Mariella Frostrup
Co-Founder of Women in Work, Journalist & Presenter

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 Mahon
CEO of Superstruct Entertainment

Alex Mahon leads one of the world’s leading live entertainment companies, operating more than 80 music festivals across Europe and Australia, including Germany’s Wacken Open Air and Barcelona’s Sónar.
She joined Superstruct in 2025 after nearly eight transformative years as CEO of Channel 4, where she made history as the first woman to lead a major UK broadcaster and successfully defended the organisation’s public ownership through two privatisation attempts.
At Channel 4, she drove the shift to a digital-first public service media company, building the UK’s largest free streaming service and dramatically expanding impact across the nations and regions. A passionate advocate for equitable representation, she has championed women’s health at work and disability inclusion throughout her career.
Her path spans science, technology, and the creative industries. She began in Physics before earning a PhD in Medical Physics from Imperial College London, later leading global production powerhouse Shine Group and software firm Foundry. She also serves as a non-executive board member of Chanel Inc., bringing together creativity, technology, and business leadership in her role transforming live entertainment experiences.

Dr Nighat Arif
GP - Specialising in Women's Health

Dr Nighat Arif is a GP specialising in women's health, family planning and menopause care with over 18 years of experience in the NHS and she runs her own private practice. She is an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is a medical broadcaster on TV and Radio. She is a health content creator working with YouTube Health and the WHO Fides programme as well as co-host on a Podcast called “That Time of The Month”.
Dr Nighat is the Ambassador for Wellbeing of Women and co-founder of The Health Collective.
Dr Nighat is the recipient of the 2023 Prime Ministers 'Point of Light' Award in recognition of her work of raising awareness of Women's Health issues in the UK and the 2024 Woman of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards as well as recognised with having her portrait in the National Portrait Gallery as one of the “LEGENDS” making waves in healthcare in the UK.
Dr Nighat Arif is the author of the bestselling The Knowledge: Your guide to female health from Menstruation to the Menopause, a fully inclusive and illustrated book on all things women’s health. Her work has been published in British Vogue, The Times and Good Housekeeping.

Anna Whitehouse
Founder of Mother Pukka

In 2015, Anna Whitehouse founded Mother Pukka - a platform that became a rallying point for parents navigating the highs and lows of modern-day life. Drawing on her own experiences as a working mother, Anna launched the Flex Appeal campaign to challenge the outdated and inflexible working practices that disproportionately affect women, particularly those with young children. Her call was simple but powerful: flexible working should be the norm, not the exception.
Over the years, Anna’s campaign has evolved into a nationwide movement, culminating in a historic victory in 2024 when the Flexible Working Bill was passed into law. This groundbreaking legislation gives all workers the right to request flexible working from day one and ensures that employers provide greater transparency and fairness for workers across the UK. The new law also allows employees to submit up to two requests per year, making it easier for individuals to manage work-life balance without fear of discrimination.
For Anna, the passing of the Flexible Working Bill was the culmination of years of tireless campaigning, but she remains resolute in her belief that there is still much work to be done. Her advocacy continues to focus on normalising flexible working across industries and ensuring that workplace policies promote inclusivity, equality, and well-being for all.

Mervyn Davies, Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE
Executive Chairman at Letter One

Mervyn Davies, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE is a British former banker and was previously a Labour government minister. Prior to Government, he was a Director, Chief Executive and Chairman of Standard Chartered PLC for 12 years.
Lord Davies is currently Executive Chairman of LetterOne and following a recent announcement, he is now Chairman of Holland & Barrett, tasked with leading the business through the next phase of growth and expansion.
Lord Davies is also Chair of the Advisory Board for Consello, Chairman of Glyndebourne Opera House and Chairman of Artfarm (Hauser & Wirth). He is also the former Chairman of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), finishing a successful tenure after the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Lord Davies is passionate about the arts, sports and business, and chairs a variety of private high-growth companies.
With football as one of Lord Davies’ long-standing passions, it was announced in 2025 that he is now co-owner of Salford City Football Club (SCFC), together with David Beckham, Gary Neville and Declan Kelly, of Consello. Lord Davies serves as the new Co-Chair of the Club’s Board.
Lord Davies was awarded a CBE for his services to the financial sector and the community in Hong Kong in June 2002 where he served as a member of the HK Exchange fund for seven years. Lord Davies is a JP in Hong Kong, and he is an Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff Business School. He is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Lord and Lady Davies have been married for over 45 years, with two children and four grandchildren.

