2024 Speakers

  • Mariella Frostrup is one of the UK’s most respected broadcasters and columnists. Her contribution to arts and literature along with her advocacy on gender and social issues have placed her at the forefront of the cultural landscape. She made the ground-breaking BBC1 documentary The Truth about Menopause and she currently presents her own daily show on Times Radio covering issues of the day.

  • Alex is CEO of Channel 4 and is a passionate and committed advocate for inclusive work environments. Channel 4’s gender equality staff network, 4Women, developed and launched a menopause policy in 2019, providing women and colleagues with the tools, support and guidance needed before, during and after menopause. In 2020 that policy was made freely available to everyone and since then it has been downloaded over 2,000 times.

Dame Lesley Regan

  • Dame Lesley Regan is Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Imperial College London at St Mary's Hospital Campus where she continues her clinical practice in Reproductive Medicine. As Past President RCOG, she led the "Better for Women" report, published in December 2019, which shone a spotlight on taboo topics such as poor access to contraception, abortion, period problems, menopause and domestic violence and abuse. The key recommendation of this hard hitting report was the urgent need for an NHS-led Women's Health Strategy.

    In 2020, Lesley was awarded a DBE for her services to Women’s health in the late Queen's New Years Honours list. In June 2022 she was appointed Women's health Ambassador for England to help implementation of the DHSC's Women's Health Strategy.

  • Prerana Issar is Chief People Officer for Sainsbury’s. Prior to joining Sainsbury’s, Prerana was the NHS’s first Chief People Officer and supported the 1.2 million people who work for the NHS to deliver critical care for patients, including through the COVID-19 pandemic, the most challenging period of the NHS’s history. Before that, Prerana worked at the United Nations World Food Programme as Director of Public-Private Partnerships and Chief HR Officer. She is focused on HR delivering commercial impact, having started her career at Unilever plc, where she spent 15 years and finishing her time there as Vice President of HR for Global Food. Prerana is a trustee on the Marie Curie Board of Trustees.

Pavita Cooper

  • Pavita is UK Chair of the 30% Club, campaigning for greater female representation at board and executive level across Britain’s leading companies. She works with boards and executive teams to build culture and inclusion across their organisations. Pavita is recognised as a leading culture and diversity expert; she has over 30 years’ experience as a talent, leadership & culture executive leader across a range of multi-sector global blue-chip organisations, including Shell, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group. Pavita has acted as an advisor to boards, CEOs, executive teams and business leaders across sectors that include financial services, energy, consumer, professional services, luxury goods & privately-owned businesses. Having led in-house board-level appointments and promotion processes, she understands that organisations need commitment at all levels to create inclusive workplaces. Pavita combines her deep technical expertise with an ability to frame insights in a direct but compelling style. Pavita is a passionate advocate of greater diversity across the C-Suite and committed to accelerating the progression of “hidden” talent: women, ethnic minorities and leaders from less traditional backgrounds. She is a regular speaker on women in business, increasing ethnic minority representation and the acceleration of diverse talent in the pipeline to the C-Suite and boardroom. Pavita believes in the power of giving back; she mentors young people from ethnically diverse and socially disadvantaged backgrounds and regularly speaks at inner city schools across the country through Speakers for Schools. She also serves as a trustee of the Prince’s Trust, the lead NED to an agency of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and a trustee of the Old Vic. Pavita has recently stepped down from the Equalities & Human Rights’ Commission where she served as a commissioner for five years. Pavita was awarded Woman of the Year at the Asian Business Awards in 2017 and more recently presented with the President’s Medal by the British Academy of Management and recognised by Women in the City as a Top 50 Trailblazer for gender equality.


  • Kirstin is the People Director at Channel 4. Prior to this, Kirstin has held a number of senior people roles including BBC Worldwide, Kantar, Twentieth Century Fox and Discovery. In all of these roles her main responsibilities include leading a strategy to enable and underpin a dynamic culture that fosters creativity, diversity, inclusion and innovation. Kirstin is also a Non-Executive for British Wheelchair Basketball.

    Kirstin is passionate about how organisations can support individuals being their best to drive company results. Her resource site (kirstinfurber.com) has been developed specifically to support leaders looking to create a human culture where everyone can do their best work to drive transformation and growth.

    Kirstin is also a TedEx speaker, where she recently shared her thoughts on the Sunday Night Blues.

Prof. Dame Jane Dacre

  • Dame Jane is a recognised leader in medicine. She is Emeritus Professor of Medical Education, the former Director of UCL Medical School and honorary consultant physician and rheumatologist, at Whittington Health in London. She is the President of the Medical Protection Society and a specialist advisor to parliament on the Health and Social Care Committee, chairing their Expert Panel which evaluates Government pledges. She is past president of the Royal College of Physicians and was also vice chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, medical director of MRCPUK examination, academic vice president of the RCP and a GMC council member. Her research is in medical education focussing on assessment and equality, especially in relation to women.

    She was the lead for the Department of Health and Social Care review of the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine, with Professor Carol Woodhams from Surrey University Business School. This review ‘Mend the Gap: The Independent Review into Gender Pay Gaps in Medicine in England’ was published in December 2020. She now chairs the gender pay gap implementation advisory group. Recently, she has been Co-Chair of the Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership, and chaired a review of the Prescribing Safety Assessment for the Medical Schools Council and the British Pharmacological Association.

  •  Paul spent 18 years at Accenture working across Technology and Consulting and was an early member of the pioneering UK Mental Health Network. In 2019 he moved into HR to focus on Health and Well-being full-time, leading Health and Well-being across the UK. Paul now sits as part of the global Health and Well-being team with responsibility for EMEA. He is passionate about pragmatic and inclusive well-being and aligning well-being outcomes with perceptions of success.

  • Dr Nighat Arif is a GP specialising in women's health, family planning and menopause care, with over 15 years of experience working in the NHS and she also runs her own private practice. Nighat is the resident doctor on BBC Breakfast and ITV’s This Morning. 

    Dr Nighat presented  the work of Team Halo at the G7 Global Vaccine Confidence Summit that led to her being awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Science at London City University for Women's Health, Public Health and Inclusion in 2022. She received the Point of Light Prime Minister’s Award for her exceptional service to Women’s Health, and was also the recipient of the 2023 Honorary SHE Award for her outstanding work in women’s health. Nighat is the author of her new book, titled The Knowledge: Your guide to female health - from menstruation to the menopause, published by Aster (imprint of Octopus Publishing Group) on 3rd August 2023. Nighat is a mum to three boys, and lives in Buckinghamshire. 

