said. “I’m excited to see the impact she’ll have.”
Observing her team now, Wakefield admires colleagues managing senior roles while raising young children. “I remember exactly what that stage feels like,” she said. “You’re just trying to stay afloat.”
Mentoring circles and leadership programs
Wakefield advocates for B&Q’s gender colleague network, calling it a personal priority. Her own career included uneven opportunities, and she focuses on raising awareness and driving action.
For many women in trades or leadership, the biggest hurdle isn’t skill—it’s being seen. Wakefield’s team works to change that. One initiative gave Mary Ann Sieghart’s book The Authority Gap to the senior leadership team. The book explores how women are often taken less seriously than men, even with equal expertise.
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“Leaders now point out moments where that gap might appear,” Wakefield said. “Someone might say, ‘I think I just noticed it there—can we discuss?’” The conversations have spread across the company.
Trades remain male-dominated—but visibility is growing
A B&Q study found three-quarters of 16- to 18-year-olds don’t know any women in trades. Only 2% of tradespeople are women. “It comes down to visibility,” Wakefield said. “You have to see it to be it.”
Half of the girls surveyed felt they had fewer opportunities than boys. Many described the industry as intimidating. Others worried about physical strength or limited apprenticeship options. The company created a £1 million apprenticeship fund, but few girls have applied.
The “Do the Lifting” campaign aims to change that. It features women already working in trades, including those at TradePoint counters in over 200 stores. “These colleagues are experts,” Wakefield said. “They’ve trained to a high standard and assist customers daily.”
Wakefield’s advice to women considering trades is direct: “Think about what you’d do if you weren’t afraid—and then do it.” She keeps a quote on her wall: “They whispered to her you cannot withstand the storm, she whispered back I am the storm.”
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At a recent leadership conference, she shared it. “Women are often underestimated,” she said. “We shouldn’t be. We should show we’re competent and authoritative.”
The biggest shift in gender equality occurs when women are no longer alone in the room. “Once there are more of you, you can support each other,” she said. “That’s powerful.”
Looking back, she wishes she’d shown more courage earlier in her career. “Confidence builds with experience,” she said. “But adopting that mindset earlier would have helped.”
As for the future, Wakefield avoids setting limits. “I get restless if things stay the same too long,” she said. “I’m always searching for the next challenge.”