Dame Carolyn McCall
CEO of ITV

Dame Carolyn McCall OBE is CEO of ITV plc, which has undergone a significant transformation to ensure it thrives and succeeds in a ferociously competitive digital media world. Under Carolyn's leadership since 2018, ITV has successfully transitioned from a linear organisation to a strong linear and digital media, entertainment and global production business.
Between 2010 and 2017, Carolyn was CEO of easyJet, leading a turnaround that resulted in a customer-focused airline that made it easy and affordable for passengers. The share price quadrupled during her tenure. From 2006 to 2010, Carolyn was CEO of the Guardian Media Group, leading six Divisions and creating the investment trust that helped to secure the Guardian's financial and editorial independence. From 2002, she was CEO of Guardian Newspapers Ltd.
Carolyn joined the Board of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation in 2024 and sits on the Finance and Commercial Committee. She also currently serves as a Non-Executive Director (NED) on the Board of Bridgepoint plc, and is the newly appointed President of The Marketing Society. She has previously served as a NED of Burberry, Tesco, Lloyds TSB and New Look Group plc. She served as a Trustee of the Royal Academy for 8 years, and Chaired their Corporate Advisory Board during this time.
In 2016, she was awarded a DBE for services to the aviation industry and received an OBE in 2008 for services to women in business. She was named Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year in 2008 and has received awards for business leadership from the Evening Standard and City AM. She has been named the most admired leader by Management
Today three times, the only person to have won the award for two separate companies.

Kelly Beaver, MBE
Chief Executive of Ipsos

Kelly Beaver MBE is Chief Executive of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland, one of the largest and most innovative research organisations in the UK. With over 2,000 specialist research, operational, and advisory employees across 12 offices, Ipsos delivers reliable information and true understanding of Society, Markets and People.
In addition to her role in Ipsos she also holds several honorary positions external to Ipsos in academia and charities. Kelly is a regular commentator in the national press and broadcast media. She is experienced at presenting to senior audiences on public and business leader opinion and societal and consumer trends across a range of topics including trust, gender equality, employee engagement, leadership, and many others. She was awarded an MBE in June 2022 as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to academia, research and the COVID-19 response, and was named in Female FTSE Board Report - 100 Women to Watch 2022.

Pavita Cooper
Chair of 30% Club UK

Pavita Cooper is recognised as a leading culture and diversity expert; she has over 30 years’ experience as an executive culture leader across a range of global blue-chip organisations, including Shell, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group. Pavita has acted as an advisor to Boards, CEOs and executive teams across sectors that include financial services, energy, consumer and luxury goods. Pavita is a passionate advocate and relentless campaigner for greater equity across business and society. She is a regular speaker and media contributor on improving representation across business. Pavita is Chair of the 30 Percent Club UK, the oldest gender campaign in the UK. She is also at trustee of the King’s Trust and the Old Vic Theatre. Pavita is a previous recipient of Woman of the Year at the Asian Business Awards; in 2025 she was listed in the Powerlist of the 100 most influential Asians in the UK.

Karen Blackett
Former WPP UK President

Karen Blackett is a proven turnaround CEO with a 30-year track record in value creation, energising teams, creating vibrant cultures and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, where she was directly responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest
market of 13,000 people, and managing revenue of $2 billion. Karen has extensive multinational experience having previously served as EMEA Chief Operating Officer, with key priority markets being Russia, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and Israel. In 2014, Karen topped The Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1. As a long-term champion of the Creative Industry sector, Karen has been a Non-Executive Director for Creative UK since 2016. Karen was appointed Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth in 2017, the first Alumna to become Chancellor, and was a former Non-Executive Director of The UK Government Cabinet Office. Karen founded The Black Equity Organisation in 2021, alongside David Lammy MP, David Olusoga OBE, Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, Ric Lewis and Dame Vivian Hunt. BEO is an independent, national Black civil rights organisation created to dismantle systemic racism in Britain, drive generational change and deliver better lived experiences for Black people across the country. In June 2022, Karen was appointed a Non-Executive Director for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company. Karen has been awarded honorary doctorates from The University of Portsmouth, Southbank University, Reading University, Ravensbourne University and is a Fellow of Kings College London. In April 2024, Karen was awarded Freedom of the City of London and received a CBE for Services to Advertising and The Creative Industries in the January 2025 King’s New Years honours. In May 2025, Karen joins The Board of The British Fashion Council.