    Medical experience 

    Dr Nighat Arif has worked as a family GP for the NHS for over 15 years, specialising in women’s health. Her ability to consult fluently with patients in Urdu and Punjabi brings a great deal of trust from her community. Nighat is a medical educator and provides teaching to local trainee GPs, as well as at National and International conferences. Dr Nighat also runs her own private women’s health clinic in Hemel Hempstead, in partnership with OSD Healthcare. 

    Awards 

    Dr Nighat was nominated for the National Bevan Prize for Health and Wellbeing to acknowledge her exceptional commitment to advancing well-being in her community. Dr Nighat has worked to raise awareness on menopause and women’s healthcare in Black and Asian women and  presented her clinical work at the ‘Menopause in the Workplace’ Parliamentary committee hearing. She has also worked with Team Halo, a United Nation (UN) initiative, to bring an end to the pandemic and presented at the G7 Global Vaccine Confidence Summit. This led to her being awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science at London City University for Women’s Health, Public Health and Inclusion. 

    Writing 

    Dr Nighat’s new book, titled The Knowledge: Your guide to female health - from menstruation to the menopause, is an extensive guidebook designed to help everyone better understand each of the three key stages of a woman's life: the puberty years, the fertility years and the peri/menopausal years. It will help you to get to know the female body by explaining what is normal, what to expect, how to care for yourself and when to seek help. The book will tackle many important topics, from the help available for people with conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, to the symptoms of heart disease to look out for in women. It is available to pre-order here. 

    Dr Nighat has had several papers published and has won awards in the past. Most recently Nighat has written and contributed to British Vogue Magazine, HELLO!, MegsMenopause, Stylist Magazine, OK, Red, Good Housekeeping Magazine and Women in Medicine Magazine.  As well as contributed to many books such as Menopausing: The positive roadmap to your second spring by Davina McCall & Dr Naomi Porter, The Complete Guide to POI & Early Menopause by Dr Hannah Short and Dr Mandy Leonhardt, as well her breadth of work in women's well-being, mentioned in Everything you need to know about the menopause, but were not told by Kate Muir. 

    Media appearances 

    Dr Nighat Arif’s natural ability to connect with an audience has not gone unnoticed. After an immense amount of positive feedback, Nighat became the resident doctor on This Morning, BBC Breakfast, and BBC LookEast, updating viewers on the latest medical news. Dr Nighat was seen in 2020 discussing the effects of chillies on our bodies for BBC’s Food Truth or Scare. Dr Nighat is confident in front of a live audience too and has hosted women’s health workshops and keynote speeches. 

    Dr Nighat is passionate about menopause awareness and making it a less taboo subject for all, but particularly for women for whom English is not their first language. As a doctor for women's health and healthcare consultant, she made a guest appearance on BBC Breakfast: Wake up to the Menopause and she was also a contributor on the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Lies and the Menopause. 

    Dr Nighat is a campaigner for Organ Donation in ethnic minority communities and has appeared on BBC Breakfast to try to encourage more organ donation. She is also very confident on the radio and hosts her own Sunday Breakfast show on BBC3 Counties Radio. Nighat regularly appears as a medical expert and guest speaker on TimesRadio, Talk Radio, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Asian Network and BBC Berkshire. 

    Online presence 

    In addition to her media work, Nighat is also an influencer and content creator via her hugely popular and verified TikTok, Instagram and Twitter accounts (@drnighatarif). Nighat has amassed a large and loyal following on her platform by uploading informative, funny and uplifting content daily. 

    Dr Nighat Arif is a popular guest expert on several podcasts including HerSpirit with Louise Minchin and Annie Emmerson (receiving over 100,000 downloads), HuffPost Podcast, Surgical Spirit and Sikh Forgiveness podcast, talking about depression, menopause, anxiety, female health and other medical issues that affect us all. She has also featured on the podcast of leading menopause expert and GP Dr Louise Newson (The Dr Louise Newson Podcast). 

    Charity work 

    Nighat is an ambassador of many charitable causes including Wellbeing of Women, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, HerSpirit, and The Lewis Foundation and does a huge amount of work supporting NHS Blood and Transplant. Nighat is a member of Team Halo – an organisation that works in partnership with the United Nations (UN) and the Vaccine Positivity Project to help spread understanding around the vaccination programme. 

    Dr Nighat is incredibly relaxed and confident on camera and is keen to build on a media career as an expert female GP whilst remaining authentic to her values as a British Pakistani, Muslim woman and mother, navigating and uniting the different cultures in a positive way.  She has integrity, substance, humanity and style and approaches life with humour. 

  • Lucy entered the world of finance in 2014 as an investment consultant at Mercer before changing career and following her passion to work in diversity equity and inclusion, becoming DEI and Pay Equity Consulting Leader, for Mercer UK. She is the Global Strategic Initiatives Leader for Mercer Pride, following several years in the UK leadership team. Lucy is also a founding member of a local Lean In group. With the EU Directive on Pay Transparency and Equal Pay driving change across the region, the aim of Mercer’s survey on UK Pay Gap reporting and pay transparency is to learn more about the current status and progress of organisations regarding pay gap and pay transparency reporting in the UK, even though they are not directly impacted by the new legislation. The questionnaire consists of questions covering various aspects of pay gaps and pay transparency. We would like to understand more about how organisations are approaching the pay transparency topic, and any challenges that might come with this.

  • Lucy Kallin is the executive director EMEA at Catalyst, a global non-profit promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion. Lucy works closely with CEOs, senior leaders and employees at all levels to build workplaces which celebrate the importance and benefit of difference where people can thrive. She helps organisations develop practical initiatives that improve performance and advance existing ESG initiatives. Lucy is also actively involved in education, working as a trustee for a UK independent school as well as volunteering as an advisor for small women-led businesses in Africa.


  • Amanda is a Marketing Manager at Accenture, where she is responsible for shaping and implementing talent brand strategies. Her role involves crafting compelling brand narratives that resonate with potential employees, foster meaningful connections, and position Accenture as an employer of choice. Her work reflects her commitment to blending marketing expertise with a genuine understanding of people’s needs and aspirations.

