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This paper is set against a background of research which evidences the gender segregation by industry, occupation and function, of women in employment, and within which there has been a major focus on the comparatively small number of women in management positions. The new research on which the paper is based highlights and examines the phenomenon of a much greater proportion of women managers than is the norm, many of whom started part‐time and in jobs for which no formal qualifications are required. It seeks to discover how the barriers to women’s career progression have been removed or overcome in this instance. Three aspects of company policy are examined on the basis of questionnaire and interview data, and other factors are also considered. This research targets the pub retailing industry, an industry which has received little attention elsewhere, and analyses the data from a regional perspective across the Scotland/England divide.