Jo Farmer
Managing Partner at Lewis Silkin

Jo Farmer is Joint Managing Partner at Lewis Silkin, a law firm focused on what really matters to business – its ideas and its people. Lewis Silkin is a firm that has always followed its own path, purposefully challenging the norm, and seeking to help shape the future by working with individuals and businesses who are forging the way forward across innovation, tech, and creativity.
Jo plays a pivotal role in steering the firm's strategic direction and fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation. With a deep commitment to social mobility, Jo has been a vocal advocate for creating opportunities within the legal profession for individuals from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Her personal journey and professional achievements have inspired many, as she actively campaigns for greater social mobility in the legal sector, ensuring that talent and potential are recognised regardless of socio-economic background.
She has also been instrumental in implementing a ground-breaking parental leave policy at Lewis Silkin, which allows all new parents to take up to 52 weeks of leave, with 26 weeks at full pay, regardless of gender or sex. This policy is designed to support both parents in balancing their professional and personal lives, and to challenge outdated gender stereotypes in the workplace. Rather uniquely, Jo didn’t want this policy to be a USP for Lewis Silkin, but rather set the industry norm and has therefore challenged other law firms to follow suit and has proactively offered to share the policy so that other can understand, learn and implement themselves. Jo's efforts in this area have not only benefited the Lewis Silkin's employees but have also set a benchmark for the legal industry, promoting a more equitable and supportive environment for all.
In addition to her leadership roles, Jo is a leading lawyer in the field of advertising and brand reputation and is recognised as an Eminent Practitioner by Chambers UK. She advises a range of high-profile clients, from brand owners and content creators, to communications agencies and media platforms.

Jill Henderson
Head of Workplace Strategic Relationship at Scottish Widows

Jill Henderson celebrates 26yrs at Scottish Widows this year, having spent most of this time in and around Workplace Pensions. Most recently Jill took on the role as Head of Workplace Strategic Relationships, building relationships with financial advisers, consultancies, and workplace clients. Previous roles include interim Head of Workplace Relationships, and Partnership Director.
Jill has a long-standing passion for financial equality, and is Co-Chair of the Sottish Widows Women in Retirement workstream.

Liz Claydon
Partner at KPMG

Liz Claydon is the Global Head of Deal Advisory and a Vice Chair of the UK firm. She also leads the KPMG Global Life Sciences sector. Liz has spent the majority of her 18 year partner career advising clients across the Consumer, Retail and Life Sciences sectors on large, complex carve out transactions & transformations.
Liz is a dedicated leader, mentor and advocate for inclusion, diversity and equality and co-chair of the KPMG Senior Business Women’s Network.

Roisin Currie CBE
Chief Executive of Greggs

Roisin Currie grew up in Glasgow and graduated from Strathclyde University having read Business Law and Business Management. She embarked on a career with Asda, joining their Graduate Programme during the era of Archie Norman and Allan Leighton.
She spent 20 years in various roles and locations across the UK, including Head of Reward, Retail People Director and then latterly as Distribution People Director based in Leeds.
Roisin left to join Greggs in 2010 as Group People Director, becoming Retail Operations and People Director in 2017, and then Retail and Property Director in 2021, before being appointed to Chief Executive in May 2022. In July 2024, Roisin was appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director of Howdens.
Roisin is Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending - a voluntary role working with the Ministry for Justice and New Futures Network encouraging employers to give people a second chance to change their lives having been through the Criminal Justice System. Roisin was instrumental in the conception of Greggs’ ‘Fresh Start’ employability programme, designed to help encourage and support people leaving prison into paid employment within Greggs.
Roisin is also a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Mia Balogun
Assistant Brand Manager at McDonald’s UK & Ireland

Mia Balogun is a passionate brand marketer with experience building globally recognised brands through strategic partnerships, digital engagement, and integrated marketing. Currently she is the Assistant Brand Manager at McDonald’s UK&I where she sits within the Loyalty & Partnerships team delivering customer engagement initiatives across the McDonald’s app that strengthen loyalty, enhance the digital customer journey, and drive business growth.
Before joining McDonald’s, Mia was the Global Brand Marketing Coordinator at The Walt Disney Company within consumer products, delivering high impact campaigns across iconic brands and franchises including Marvel, Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess and more, plus partnering with global licensees such as P&G, Funko, LEGO and Just Play to bring integrated campaigns to life.
Before Disney, she was the Global Marketing Executive for the award-winning Monkey Shoulder whisky. There, she led marketing initiatives spanning digital, CRM, advocacy, content, shopper, and brand experiences, helping strengthen the brand’s global presence.
Mia combines strategic thinking and storytelling with strong stakeholder collaboration and project management. Most importantly - she believes in leading with kindness, compassion, bringing positive energy and creating environments where teams and partners can thrive.