     

    Outside of her professional life, Amanda is dedicated to balancing her career with motherhood, advocating for supportive and inclusive workplace environments.


  • I joined Lewis Silkin on qualification in 2002. I was made a partner in 2009 and in 2012, I opened our office in Cardiff where I manage the office and head a growing employment team.

    I advise on the full range of employment issues with a focus on legal and strategic advice on redundancies/restructuring; sensitive terminations and practical advice on the operation of TUPE. I also have considerable experience of Employment Tribunal litigation having successfully defended a number of complicated discrimination cases.

    Employment

    I am a member of Lewis Silkin's specialist TUPE team and I advise regularly on the legal and practical implications of the TUPE regulations. In particular, I have considerable experience:

    • Advising on the impact of TUPE in an outsourcing situation or when services change hands

    • Drafting and reviewing TUPE provisions in contracts.

    I have considerable transactional experience supporting businesses (and groups of businesses) with:

    • Large scale and high profile redundancy and restructuring processes (generally involving collective consultation); and

    • The employment aspects of acquisitions/dispositions (whether share or asset sale).

    Advertising & Marketing

    I head the employment team's advertising and marketing sector group and regularly work with colleagues across the firm when advising clients in this sector. I have particular experience of advising on whether TUPE applies when a client account changes hands and of reviewing TUPE related provisions in client/agency agreements.

    Retail, Hospitality & Leisure

    As part of Lewis Silkin's Retail, Hospitality & Leisure sector group I work regularly with colleagues across the firm when advising clients in this sector. I have particular experience of advising clients in this sector on restructuring and re-organising their businesses to adapt to changing market conditions.

  • Sue Duke is Vice President of Global Public Policy & Economic Graph at LinkedIn, where she leads the organisation's government relations, policy and Economic Graph programmes worldwide. Her team partners with local and national Governments, as well as with some of the world's leading economic institutions, such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, to help advance economic opportunity.

     

    In addition, Sue leads a team of over 2,000 people at LinkedIn’s EMEA and LATAM HQ in Ireland, where the world’s largest professional network has over two million members.

     

    Prior to joining LinkedIn in 2014, Sue was Head of Public Policy at Google’s EMEA headquarters in Dublin, where she was responsible for government relations, advocacy and policy during a hyper-growth period for the company.

     

    Before joining the private sector, Sue was Special Adviser to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Ireland, working across diverse policy themes from internet infrastructure to renewable energy.

     

    Sue holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

  • Diana is an experienced Organisation Effectiveness Director with broad skills across both HR generalist and specialist disciplines.  She has spent the last 18 years working at the BT Group successfully crafting and delivering complex, multi-year, enterprise-wide people & culture transformation at both a global and national level. Most recently Diana has been leading a programme aimed at putting BT Group back in pole position as a leader in the market on inclusive flexibility and health. BT Group recently launched exceptional family health benefits for all parents, generous levels of paid carers leave and new healthcare pathways aimed at plugging the gap in the existing healthcare provision around menopause and periods that have such an impact on women’s ability to manage their wellbeing.

  • Jonny Baker is a full-time employer at the BBC.

     

    In 2023, he took the opportunity of 6 months parental leave. He made this decision as his wife, who works as a freelancer, would not get paid if she took the time herself.  He felt she needed this time for her own career, and wanted to be the one to spend time with his daughter and his four-year-old son, who was also adjusting to life with a sibling.


    Jonny says "I feel it’s extremely important for equal opportunities when it comes to childcare. For the family to have choice, men need to be able to look after children more easily and women not to be forced to break from a career should they not want to. It’s beneficial for everyone including the employer."

  • Dr Krystal Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, based at the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on the work-life interface, women’s health, mental health and wellbeing at work.  Current and recent research projects have focused on solo-living staff; those navigating complex fertility journeys (including fertility tests, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness); maternity management; mental health in pregnancy and post-birth; women’s reproductive health including menstruation, menstrual health conditions and menopause; and mental health in women in STEM professions.  She has published in leading academic journals, featured in various media outlets and trade press (including the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and People Management magazine), and is lead editor of the 2024 book: Work-Life Inclusion: Broadening perspectives across the life-course.   Krystal is passionate about knowledge exchange and is working with various stakeholders to raise awareness and create resources, including the CIPD, national charities, campaign groups and employers.  Prior to working in academia, Krystal held operational Human Resource Management roles in different industries, including construction, retail and hospitality. She is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and an Ambassador for the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

  • Deirdre O'Neill is the Chief Commercial & Legal Officer at Hertility. She is also a dual-qualified lawyer in England and Ireland and has worked in corporate law for a number of years. She has a masters in Medical Law from King’s College London. 

     

    Hertility is a reproductive health company shaping the future of the workplace. We’re working with the world’s most forward-thinking companies to proactively support employees across every life stage with end to end care spanning women’s health, fertility, LGBTQ+ family-forming & menopause. 

     

    The workplace wasn’t designed with everyone in mind, we’re here to change that. We empower employers to attract, support and retain a diverse, thriving and innovative workforce with expert-led education, comprehensive health screening and policy review.

     

    Hertility is setting a new standard of care and support in the workplace for women and families alike by empowering organisations to become accredited as Reproductively Responsible™ employers.


  • Sarah is part of the team that runs Bubble, the UK's number one childcare booking app. She has spent the last 9 years building start-ups in the parent-tech space and is passionate about the importance of supporting new parents. Sarah recently helped to launch the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood's report which makes the case for businesses prioritising early childhood. She is also a Trustee at Babyzone. Before all this, Sarah spent the first decade of her career working in advertising agencies in London and Boston - focusing on new business and growth. 

