The one-day, super-charged, in-person Summit.

08:15 Registration, Coffee & Hellos

  • Enjoy a continental breakfast overlooking the Regent’s Canal, network with other business peers and expand your network. Located in the Battlebridge room, ground floor.

09.00: Opening session and wake-up call - what does a “successful” career path look like for a woman throughout her life trajectory? 

  • 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 groundbreaking BBC1 documentary The Truth about Menopause and she currently presents her own daily show on Times Radio covering issues of the day.

09.10 -9.40: ROOM 1 - INSPIRATTION KEYNOTE: Making the Choice to Commit to Equity as a Long-term Business Strategy

  • Creating an equitable workforce is a concerned choice that requires leadership, commitment and full cultural and behavioural change. Change that starts at the very top. Hear why and how Octopus Energy chose to embrace whole-scale business transformation that prioritises the health and wellness of all genders. From transparent policies, implementation and robust cultural initiatives, hear what’s worked, what hasn’t and how to adapt and shift momentum based on employee sentiment and results.

  • Item description

09.40 - 10.20: ROOM 1 - INSPIRATION PANEL - Visible (Men &) Women - How and Why High-Profile Role Models Must Inspire a New Generation of Leaders

  • It’s important to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. To inspire more women at all levels in business, we need highly visible ambassadors and role models who show (not tell) younger women the way.

    We’ll hear from high-profile senior female and male mentors and advocates at work, who help raise other women up by setting an example.

  • Item description

  • Item description

09.40 - 10.20: ROOM 2 - IMPLEMENTATION “In God we trust. All others must bring data”  How to make the business case for equity at work

  • Undoubtedly, there is a huge economic benefit to advancing and retaining women in workplaces. But what about at an individual business level? In this session, we will hear from HR business partners who have successfully made and won the business case for policies and initiatives that have moved the needle on women’s policies.

    Understanding what data is meaningful v. surplus to requirements

    How to make incremental business cases which drive sure progress

    What matters most when presenting the evidence to (male) stakeholders

  • Item description

10.20 - 10.50: Break & Explore our Partner Pods

  • Grab yourself a coffee, network with peers and explore our amazing line up of partners on the Gallery level.

10.50-11:30: ROOM 1 - INSPIRATIONAL PANE - Manifestos on Women’s Health at Work: The Concerted Action We Must Take to Build a More Equitable Society

  • Where are we now and Where will we be in five years? A discussion around free childcare policies (and the practical implementation issues), flexible working policies, gender equity and its economic impact and how to make society fairer for all genders.

    What is the plan to deliver a fairer working environment for all genders?

    What can we learn from other countries and economies?

    What’s the all-party vision for gender equity at critical life-stages within the workforce?

    What would fairer parental leave look like in terms of its economic and societal impact? .

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

11.30- 11.50 ROOM 1 - INSPIRATION Fireside chat: Walking the Walk 

11.50-12.20 ROOM 1 - INSPIRATION : What is the true picture (and cost/opportunity) of the gender health gap?

  • Investments addressing the women’s health gap could add years to life and life to years, potentially boosting the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040 (McKinsey). Women make up the biggest users of healthcare services and, despite living longer, spend 25% more time in poor health. Here, we’ll look at the evidence and key stages of a woman's life - from menstruation to menopause - and how employers can play a supporting role to reduce inequality.

    What role do employers have in closing the health gap?

    How can policies and work cultures support women’s health?

    How can businesses de-stigmatize health conversations at work?

  • Item description

  • Item description

11.50- 12.20 -ROOM 1 - BREAKOUT SESSION - IMPLEMENTATION Moving from Policy to Effective Implementation at Scale (Parental Leave /  Flexible Working)

  • A policy is a piece of paper - what really matters is culture. And, “the culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate” (Gruenert & Whitaker). So what can business leaders do to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, beyond good intentions and company presentations? We’ll hear from Mark how organisations should join up what they put in place internally with external action.

12.20 - 13.45: Networking Lunch & Explore our Partner Pods

  • Network with peers over a buffet style lunch and explore our amazing line up of partners on the Gallery level.

12.20 - 13.45:Women of our Decade - Table Hosts - VIP (invite only)

13.45 - -14.15 - ROOM 1 - INSPIRTATION One Size Does Fit All: Why supporting women in the workplace is not just morally good, but economically essential

  • There is $5.8tnGDP gain to be made from increasing the female employment rate across the OECD to match that of Sweden's. (PwC, 2023). Hear from an accomplished economist on the incredible and sometimes surprising gains to be made from advancing women at work, why talent retention should be the number one priority and what businesses can do to create exponential returns when it comes to creating fairer policies

14.45-15.20: ROOM 2 - IMPLEMENTATION - One Size Does NOT fit all:  How to Move Away from Generic Initiatives to Construct Policies which Support Diverse and Complex Needs

  • A supported and happy workforce is a productive one. Businesses that acknowledge the complexity of women’s health journeys and life changes are more likely to generate better outcomes. It involves a holistic and nuanced approach to health, which includes mental health. So how can businesses move beyond the generic policies: i.e. one where salaries aren’t cut by 20% for a four-day week; where parental leave is considered beyond standard time lines and where every unique path is considered and respected? Hear and learn from innovative leaders on how to redesign workplaces for a new generation.

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

14.15-14.45: ROOM 1 - INSPIRATION - How to Advocate for all: Advancing the Understanding of work-based Gender Inequity through the lens of Intersectionality

  • Health transitions and stages of women are complex and all-too-often lumped together through a lens of gender and age inequality when intersectional factors also play a pivotal role. This is felt psychologically, physically and psycho-socially, with new evidence and understanding emerging at a rapid rate as to how health stages are experienced differently by different groups. Hear how to create inclusive, nuanced policies and approaches that advocate for all.

  • Item description

14.45-15.20: ROOM 1 - INSPIRTATION What Can the C-Suite do to Hold the Business (and themselves) to Account?

  • A policy is a piece of paper - what really matters is culture. And, “the culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate” (Gruenert & Whitaker). So what can business leaders do to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, beyond good intentions and company presentations? Hear from them directly.

  • Item description

  • Item description

  • Item description

15.50-16.20: ROOM 1 - INSPIRTATION What Does Good Look Like? What Does Great Look Like?  What Gets Measured Gets Managed

  • To make non-incremental gains, we need to have a clear idea as to what success looks like. Increased employee engagement? Better retention overall? Focused retention of a specific group? Productivity? Profitability? Engagement? This session will explore what different businesses are looking at to gauge success and what metrics we need to look at to get a holistic view of success.

  • Item description

15.20- 15.50: Break & Explore our partner pods

  • Grab yourself a coffee, network with peers and explore our amazing line up of partners on the Gallery level.

16.20- 16.50: ROOM 1 - INSPIRATION: Futurist & Panel of Gen Z. Gen Z onwards: Understanding the Aspirations, Hopes & Dreams of The New and Next Generation.

  • What do they want?

17.00 - 17:20: Closing Session & Overview

  • 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 groundbreaking BBC1 documentary The Truth about Menopause and she currently presents her own daily show on Times Radio covering issues of the day.

17.45: End of day networking drinks hosted by HAKLUYT

  • After a day of deep learning and discussions, join our evening networking drinks reception hosted by Hakluyt located in the battlebridge room. Drawing together speakers, partners, sponsors and attendees you will be able to informally network with other business peers, expand your network and enjoy an interesting evening at our spectacular venue.

All live talks are CPD accredited. Please ask a member of the WiW team on the day for details of how to download your CPD certificate and collect your CPD credits.