Using insights from the Women in Work GEM (Gender Equity Measure), this data-led session examines where policy intent breaks down in practice, which leadership decisions materially shift outcomes, and where accountability must sit — with CEOs, boards, investors and government. A conversation focused on power, evidence and action.

Heather Blundell is UK CEO of Grayling, one of the UK's leading public relations agencies. Appointed in late 2023, she brings 15+ years of leadership experience as a trusted advisor to major UK companies. Heather is an established expert in integrated campaigns that drive corporate reputation and business growth, winning seven Cannes Lions over three years. Her career spans senior roles at Edelman, Weber Shandwick, and Ketchum before joining Grayling.

As Head of Global Public Policy Partnerships, Sarah Steinberg builds partnerships with governments and organizations around the world to harness LinkedIn’s vast data insights to understand the trends that are shaping labor markets and advance inclusive economic growth and competitiveness.

Prior to joining LinkedIn, Sarah led a signature $75 million global education initiative at JPMorgan Chase, a philanthropic leader dedicated to driving inclusive economic growth in communities worldwide. Through this work, she supported extraordinary local leaders in 10 communities around the world to leverage innovative new practices and policy solutions to expand access to real-world work experience, higher education, and good careers for underserved young people.

Before that, Sarah led workforce research and policy development at the Center for American Progress, including championing a groundbreaking approach to connect more young people to good jobs by dramatically expanding apprenticeships in the United States. Her work has been cited by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. She has a bachelor’s degree in government and sociology from Dartmouth College. Sarah serves as a board member of the National Skills Coalition, the leading organization championing the development and implementation of policies supporting skills training across the United States. She is an Aspen Institute Economic Mobility Fellow, part of a selective cross-sector program for senior business leaders advancing data- and innovation-driven approaches to economic opportunity.

Laura Biggs is an award-winning event leader and a passionate advocate for women’s health and workplace equity. For more than 25 years, she has built bold, purpose-driven platforms designed to challenge the status quo and turn big conversations into meaningful change. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Women in Work, a global summit series bringing together leaders from business, policy and culture to ask better questions — and demand better outcomes — for women at work.

Under Laura’s leadership, Women in Work has grown far beyond a single event into a year-round movement, with flagship summits in London and New York and an expanding presence at the World Economic Forum in Davos. At its heart is a simple belief Laura returns to often: if it’s good for women, it’s good for business — morally right and economically essential.

Laura’s work is deeply shaped by her own lived experience. She is a mum to Will (20) and Isabella (6) a big age gap, and a big fertility story to match — which she speaks about openly, believing that honesty is a powerful driver of change. She and her husband Phil work happily side by side, live in south-west London, and when they’re not working, you’ll usually find them in the local parks or by the river with their much-loved dog, Doris.