  • Katharine is a successful, global sales professional with nearly twenty years of media industry experience working in TV, digital, print, and social across Los Angeles, New York, and London. She has dedicated the last five years of her career to helping start-ups and direct to consumer companies thrive across an ever-changing, fragmented (and oftentimes quite complicated) media landscape. Whilst at Sky Media, she designed, orchestrated, and implemented the Direct to Scale team in the UK from the ground up to capitalise on incremental business and a loss in market share taken by the tech giants. Her most recent appointment at NBCUniversal, as Commercial Director of Digital Advertising Sales & Partnerships, is focussed on partnering with senior leaders across agencies, clients, and VC/PE community to secure and influence spend across NBCUniversal’s Global Digital products. Prior to this, Katharine has worked within the Client Strategy & Partnerships teams at The Economist Group and Sky Media advising the top FTSE 100 Financial Services & Corporate brands by ensuring their business imperatives are met. She began her formative career in glossy women’s and travel magazines, working for Conde Nast Traveller Magazine and Fairchild Publication’s flagship ‘industry’s voice of authority’ titles including Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Footwear News, Daily News Record (DNR) and Menswear Magazine. She’s sold thousands of ground-breaking, innovative campaigns for some of the biggest names in fashion including Gucci, Prada, Nine West, DVF, Levi’s, Zegna, Polo Ralph Lauren and many more. She speaks regularly and passionately about performance marketing and how brands (at any price point) can find effective, innovative, and commercially viable solutions to help meet and exceed their ever-evolving marketing and advertising challenges. Katharine is current Chair of NBCUniversal’s Women’s Inclusion Network and a member of WACL. She’s a proud champion and advocate for women’s health issues and is motivated and excited by building forums and opportunities for everyone to learn more ways to improve their own physical and mental health & wellbeing.

  • Ashanti Barrett joined Channel 4 in 2021 as an apprentice on the  Talent team, where she helped with the recruitment for roles across all departments. She was then promoted to Talent Advisor and was responsible for recruitment across creative departments including Commissioning, 4Studio, Marketing and Film4. Due to her interest in TV production and on-screen creative talent she embarked on a secondment as a Team Assistant within the Digital Commissioning team in 2023, working with the Head of Youth and Digital and shadowing on Channel 4.0 projects like ‘Tapped Out’ and ‘King Konan’s Trap Door’. Currently she is a Genre Assistant within the Specialist Factual department, working with the Head of Specialist Factual and 3 senior commissioners, shadowing on Specialist Factual projects and providing creative assistance.


  • Claire is the Policy & Practice Manager at the CIPD. She leads the CIPD’s policy and practice work on flexible and new ways of working and resourcing and talent management. Claire also leads work on carers, working parents and compassionate bereavement support and works with colleagues on menopause and menstrual health workplace support.

    Previously, Claire ran her own research and consultancy organisation and was acting head of research and principal researcher at Roffey Park. Claire is the author of a range of reports, has responded to numerous Government consultations and has given evidence at a range of parliamentary groups and committees. 

  • I am a Managing Associate in the immigration team and I advise clients on all aspects of immigration law.

    I joined Lewis Silkin in March 2016 as an Associate. Before joining the firm I gained 5 years’ experience in law as a Paralegal and then Trainee Solicitor.

    I hold a Bachelor of Science awarded by the University of Bristol and a Graduate Diploma in Law awarded by The University of Wales. I also hold a Legal Practice Course awarded by The University of Cardiff and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales. 

    I am a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. 

    Immigration and Global Mobility

    I advise on both UK immigration law and provide coordination advice to clients on global immigration matters/projects. The areas that I advise on include:

    • Advising on all aspects of the Tiers of the Points Based System;

    • Assisting clients obtaining a Sponsor Licence;

    • Advising clients on meeting their immigration compliance duties and responsibilities;

    • Advising and providing training to clients on Brexit and its immigration implications;

    • Assisting clients with overturning Sponsor Licence suspensions/revocations;

    • Advising clients on applications under the European regulations;

    • Assisting clients with global immigration work.

  •  Shaheen Sayed is the Head of Accenture’s UK, Ireland and Africa business (UKIA) and is a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. In her role, Shaheen has overall responsibility for the growth and success of Accenture’s business in the regions. She oversees a wide range of functions, from strategy & consulting to technology, operations and Accenture Song, ensuring that Accenture delivers high-value services to its clients. Accenture is a major local employer in all three markets and also has a strong innovation footprint through R&D and investment including its brand-new AI experience studios in London and Dublin and our global innovation centre, The Dock, based in Ireland. Prior to this role, Shaheen led the Technology business in the UK and Ireland, specialising in complex technology and business transformations and pioneering new market technologies. During her 20-year career with Accenture, Shaheen has helped drive cutting-edge technology solutions across diverse industries, including banking, capital markets, telecommunications and healthcare. As the head of Health & Public Service for Accenture in the UK and Ireland, she delivered innovative solutions across health, tax, welfare, justice, defence and policing.

    Shaheen is a recognised thought leader on inclusive business cultures and talent in the digital age. She is a guest lecturer for the London School of Economics Global Masters Programme and sits on the Steering Committee of Movement To Work . She also serves as an Honorary Colonel to 3 Military Intelligence, a reserve unit for the British Army.

  • Miriam González Durántez is a lawyer specialized in international trade, founder and president of España Mejor, a non-profit organization whose aim is to energize civil society to participate in the development of public policy proposals in an open, inclusive, non-partisan, and ideologically cross-cutting manner.

    In 2015, she founded Inspiring Girls International, a global charity present in 36 countries dedicated to raising the aspirations of young women by connecting them with female role models from all sectors.

    Miriam is also a member of the Diversity Council of Toyota Europe and an independent director of Atrys Health. Additionally, she sits on the European Council on Foreign Relations and various educational institutions, and has been a professor of international trade policy at Stanford University, California.

    Miriam is also the author of "Devuélveme el Poder," a book focused on the need for political reform in Spain.

    Miriam is married to Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister of Britain and President of Meta, with whom she has three sons. Currently, she lives between the United Kingdom and Spain.

  • Naomi Begum-Inglis is the Global Sales Lead for the Accenture Microsoft Business Group and the Global Sovereign Lead. With a strong background in software engineering and technology, Naomi has excelled in delivering innovative solutions to clients. Her expertise lies in leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing to drive digital transformation and enhance business outcomes.

    Naomi is celebrated for her ability to move at a rapid pace, earning trust and respect as she leads the charge in a multi-billion dollar business, where her exceptional skills facilitate seamless client transformations to the cloud, offering valuable expertise and guidance that empowers clients to make impactful and informed business decisions.

    Naomi's dedication and commitment to her work have earned her recognition as a reliable and results-oriented leader. She is known for her ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams, enabling successful implementation of complex projects. Her exceptional problem-solving skills and strategic thinking have contributed to the success of numerous high-profile initiatives.

    Beyond her technical prowess, Naomi is also passionate about diversity and inclusion, actively promoting an inclusive work environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive. Naomi is also a guest lecturer at Oxford University on technology topics.

