WIG D&I Conference 2025 - Convening Diverse Perspectives to Catalyse Inclusive Growth
Now in its 11th year, WIG’s Diversity & Inclusion Conference provides a unique platform to discuss diversity as a driver for benchmarking and collaborating across sectors to create inclusive and high-performance workplaces as key to prosperity.
WIG’s D&I Conference 2025 will bring diverse perspectives together from across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors to support the leaders of today and tomorrow solve big issues for the benefit of the common good. This year’s theme is convening diverse perspectives to catalyse inclusive growth.
The agenda will focus on delivering measurable change for inclusion within organisations across the sectors. Topics to be covered on the day include:
- Next generation leadership – what does the future hold?
- The modern D&I professional
- How does diversity and inclusion help with driving mission-led government?
- The inclusive transformation of line managers
- Corporate wellbeing
- Accepting challenge and collaborating to create meaningful change
Why Attend?
This one-day, multi-stream, cross-sector conference is your chance to gain practical and insightful information from senior and future leaders, Chief People Officers, senior HR and D&I practitioners, and business experts through a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions, case studies and interactive workshops. Throughout the day you will also have the opportunity to expand your network and discuss what you have heard with peers.
At WIG’s D&I Conference 2025 you will:
- Hear first-hand, lived experiences and gain practical insights, enabling you to implement meaningful change in your organisation
- Discuss current and future challenges facing leaders and organisations across the sectors, identify key learnings and prioritise next steps for you and your team
- Debate and challenge the value of standardising D&I and the practicalities of cross-sector benchmarking
- Develop your skillset by understanding what it takes to be a successful and sustainable D&I professional in 2025 and beyond
- Build your network within a unique cross-sector cohort of peers from a wide range of organisations
Through our cross-sector approach you will gain fresh perspectives from outside of your sector, inspiring clear solutions and providing you with practical tools to take back to your role and organisation.
Join us in March to share and compare with colleagues from across the sectors, approaches to developing good leaders to become the engine for delivering growth.
Confirmed Speakers
Susannah Storey is the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Previously, Susannah was Director General for Digital Technologies and Telecoms at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Director General for Digital and Media Policy at the then Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Prior to this role, Susannah was Director General at the Department for Exiting the European Union. Before joining DExEU, she held a number of director roles at BEIS, DECC and UK Government Investments.
Fiona Ryland has been the Government Chief People Officer since September 2022.
Fiona joined the Civil Service from University College London (UCL) where she was Vice-President of Operations.
Before that, Fiona led the HR, Communications, Corporate Responsibility and Business Excellence teams for Compass Group UK and Ireland. She also has extensive experience of HR management and operations at retailers including Comet, Dixons and Asda - in particular, establishing new apprenticeship and graduate programmes to benefit young people and colleagues at early stages of their career.
Fiona graduated in Chemical Engineering from Bath University and also has a BSc in Psychology from the Open University.
Outside of work, Fiona is married and lives in the Chilterns. She is an avid Leyton Orient supporter.
Mel is Chief Executive of MTVH (Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing) one of the UK’s leading providers of affordable homes to rent and buy.
Mel has extensive experience in local government, housing and regeneration. Prior to joining MTVH Mel was Chief Executive at Nottingham City Council where he provided leadership to the council’s 6,000 staff delivering vital public services on behalf of one of the UK’s Core Cities, securing economic growth and improving life chances. He also collaborated with others to rapidly deliver the East Midlands devolution deal and oversaw the elections for the first ever East Midlands regional mayor.
Mel has a successful track record in the management of large-scale customer facing services, organisational change and transformation initiatives, and working in partnership to deliver large-scale regeneration and development projects.
From 2015 to 2020 Mel was Chief Executive of Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council where he guided officers and elected members during the conclusion of a £1.2bn Joint Venture for the 3,500 home first phase of Manydown, a new Garden Community.
Mel holds a BSc (Hons) in Land Management, an MBA from City University Business School, London and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
He was previously a Commissioner on the Commission for Creating Healthy Cities established by Kellogg College, University of Oxford, in partnership with The Prince’s Foundation.
Fiona is the Chief Inclusion Officer at BT Group, leading the strategy on gender balance, racial and LGBTQ+ equity and accessibility for people with disability. She recently completed a Masters of Social Anthropology at SOAS University of London. Prior to joining BT Group in July 2023, Fiona was the Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at BHP, a multi-national mining company with more than 80,000 employees and contractors. During her 6 years at BHP, female representation increased from 17% to 35% targeting the goal of gender balance by 2025.
Prior to joining BHP, Fiona spent over 20 years in the banking sector in operational and HR roles, including as Global Head of Diversity at ANZ Bank where she gained deep expertise in designing inclusive products and services. Fiona is committed to inclusive and equitable societies and workplaces where no-one is left behind.
Tim Soutphommasane is Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Oxford and Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory. He is Senior Research Fellow at Balliol College and also holds a professorial appointment at the University of Sydney.
Tim’s research focuses on questions of patriotism, multiculturalism, race, human rights and leadership. He is the author of five books: On Hate (Hachette, 2019), I’m Not Racist But … 40 Years of the Racial Discrimination Act (New South, 2015), Don’t Go Back To Where You Came From: Why Multiculturalism Works (New South, 2012), The Virtuous Citizen: Patriotism in a Multicultural Society (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Reclaiming Patriotism: Nation-Building for Australian Progressives (Cambridge University Press, 2009). He is currently working on an Australian Research Council funded project investigating the ideologies and practices of anti-racism in Australia.