Kate Thompson
KMT Advisory

Bio coming soon.

Susan Hope
Business Development Director at Scottish Widows

Susan Hope is a Chartered Financial Planner and Business Development Director at Scottish Widows, where she leads a business development team focused on workplace pensions and employee engagement.
With over three decades of experience in the financial services industry, Susan is a passionate champion for closing the gender pension gap and empowering women to build financial resilience. Her advocacy recently took her to the House of Lords, where she spoke on the critical importance of financial wellbeing for women across the UK.
Combining personal insight with deep professional expertise, Susan is a regular contributor to both trade and consumer media. She frequently speaks on the intersection of money, motherhood, and the financial lessons often missed.
Susan currently holds the title of Women in Financial Advice Role Model of the Year (2023 & 2024) and was recently honoured as Diversity and Inclusion Advocate for Women in Finance by Business Women Scotland

Heather Blundell
UK CEO of Grayling

Heather is the UK CEO of Grayling and has spent more than 15 years advising some of the world's largest companies and brands in the UK and internationally. She is a trusted adviser to business leaders navigating periods of significant change, and a leading UK media expert and commentator. Heather is recognised as one of the industry's most established experts in leading integrated campaigns that help drive trust, reputation, and business growth. She has won seven Cannes Lions, including a Gold Lion for 'Creative Commerce'. In her role as UK CEO, she oversees Grayling's 200 employees in the UK, across nine different offices. Heather is passionate about increasing diversity and inclusivity in the workplace and has placed this front and centre of Grayling's business strategy, delivering work that inspires and motivates, bridges the diversity gap, removes barriers, and empowers individuals.  Her desire to create an equitable agency has forged several pioneering partnerships, including Global Purpose Enterprise, PR Mums, Creative Access, Lexxic Neurodiversity Experts, Tommy’s and MeVitae. Heather has also launched six new Employee Resource Groups from diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, sexualities and neurodivergent traits. These groups cover LGBT+, Parenting, Wellbeing and Mental Health, People of Colour, Faith and The Women’s Network.

Annette Male
CEO, Northern Europe at dentsu

As CEO, Annette Male is focused on building deeper, more flexible partnerships that unlock tremendous value and create a significant impact for our clients and people.
Annette brings nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and technology having worked with a renowned portfolio of brands including HSBC, Visa, Disney, Nestle and Unilever.
Before coming to dentsu, she held APAC leadership roles including heading up the Global Agency partnerships for Meta across the region. Prior to this, she served as the APAC CEO for both Wunderman Thompson and Digitas.

Iris Bohnet
Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and co-director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School

Iris Bohnet is the Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and co-director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School. A behavioural economist, she combines insights from economics and psychology to improve decision-making in organisations and society, often through a gender and cross-cultural lens. She is the author of the award-winning What Works: Gender Equality by Design and co-author of Make Work Fair. Iris advises governments and companies around the world on embedding equity at work

Dame Diana Jonhson
Labour Member of Parliament, Minister of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Bio coming soon.

Mary Ann Sieghart
Visiting Professor at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School

Author of The Authority Gap, SID and NED on public company boards, TED speaker. Visiting Professor at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, former Assistant Editor of The Times, Lex Columnist at the FT and BBC Radio 4 presenter

Debbie Wosskow
Co-chair of the UK’s Invest In Women Taskforce

Debbie is a prolific angel investor and the co Chair of the U.K. government backed ‘Invest in Women Taskforce’. Appointed by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, she has raised an initial funding point of £250m to support female powered businesses, the largest in the world. She is the co-founder of WJV, the boutique investment and strategic innovation firm, championing diversity, wellness and economic empowerment and a Founding Advisor to Smart Society Ventures. Debbie is Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, empowering women's performance at midlife through science-backed products. She is a Non Executive Director of Channel 4 and a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company. She is the co- Author of the business bestseller ‘Believe, Build, Become - How to Supercharge your Career’ (Penguin 2019). Debbie is a Board Member of The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and The Women’s Prize for Fiction, where she Chairs the Development Board. She is a Former Evening Standard 'Entrepreneur of the Year’ and Author of the 'Wosskow Review on the Sharing Economy' for the UK government (2015) and former Chair of Sharing Economy UK. Debbie was awarded an OBE in June 2016 & received Freedom of the City of London 2019. She graduated with an MA in Philosophy and Theology from New College, Oxford.