    Her strong interpersonal skills and empathetic approach make her a valued mentor and team player. Naomi is an exemplary global leader who possesses a profound understanding of various cultures, local nuances, and is exceptionally adept at ensuring her strategies incorporate a local approach while maintaining a global essence.

Lord Rose

  • Lord Stuart Rose possesses a wealth of retail and business experience, having been a chair, board director and chief executive of many of the UK’s biggest retailers, including Marks & Spencer. He joined M&S as a management trainee in 1972 and returned in 2004 as CEO and then went on to become executive chairman. Stuart has also held executive roles at the Burton Group, Argos, Booker and Arcadia. His non-executive career included roles at Woolworth Holdings SA and Ocado, where he spent seven years as Chairman between 2013 and 2020. Stuart is currently Chairman of Asda, EG Group and Zenith Automotive, and a non-executive director of Time Out Group. He was knighted in 2008 for services to the retail industry and corporate social responsibility and granted a life peerage in August 2014.


Gary Adey

  • Gary Adey is the CEO of Vodafone’s Shared Operations, a 32k FTE Global Business Services (GBS) team. Under the branding of _VOIS, its goal is to accelerate the transformation of Vodafone Group and create value by providing the innovation, scale and operational excellence required to deliver sustainable and efficient growth. 

    As the Group Centre of Excellence for Robotics, Automation, Process Mining and Machine Learning, _VOIS obsesses about using its talent, technology and data to radically simplify operations and make work more productive, efficient and fun. 

    Prior to becoming Director of _VOIS in 2019, Gary was the Global Commercial & Operations Director for Vodafone Business, accountable for all Group operations and commercial activity for Vodafone’s €14b business segment. 

    Alongside leading _VOIS, Gary is passionate about charitable and social causes focused on supporting children and young people. He is privileged to chair the Teenage Cancer Trust Corporate Board, act as an advisory board member for Vodafone Business Ventures, a social enterprise within Vodafone, and chair the British Triathlon Trust Board of Trustees.


  • Louise Webster is the Founder of Beyondtheschoolrun.com, the platform dedicated to connecting mothers to information, inspiration, and opportunities to empower them to grow personally and professionally. It also serves as a one-stop solution for businesses striving for a more equitable workplace.

    Beyondtheschoolrun has received two invitations to No.10 Downing Street and was named one of the "Top 58 British Tech Startups for 2014" by UK Business Insider. Louise won "Britain's Top Real Role Model,” 2014  and has been referred to as "a true change maker" by Global Invest Her, Louise also served as a UN UK delegate in 2014 and her book A New Way for Mothers published in the USA.


  • Jo is a communications professional and disability advocate driven by accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion through communicating the commercial and social value of inclusively designed buildings and spaces. She is particularly passionate about inclusive workplaces, hospitality settings, and homes that enable disabled people to thrive in barrier-free environments that provide choice and support their independence, safety, and wellbeing.

    At Motionspot, Jo relishes working with progressive organisations to create uplifting inclusive spaces that support their EDI recruitment and retention ambitions and deliver against their social ESG targets. As well as to communicate their achievements and impact to a broad range of stakeholders.

    Jo is a Greater Cambridge Design Review Panel member as well as a Back Up Trust mentor to people who have recently experienced spinal injury. She is also happy to share insights into her own lived experience of being a wheelchair user since 2018.

  • Elliott Rae is the founder of the parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood, called the ‘Mumsnet for Dads’ by the BBC.  

     

    Elliott’s book DAD is an Amazon Top 10 bestseller. DAD is a deeply moving collection of 20 stories that represent the diversity of modern fatherhood and challenges the traditional ideas of masculinity.  

     

    Elliott has been recognised by the United Nations for his work on gender equality and was awarded the #HeForShe award by UN Women UK.  

     

    Elliott presented the BBC One documentary ‘Becoming Dad’ in January 2022 which is the first show of its kind to bring issues around dad’s mental health and masculinity to the mainstream. Becoming Dad was one of the most watched documentaries across the BBC network in 2022. 

     

    Elliott is a media commentator on issues around fatherhood and mental health, having written for The Independent and The Telegraph and featured live on Loose Women, BBC News, Channel 4 and Radio 5 Live. 

     

    Elliott is also the co-founder of the Working Dads Employer Awards which launched in Parliament in May and celebrates employers who are supporting working dads. 

    Elliott is one of the UK’s most prominent speakers and writers on topics around fatherhood, masculinity, mental health, equal parenting and gender equality. He regularly host webinars and workshops with organisations about how they can support working dads, redefine masculinity, support men’s mental health and create a family friendly workplace.  

  • Ulrika Biesèrt, Ingka Group People & Culture manager, the equivalent of a Chief Human Resources Officer, is a member of the Ingka Group Management team. Key to her role is ensuring that we are always guided by our purpose and values, keeping customers and co-workers at the heart of what we do so that both business and people grow together. Biesèrt is also a member of the World Economic Forum CHRO community, the world’s leading Chief Human Resources Officers community.

    From an early age, she has been intrigued by human behaviour. This early interest led to her study of psychology, social sciences and economics in university. After spending six years working as a family counsellor, she realised she would be better suited to a more commercially driven environment. IKEA was exactly the right step in combining her business interests and acumen, with a deep-seated ambition to influence and broaden the people agenda.

    She has been with IKEA since 1997, with several HR assignments over many years across all its core businesses. She is a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion, a thought leader on the future of work, and a champion of continuous learning and development. With over 20 years of leadership experience, she takes pride in her ability to develop individuals and teams to benefit both people and business.