He was previously Director of Culture Strategy at the University of Sydney (2019-2022) and Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner (2013-2018). As Commissioner, he led Australia’s national efforts in combatting racial discrimination during a period of extensive debate about race, human rights and freedom of speech. His work and commentary have featured in outlets including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, New Statesman, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has supported numerous international organisations with culture change relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Neil Milliken is VP – Global Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion at Atos and a member of the Atos Research Community (ARC).
Neil is a leading strategist and community builder with over two decades of experience within the Accessibility and Assistive Technology fields and served as invited expert for the W3C Cognitive Accessibility Taskforce and on the Global Leadership Council for the IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals).
Neil is a member of the Board of Directors for World Institute on Disability, Non Exec Member of the Board at Genius Within, member of the advisory board of the Valuable500 & Served as Chair of the Diversity Board for Institute of Coding.
He is co-founder of AXSChat a Social Media Community & Podcast with a focus on Accessibility & Inclusion.
Neil is dyslexic and has ADHD, he advocates for people with neurodivergent conditions as well as other disabilities and additional needs.
Bernadette Thompson OBE is a distinguished leader in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), currently serving as Director of EDI at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. With an illustrious 23-year career in the Civil Service, she has left an enduring legacy across major UK Government Departments and Agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, Home Office, HM Treasury, Legal Aid Agency, Cabinet Office, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities.
Renowned for her strategic insight, Bernadette has spearheaded inclusion initiatives that have transformed cultures, embedded diversity, and driven meaningful change. A forward-thinking HR professional, she excels in areas such as culture, inclusion, and talent development, creating strategies that enhance accountability, broaden talent pipelines, and build inclusive, high-performing teams.
During her five years as co-chair of a cross-Government race network, Bernadette’s leadership garnered multiple accolades, cementing the network’s role as a driver of impactful change. Her ability to engage leaders across industries while inspiring teams at every level underscores her reputation as a trusted influencer and advocate for inclusive practices.
A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Bernadette is known for her dynamic presentations on topics ranging from diversity and organisational culture to leadership, employee engagement, and wellbeing. Her contributions have been widely recognised: in 2020, she won the Workplace Hero category at the national Investing in Ethnicity Awards; in 2021, she received the prestigious "We Are the City" Rising Star Champion Award and an OBE for services to Diversity and Inclusion.
Bernadette’s influence continued to grow in 2023, when she was named among the UK’s top 100 D&I inspirational leaders, featured on the Inclusive Leaders Powerlist, and won the Women for Africa Diversity and Inclusion award. In 2024, her exceptional contributions earned her the Leadership Award at the Zenith Global Healthcare Awards and the Nigerian Magazine Award for Culture. She has also contributed to thought-provoking works like Still Breathing and featured in SHE2’s Wonder Women publication, redefining modern workplace leadership.
Beyond her professional milestones, Bernadette is deeply committed to community engagement. She has served as a Community Governor at a local infant school for over 18 years and volunteered at high-profile events such as the 2012 Olympics, 2017 World Athletics, and 2022 Commonwealth Games. As a Trustee for King’s College Charity and Black Inclusion Week, and an advisory committee member for Black Women in HR and Career Nuggets, she continues to champion meaningful change within and beyond the workplace.
Natasha has extensive experience within several industries, where she has gained experience in business operations, talent and generalist HR, over the last 5 years she has specialised in Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. She is an experienced speaker, facilitator and training professional, with extensive experience supporting businesses. She is currently Head of Diversity, inclusion & Belonging at Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce have helped to shape the modern world and are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.
Natasha is co-founder and co-host of ‘D&I Spy: Inclusion Uncovered’ a weekly podcast, taking inclusion back to basics, tackling often unspoken topics with a number of high-profile guests from the entertainment, sport and business worlds.
Natasha lives in London, with her partner Shakey. She loves reading and learning, often travelling to feed her curiosity.
Attendees
This conference is aimed at anyone involved in making their organisation a more equal, inclusive, and high-performing workplace, including Chief People Officers, HR Directors, Heads of D&I, Talent, and L&D, Board Members, Academics, Recruitment/HR Personnel, Staff Network Leads, Senior teams – CEOs, COOs, Directors.
Attendees of our 2024 D&I conference included: ACAS, Anglo American plc, Associated British Ports, Bank of England, BNP Paribas, Browne Jacobson LLP, Cabinet Office, Citizens Advice, City & Guilds, Co-operative Group, Defra, Dentons UKMEA LLP, DBT, DCMS, DESNZ, DWP, Durham University, DWF LLP, Essex County Council, EY, FCA, Financial Ombudsman Service, FCDO, GLA, Haleon, HMPPS, Home Office, Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Physics, Kier Group plc, Legal Services Board, Local Government Association, London Borough of Camden, Mace Group, Making The Leap, Meteorological Office, MHCLG Microsoft Limited, MoD, MoJ, MITIE Group PLC, National Audit Office, Nationwide Building Society, Ofgem, Port of London Authority, PZ Cussons, QBE, Salesforce, Serco Group plc, Skanska, The British Academy, The Insolvency Service, The Security Industry Authority, Turn2us, UK Export Finance, UK Government Investments, Unipart Group, Which?, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, WRAP UK.
Tickets
Member Early Bird Ticket: £400 + VAT (valid until Friday 31 January 2025)
Non-Member Early Bird Ticket: £500 + VAT (valid until Friday 31 January 2025)
Member Ticket: £500 + VAT
Non-Member Ticket: £600 + VAT
Group discounts are available. Please email [email protected] to find out more.
Please note all attendees must register in advance to attend WIG events and may be asked to show photo ID on arrival.
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