WIG D&I Conference Agenda

 WIG D&I Conference Agenda

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08:45

Registration

09:30

Welcome and Housekeeping
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Chief Executive, WIG
Chloe Hoggard, Vice President, Salesforce

09:45

Opening Keynote Address
Susannah Storey, Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

10:10

Fireside Chat
Dr Nicola Hodson, Chair, IBM UK & Ireland

10:35

Next Generation Leadership – what does the future hold?
No matter the sector, we all face similar challenges. A panel of senior and future leaders explore diverse approaches to decision-making and debate how to best develop the future leadership needed to create and sustain inclusive approaches to cross-sector collaboration.

  • Who is the next generation of collaborative leaders, where are they, and how do they think?
  • How can D&I be harnessed as a catalyst for enabling cross-sector collaboration now and in a changing economic environment?
  • What insights can we gain from the mindset of future leaders and their approach to decision making to help support future talent development?

Featuring
Isabella Fasciani, Future Leaders Graduate Scheme, InterGenerational Mobility Co-Lead, Pfizer UK
Melbourne Barrett, Chief Executive, MTVH (Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing)
Michaela Francis, Regional Vice President for Mid Market, Salesforce
Patrick Dunne OBE, Chair, Boardelta, The Royal Voluntary Service, and ESSA

11:15

Break

11:40

The Modern D&I Professional
With global and local events impacting employees and organisations, it is vital organisations implement effective and agile D&I strategies that align with organisational strategy to improve performance. So, what does it take to be a successful and sustainable D&I professional in 2025 and beyond?

  • Explore how AI and other emerging technologies are supporting D&I professionals and what this means for their roles and organisations
  • Discuss how D&I teams can effectively deliver when under-resourced, and work in partnership with colleagues across HR, L&D and Talent.
  • Explore how D&I leaders look after themselves in an increasingly polarised working environment
  • Discuss how D&I leaders engage and align with the boardroom

Featuring
Bernadette Thompson OBE, Executive Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
Fiona Vines, Chief Inclusion Officer, BT Group
Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Chief Diversity Officer, University of Oxford

12:20

Corporate Wellbeing and Standardising Inclusion
In this session, we will hear from public and private sector organisations to explore holistic approaches to culture shift to deliver high-performance and meaningful change, and how are organisations are using metrics to drive positive behaviours as inclusion targets are built into procurement processes and are vital to cross-sector working.

  • Hear examples of creating psychological safety in an ever-polarised world, and the differences in approach by organisations across various sectors
  • Gain insight into the practicalities of cross-sector benchmarking, explore which metrics are most impactful and how reporting differs across the sectors
  • Explore how organisations track progress in creating more inclusive working environments and access to opportunities?

Featuring
Nikki Kirbell, Global Head of Wellbeing, Rolls-Royce
Rachel Rose, Interim Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Ofcom

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Inclusive by Design
With technology at the heart of interactions with employees, colleagues and customers, it is key to ensure accessibility is built in when designing and using new technologies to improve performance. These Digital Inclusion experts will:

  • Share insights from uncovering digital inclusion gaps and best practice tips to removing barriers
  • Discuss how organisations work in collaboration with external partners to build greater accessibility through digital confidence
  • Showcase how AI is being used to create more inclusive platforms and interactions with internal and external stakeholders

Featuring
Andrew Horton, Director Digital and Innovation, British Council
Neil Milliken, VP and Global Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion, Atos
Sherelle Fairweather, Digital Strategy Lead, Manchester City Council

14:30

The Talent Debate

This session will see senior Talent leaders discuss how to drive growth by bringing the best people with the best talent into your teams, whoever they are and wherever they are from.

  • How do organisations develop the next generation of leaders that reflect the society we live and work in?
  • What does good look like when building teams with diversity of thought and experience, and how do you make it happen?
  • How can we encourage more of todays and tomorrow’s leaders to move between sectors for career development to build diverse experiences of cross-sector leadership?

Featuring
Annisha Taylor, EDI Strategist and former BBC Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Nagina Kayani, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, WWF-UK
Shernett Ranson, Head of Public Appointments Talent & Outreach, Cabinet Office

15:00

Case Study: The Inclusive Transformation of Line Managers
With last year’s change in UK government, and with a mission-led approach demanding employers to think more about aligning diversity and inclusion to drive performance and growth, this session will explore how leaders are navigating this complex environment and owning inclusion in the changing workplace.

Matt Meynell, Deputy Director, Line Manager Capability, Government People Group
Krishma Sawami, Performance and Line Management Lead, Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government

15:30

Break

15:45

Accepting Challenge and Collaborating to Create Meaningful Change
In the final session, a panel of senior leaders will wrap up the conference by challenging the room to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, senior and future leaders, to develop long term, meaningful change in their organisations and across sectors.

  • Hear examples of how inclusive, high-performing teams have cultivated opportunities for cross-sector collaboration
  • Explore the value of engaging with peers from outside of your organisation through research, networking and mentoring
  • Set and commit goals for the year ahead and create partnerships on the day that build on the shared endeavour of delivering growth and prosperity for all

Featuring
Fiona Ryland, Government Chief People Officer, Government People Group
Adrian Shooter, Chief People & Culture Officer - UK, Ireland & Global Hub, PMI
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, Chair of Regeneration, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

16:30

Closing remarks

16:40

Reception/Networking

17:30

Close

Tickets


Member Ticket: £500 + VAT
Non-Member Ticket: £600 + VAT

Group discounts are available. Please email [email protected] to find out more.

 

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