  •  As Group CEO of YMU, Mary Bekhait is one of the most powerful figureheads in the global entertainment industry. Since taking over the helm in January 2021, Bekhait has overseen a radical rebrand of YMU, transforming the agency into a progressive business spearheaded by women and representing some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and beyond. Rise to Leadership Bekhait began her journey at YMU Group in 2012, as a director in the entertainment division when it was still known as James Grant. The boardroom at the time - like so many other large scale media companies - was entirely male dominated. “When I started at YMU twelve and a half years ago, it was very much a boys club,” Bekhait says. “There was a male CEO, male Chair and entirely male board, and no female MDs.” Bekhait’s leadership and strategic vision saw her quickly promoted to deputy managing director, then managing director, then UK CEO, taking over the prestigious position of Group CEO in January 2021. “As a woman in a senior leadership role you are constantly trying to find a path for yourself in environments that aren’t built for you,” she says of her trajectory. “The media industry is still dominated by the white male, particularly large scale talent agencies, so to be a woman doing this feels really good.” Vision as Group CEO As Group CEO, Bekhait has transformed YMU Group inside and out; overseeing the company’s operations across their London, New York, Washington and LA offices, enhancing the talent roster to focus on what she calls “truly global elites” and building a refreshingly progressive female leadership team in the process. “Change doesn’t just happen,” Bekhait says. “People need to make space.” And today YMU is a rarity in the entertainment sector in that it has a female Chair - in Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X - a female CEO, a female CFO, and multiple female MDs and female directors too. “It’s a great feeling,” Bekhait says of the transformation. “In my experience, female organisations tend to value cognitive diversity, multiple viewpoints, and a nurturing environment, and in the long term that builds a team who run on consensus rather than fear.” In her role as Group CEO, Bekhait has taken a hands-on approach to nurturing and promoting women within the business, keen to instil in them the same confidence and self belief she had to reach for the top. “I tell so many women, you CAN do this,” she says, noting how the shift in gender balance under her leadership has created a palpable change in office culture and dynamics as a result. “Empathy, humility, authenticity, creativity and the ability to listen are just a few of the characteristics of a female led business,” Bekhait continues. “There is a confidence now at YMU that people can speak their opinion and it won’t be used against them, which has created a much more creative and collaborative environment as a result.” Closing the gender pay gap One of Bekhait’s proudest achievements at YMU to date is closing the gender pay gap, reducing it from 29% in 2021 to 9% in 2024. Equality in the workforce, of course, is not just about numbers, it’s about recognising and supporting women across all areas of their lives. “I don’t want to see talented women fall off the career ladder at 35-40, when they are just at the peak of their powers, because they have had a baby,” Bekhait states. “They have done the hard yards, they’ve got their contacts and they know their stuff, then they become mothers and they can no longer afford to work.” Caring responsibilities - from childcare to looking after sick or elderly relatives - often fall on a woman’s shoulders, and Mary is keen to ensure women do not drop out of the workforce unnecessarily as a result. “As a working mother, if I didn’t have the support system in place that I have, then I wouldn’t be able to do this job,” she says simply, attributing her “incredibly supportive” husband and family as key to her success. Building an industry defining global talent agency As well as revolutionising internal team culture and dynamics, Mary has transformed YMU from what was a very UK centric company into a truly global, industry-defining agency that touches every aspect of culture. “I want YMU to focus on elite culture defining clients in their sector,” Bekhait says of her vision as CEO. “The power in the entertainment industry is increasingly coalesced around the superstar, so the agency needs to pivot towards those elite clients. They’re the ones that move the needle.” Establishing YMU as a leader in talent management has enabled the group to sign entertainment heavyweights Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Paris Hilton, Emily Ratajkowski Patricia Bright and Amelia Dimoldenberg, amongst other high-profile figures in entertainment, sports, music, and literature; not to mention some of the incredible culture defining musicians in YMU’s business management division which looks after the finances of everyone from Little Simz and Central Cee to Fred Again amongst many others. Modernising a legacy agency Bekhait’s decision to integrate digital strategy, data and technology into YMU’s approach has created a 360 agency that delivers everything a talent needs. “When I took over at YMU, I felt that it was in many ways a legacy TV centric business,” she explains. “It was best known for big UK presenters, which is brilliant, but there were certain things happening in the entertainment industry that I knew we had to pivot and follow alongside. Today what differentiates YMU in the market, is the depth and breadth of our in-house specialist experts,whether that’s in digital marketing, podcasts and audio, live events, books, commercial partnerships, IP or TV.” So how does YMU determine what talent to work with? It’s a combination of things. “One is market appetite,” Bekhait says. “We speak to broadcasters, platforms, brands, audience listening tools to find out how much appetite there is around this individual, what is it that they are trying to say and how is that different to anyone else. Then there are empirical data pieces; how big is their following, how big is their engagement? Then there is a values piece as well; can I have lunch with this person? Do I like them? Do I want to go on a journey for 10/15 years with this person, to put time and resources around them? If they tick all of those criteria then we’re interested. It’s art and science,” she concludes. “A mixture of instinct and data.” Inspiring the next generation In three short years, Bekhait has transformed YMU into a world leader in talent management, establishing herself as a respected and sought-after thought leader as a result. As a female CEO, she is cognizant of the power of a diverse workforce and fostering an environment where talent can thrive. “I want to put more women in the driving seat,” she says, determined to use her influence to inspire a new generation of women and girls to rise up and reach for the top. For those looking to follow in her footsteps, her advice is simple: “Focus on the work you love doing and be excellent at it. Have the confidence to speak up in rooms because your opinion matters. It’s about having initiative, courage, and truly going for it. If you are brilliant at what you are doing, I promise you opportunity will follow.” She is certainly testament to that. 

  • Ami is a Finance Project and Governance Manager and has been at Centrica for almost 10 years and has a passion for driving change. She is a chartered accountant having worked in FTSE companies and co-chair of the Fertility Sanctuary Network whose purpose is to enable colleagues to “Grow their Families as well as Careers” having navigated her own pathway to parenthood at work.

  • Maxine Fletcher - Maxine is a member of the senior staff team in the Faculty of Health and Life Science at Oxford Brookes University.  She is a registered Social Worker and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE).  Maxine has been leading on the University's Menopause in the Workplace (and more recently) Menstrual Equity initiatives for several years and, together with colleagues, is now working on embedding 

    BS30416 into the University culture..

  • Beth joined JPMorgan in 2019, following ten years with the UK Financial Services Regulator where she worked in several Chief of Staff roles across Operations and Technology.  She now heads up the Governance and Reporting function for Macro Technology within JP Morgan’s Investment Bank and leads the Firm’s Working Families Network (WFN) for the EMEA Region. WFN supports a network of over 6,000 active members across the region, with an aim to promote knowledge sharing, build a supportive community and provide resources that empower employees to successfully integrate work and family life.

    Beth is a vocal ambassador for working parents at JPMorgan, having experienced first hand the benefits that supporting working parents offers to businesses, individuals and their families. In particular,  she is huge advocate for levelling the playing field for all parents, as a key enabler to drive gender equity in the workplace.   

    When she’s not at work Beth enjoys travel, hiking and arguing with small versions of herself to put their shoes on!