Janine Chamberlain
UK Country Manager at LinkedIn

Janine Chamberlin is UK Country Manager at LinkedIn and Vice President, Talent Solutions. In her role, she is responsible for driving member growth, strategic partnerships and revenue across the UK, as well as leading sales teams around the world as they help companies to attract and develop the talent they need to succeed. With 41+ million members in the UK and over 1.1 billion members globally, LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

Janine has 16 years of experience building and leading teams at LinkedIn having joined the company in its infancy in 2008. She has advised customers and clients on their marketing and workforce strategies, and helped to grow LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions and Talent Solutions businesses. Prior to LinkedIn, Janine held positions at Wanadoo and Orange UK, where she led online advertising teams.

Janine is passionate about technology, diversity and talent, and helping companies to develop strategies to scale and grow. In 2017, she completed a master’s degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change at INSEAD.

Nicola Hodson
Chair of IBM UK & Ireland

Dr Nicola Hodson was appointed Chair, IBM UK and Ireland, in January 2025. Prior to taking on this role, Dr Hodson served as Chief Executive IBM UK and Ireland, a position she held for two years.
Dr Hodson is an accomplished technology industry leader with a deep understanding of the challenges facing the tech industry, as well as extensive experience in business and digital transformation. In 2023 and again in 2024, Dr Hodson ranked highly in Computer Weekly’s list of the 50 most influential people in UK technology, and in CRN’s 2024 A-List.
Dr Hodson held senior positions at Microsoft for 15 years, including as a global leader of the transformation of the Microsoft commercial sales, marketing and operations business and UK Chief Operating Officer covering its UK commercial and consumer business.
As Deputy President of techUK, the trade association for the IT industry, Dr Hodson has a wide breadth of experience and understanding of the tech sector, from large companies to start-ups, coupled with significant experience in the energy sector. She has extensive Board experience across multiple sectors, including Beazley plc, Drax Group plc, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). She has formerly served as a non-executive at Ofgem, the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) group, as a governor of Bradfield College, and as a director of start-up Bramble Energy.
Dr Hodson previously worked in the IT and business services division of Siemens, at CSC (now DXC), as a management consultant for EY and in the nuclear industry at BNFL.
Dr Hodson holds an MBA and a PhD in Engineering. She is married with three sons and two stepsons, loves outdoor pursuits and is a keen motorbike enthusiast.

Lyndsey Simpson
CEO/Founder of 55 Redefined

Bio coming soon.

Josh Harris
CEO of Neverland

Dad to Vinnie, Husband to Kate, WACL Male Ally and CEO of Neverland. Josh is one of the UK's most respected agency CEOs, with experience across start-ups, global networks, and everything in between. Josh is deeply committed to opening up the industry and nurturing the next generation of talent. He was recently named one of WACL's first Male Allies, and at Neverland has helped drive the award-winning Neverland Flying Academy, created to give underrepresented talent greater access to advertising.

Joeli Brearly
Director of Growth-Spurt.UK, Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed

Joeli Brearley is a prominent British activist, author, and public speaker, best known as the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity dedicated to addressing workplace discrimination and the motherhood penalty. Her work has inspired changes at both societal and legislative levels. She is credited with influencing the recent £5.2 billion investment in childcare, as well changing laws on flexible working, tribunal time limits, and redundancy protections. In 2021 she took the Government to court for indirect sex discrimination and won her claim. Joeli spearheaded the biggest protest of mothers the UK has ever seen - March of the Mummies saw 15,000 parents march across 10 UK cities garnering nationwide attention for demanding workplace equality and better policies for parents. Joeli has been recognised for her influence in activism and gender equality. She was listed among British Vogue’s “25 Most Influential Women,’’ was PR week’s 8th most prominent British communicator in 2023, and was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours. She frequently contributes to high-profile publications, raising awareness about the systemic challenges faced by working mothers. Her book, Pregnant Then Screwed: The Truth About the Motherhood Penalty, has been lauded for its candid exploration of these issues and for empowering women to fight back against discrimination. Joeli remains a tireless advocate for creating a fairer and more inclusive workplace for women everywhere.

Look who’s talking…