IWF UK Celebrating Celebrating Marty Wikstrom’sLeading Light Award
At this year's AGM IWF UK was proud to celebrate a remarkable leader and one of our long-standing members, Marty Wikstrom, who received the 2025 IWF Leading Light Award. The award was presented during the IWF Global Conference in Seattle in May, but we wanted to have the opportunity to share this special recognition on Marty’s home ground.
The award honours Marty’s exceptional contribution to women’s leadership and her steadfast commitment to the International Women’s Forum — both in the UK and internationally. Marty is celebrated not only for her impressive career but for her tireless work behind the scenes, ensuring that IWF continues to grow, thrive, and empower.
A dedicated member of IWF UK, Marty has served on the Board of both IWF UK and the Leadership Foundation of IWF Global. As Development Chair of the IWF Foundation, she played a key role in establishing the Endowment Fund, which supports the annual Leadership Fellows Programme — a cornerstone of IWF’s mission to advance the next generation of women leaders.
Marty is well known among members for her generosity of spirit, often using her network and experience to open doors for others. Her unwavering belief in the power of women supporting women has left a lasting legacy within our Forum.
Her professional accomplishments are equally impressive. Marty began her career at Nordstrom Inc., rising from part-time sales assistant to become President of the Full Line Stores Group. She later made history as the first and only woman to serve as Managing Director of Harrods, and went on to hold senior executive and board roles at global luxury companies, including Richemont, where she was CEO of the Fashion and Accessories Division.
She is now the founding partner of the Atelier Fund, focused on the acquisition and development of luxury brands. In addition, she serves as a board director at Fortnum & Mason, where she is currently Interim Chair, and at Johnstons of Elgin, continuing her deep engagement with the retail and luxury sector.
Her many accolades include induction into the World Retail Congress Hall of Fame (2017), recognition as one of Retail Week’s eight Women Breaking Barriers (2018), and being named Forbes Retailer of the Year in 2019. She is also a Fellow of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre at the Cambridge Judge Business School.
During the AGM our chair Anne Minto OBE honoured Marty’s legacy, ”We are delighted to honour Marty’s achievements and proud to have her as a leading light within IWF UK. Her career and commitment are a powerful reminder of what it means to lead with integrity, purpose, and generosity and ensuring a helping hand to the next generation of women leaders."