     

  • George Gabriel is a movement build and a father. He founded Safe Passage International during the refugee crisis in 2015 and is now a co-founder of The Dad Shift

  • With nearly two decades of work in the fertility sector Anya was most recently the lead for Fertility Network UK’s workplace initiative. Overseeing delivery of training and support to a wide variety of organisation and groups. From large internationals, hospital trusts, charities, and SME’s.

    Her work within the sector has included seven years overseeing patient care at the London Women’s clinic Harley Street. As well as being the Author of the book Fertile thinking and co-creator of two courses for people experiencing infertility.

    She is often in the media as a champion for the patient perspective on fertility issues and is currently busy lobbying MPs and speaking in Parliament regarding fair provision of IVF for all.

    Anya is currently the Speaker for London Borough of Hackney for the municipal year 2023-2024 and a local councillor for Hoxton east and Shoreditch. She has worked for three MP’s, most recently as senior office staff for David Lammy MP.

     Her passion for increasing diversity in politics has led to her being an executive member of the Fabian womens network for many years and to work with amongst other projects, Stella Creasey’s MotheRed Campaign to encourage more mothers into parliament.

    She has two children from IVF one from adoption and is a Champion for both the Saying Goodbye and Home for good charities.

     

  • Sue Fox is President, The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) UK & Ireland. Sue has led the

    company’s second most established market since January 2020, when she initially joined

    the region as Senior Vice President/General Manager, ELC UK & Ireland. Sue oversees all

    the UK & Ireland region’s brands and reports directly to Peter Jueptner, International

    Group President, ELC.

    Sue has spent 30 years at ELC and continuously raises the bar for excellence in setting new

    strategic ambitions for the business in highly-competitive markets. Prior to moving to the

    UK, Sue served as General Manager of ELC’s Japan Affiliate and successfully drove the

    business in one of the most strategic and demanding consumer markets globally. During

    her time in Japan, she oversaw five consecutive quarters of net sales growth by focusing on

    emerging trends across categories, channel segments and demographics.

    Sue has also led Travel Retail EMEA, based in London, achieving a number of "firsts"

    including the company’s first ever traveller influencer day, opening a multi-branded ELC

    door in Abu Dhabi and contributing to the profitability improvement of key Travel Retail

    EMEA accounts. Before that, Sue successfully led the South Africa affiliate for 10 years,

    where the business grew substantially, further expanding in the South Africa market and

    pioneering the company’s presence in the Sub-Sahara markets. She also has experience

    across the company’s Asia Pacific and North America regions and affiliates.

    Over her career she has become well-known for her deep commitment to developing

    diverse talent and capabilities, and for her work driving effective Citizenship and

    Sustainability programmes. She is a results-driven, transformative leader possessing the

    strategic global business acumen and expertise to navigate today's shifting landscape. Sue

    was born in Jamaica. She holds an honours degree from the University of Leeds.

  • Edwina Dunn is one of the most successful leaders in the data industry, with a career of delivering transformational business change Dunnhumby revolutionised the world of retail and consumer goods when they pioneered Tesco Clubcard and other global loyalty programmes. Founder & Chair - The Female Lead, an educational foundation celebrating the achievements and diversity of women who shape our world ; using data to understand the challenges women face, working with business and government to help create new models and policies for the workplace, all driven by a social platform with over 8 million followers. In 2019 Edwina received an OBE for her services to data and business in the UK. Edwina is former Chair at Starcount where she helped forge a new era of consumer insight and technology and former Chair at the CDEI (Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation) and a former Board member of the Geospatial Commission. Her book When She's in the Room was published in February 2024

Georgina Snape Accenture

  • Georgina has made a bold transition from luxury fashion to becoming an influential analyst in technology at Accenture. With a Master’s Degree in Applied Data Analytics, Georgina has worked across H&PS and Pharmaceutical accounts, exploring innovating and creative possibilities to transform the way our clients and communities work in the new era of AI. Her innovative approaches have not only advanced client capabilities but have also earned her prestigious recognitions, including the Tech Women 100 Rising Star Award and a spot on the Northern Power Futures list. Beyond her commendable work achievements, Georgina is passionate about nurturing budding talents. She plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of innovation through leading Accenture’s "Accenture in 5" initiative and contributing to the North West PAN committee. Additionally, her dedication extends beyond corporate boundaries as she serves as an ambassador for Digi-Learning, focusing on empowering the next wave of tech enthusiasts.

  • Anne Hayes heads up the BSI Knowledge teams that lead the Sector strategies and the standards to ensure UK and global innovation and policy are supported with relevant standards. Having spent 20 years working within the standardisation world she has experience across a broad range of industries and sectors having headed up teams for Governance, Risk and resilience as well as healthcare and sustainability.

    Previously to BSI Anne was Editorial Director at Sweet & Maxwell Ltd.


  • Ednah Otieno is the HR Director Europe at Diageo. Edna is known as a commercially focused HR Leader, instrumental in shaping a progressive and inclusive culture and as a highly trusted advisor and partner to her colleagues. Edna has had a distinguished 20-year career in the Human Resources field since joining East African Breweries Limited (EABL) as a Graduate Trainee in 2003. She later moved into different roles within the HR team in Talent, Reward and Shared Services. She left the company in 2014 as Head of Reward for Diageo Africa to join Airtel Africa as the Head of Organisation Effectiveness and Reward. Edna later moved to Mars Wrigley East Africa as Head of People & organisation in 2015, a position she held until she re -joined Diageo as Group Human Resources Director, EABL, in August 2017.

  • UK tech entrepreneur Tamara Lohan MBE is CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith, the boutique hotel booking specialists that she co-founded with her husband James in 2003. Responsible for evolving the company’s digital infrastructure, Tamara oversaw the company’s pivot from publishing house to online travel agent; as CTO, led the development of Mr & Mrs Smith’s in-house booking engine and steered the business into new markets, opening offices in Australia, the US and Singapore. She has led financing rounds from a variety of sources, including the world’s first travel bond and, in 2018, one of the fastest, highest raises on the Crowdcube platform. Tamara was awarded an MBE for services to the British travel industry in 2014. 

     

    Today, Mr & Mrs Smith has more than 2 million members worldwide and commercial partnerships with some of the world’s biggest travel companies including British Airways. The business became a certified B Corp in 2022 and was acquired by Hyatt in 2023.

     

    Tamara frequently speaks on topics including entrepreneurship, resilience, digital innovation, women in technology and leadership. Outside Mr & Mrs Smith, she mentors and invests in start-ups, serves as non-executive director on the board of Fortnum & Mason and adventure travel company, Much Better Adventures.

  • Amanda Arrowsmith is the People and Transformation Director at the CIPD, a role she assumed in October 2022. With over 25 years of experience in HR across public, private, and third sectors, Amanda brings a wealth of global HR knowledge and a unique understanding of diverse organisational cultures. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and has previously volunteered committee member, blogger, speaker, and panel member.   She also volunteers as an independent committee member at the NCVO. Her broad expertise enables her to add value to businesses by focusing on the development of people and organisations in line with business strategy.

     

    As a speaker, Amanda is known for challenging the status quo and focusing on practical, real-world solutions. She is able to deliver thought-provoking insights and tangible takeaways. Amanda’s perspective on 'people and culture' emphasises the importance of individual stories in shaping a company’s culture and her advocacy for flexible working practices reflects her forward-thinking approach to talent management.

  • Julia Hobsbawm OBE is a broadcaster, consultant and award-winning writer about how we live and work today. Her books include The See-Saw: 100 Ideas for Work-Life Balance; The Nowhere Office; The Simplicity Principle; and Working Assumptions. She is the co-host of the popular podcast The Nowhere Office and writes and comments for media including Bloomberg and the Financial Times. Julia has three children and two step-children and described herself now as a ‘Young Granny’.

     

  • Clare is Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft UK where she is responsible for all of Microsoft's product and service offerings in the UK and for supporting the success of our commercial customers and partners. Clare has a deep passion for diversity and inclusion and for helping young people succeed in tech careers across the sector. 

      

    Prior to October 2020, Clare was Microsoft UK's Chief Operating Officer for four years where she orchestrated the direction and success of the sales, marketing and services resources in each of Microsoft UK's business groups. In this role she also led strategy and planning for the UK subsidiary, while overseeing the central marketing function for the subsidiary. 

      

    With nearly three decades in the IT industry, most of them in diverse roles across Microsoft, Clare was previously General Manager of the Small, Medium Enterprise & Partner Group at Microsoft UK. In this role she led a team driving sales and marketing efforts, providing comprehensive solutions for small to medium-sized businesses and Microsoft's partner community. 

      

    Before joining Microsoft, Clare held many business development and marketing related roles within the IT and distribution channel. 

     

    In 2019, Clare was appointed to the Advisory Council of the British Heart Foundation. She is a non-executive director on the board of the CBI and is a member of the CBI's President’s Committee. Clare lives in London with her husband and two sons. 

  • Holly is a Creative Strategist at The News Movement, where she works across all our creative commercial briefs, as well as being the Editor of Capsule, our fashion and pop culture brand. Holly loves keeping her finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist, and thoughtfully analysing emerging patterns in culture. Before joining TNM, Holly co-founded The Know, a media company helping millennial women have a healthier relationship with the news. She has an English degree from Oxford, and runs a creative writing group in her spare time.

  • Stephanie Leung is the Founder and CEO of KareHero (formerly Caresourcer), the UK's only fully comprehensive later life care support service, addressing the legal, financial (non-FCA), and medical care needs for all adults with acute or chronic health conditions.



    KareHero has helped 3 millions families since inception with personalised care expertise, incl. hospital discharge, unlocking £4.6 million in care funding, and saving caregivers time & money. Before KareHero, Stephanie sat on the board of Uber UK and managed its Operations across Europe, and is currently a Non-Exec Director at FTSE100 Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. She completed her Masters at Harvard & Cambridge where she specialised in health and population policy.

  • Ruby is an experienced business advisor with a three-decade-long career in professional services. She spent the last 20 years at PwC, where she became a senior partner. Additionally, she has been the Chair and Non-Executive Director of TOTM for 5 years. Ruby is passionate about championing better, sustainable ways to manage periods.


  • Nishma Patel Robb is a creative leader, marketing strategist, and a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her background leading teams at Google demonstrates an innate ability to build human-centred marketing campaigns. Nishma is a sought-after voice for her expertise in building inclusive cultures and her insights on the intersection of technology with social good and the power of creativity, AI and storytelling to help grow people, businesses and cultures. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of leaders and creating a more equitable future.

    As CEO and Founder of The Glittersphere - Nishma plans to help unlock the power of female creators, leaders and entrepreneurs, fostering collaborations that elevate brands, spark meaningful cultural change, and attract healthy investment!

    Nishma is the current President of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership), President of the History of Advertising Trust (taking the reins from Keith Weed and Sir John Hegarty), is a Fellow of the IPA and a Fellow of The Marketing Society.

    When not geeking out on advertising, media and all things creative, Nishma can be found in Pinner with her teenage twins and Milly the maltipoo or learning how to DJ!

    As the Senior Director of Brand and Reputation Marketing at Google UK, Nishma lead the strategy and execution of campaigns and initiatives that showcase how Google's products and services help people and businesses in their everyday lives. With over 16 years of experience in marketing, sales, and general management, Nishma has a proven track record of delivering innovative and impactful projects and programmes, such as Digital Garage, This is My YouTube, Brandcast, and Be Internet Legends.

  • Cordi is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of the UK’s largest electricity distribution network, serving more than eight million customers across the East and West Midlands, Southwest and South Wales. As President, Cordi is accountable for National Grid’s £6bn investment programme that will be delivered between 2023-28, keeping clean, fair, affordable power flowing to homes and businesses across our region.

    Previously Cordi was President of National Grid Ventures, where she led the development, financing, construction and operation of large-scale energy assets; such as electricity interconnectors, LNG storage and regasification, onshore wind and solar generation.

    Cordi also served as Chief Operating Officer at National Grid’s US Gas Business and before that she ran the UK System Operator for National Grid, where she oversaw the strategy, planning and operation of over 14,000 miles of gas and electricity networks in Great Britain.

    In her time at National Grid, Cordi has been a strong advocate for innovative solutions to a decarbonised energy market, believing clean technology solutions and new demand response initiatives can help to deliver Government targets for net zero.

    Cordi is a leading member of ELC and a strong supporter for POWERful Women.

    Cordi became a fellow of the UK Energy Institute in 2016, acknowledging her significant experience in UK and European energy markets and networks. She was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the energy industry.