No more barriers as women take lead in business
The IoD is committed to increasing the diversity of boards in the private, public and third sectors; and to supporting those aspiring to senior leadership positions. Our fifth annual Women as Leaders Convention will celebrate successful female leaders in the East Midlands.
This year’s focus is the importance of what is leadership and how to be an effective leader, resulting in better directors, better business, better services and better economy.The IoD's new chair Charlotte Valeur is keynote speaker.
The IoD East Midlands Women as Leaders Convention brings together some of the inspirational female leaders in the East Midlands region, for an afternoon of success stories and interactive discussion with our panel.
This annual event celebrates female leadership and has been firmly established as a key event in the business calendar. Drawing business leaders from across the region, it provides a unique opportunity for everyone to meet and hear from those in senior roles across a wide range of sectors. Last year around 100 people attended.
In these challenging times, great leadership is going to be more important than ever before in the UK, and talented people will continue to be in high demand. This is true regardless of whether you’re a leader in the corporate, small business, public or not-for-profit sectors. Why shouldn’t the demand be met increasingly by talented women?
Keynote Speaker
Charlotte Valeur, Chair of the IoD, Founder of Board Apprentice.
Keynote speaker Charlotte Valeur was appointed Chair of the Institute in September 2018. As Chair, Charlotte is responsible for championing the IoD’s values, promoting its Objects and providing leadership to the Institute, ensuring it delivers maximum impact for its members and stakeholders. Over the last decade, Charlotte been a director of 7 public companies, including three appointments as chair. Charlotte also has a range of unlisted board experience with companies including international engineering firm Laing O’Rourke. She has been a member of the IoD for over a decade.
Charlotte is a corporate governance expert and a keen advocate for diversity in the boardroom, underpinning this advocacy with action by founding Board Apprentice. This not-for-profit organisation provides individuals hands-on experience at the very top of business, and has been cited in the Government’s recent reviews on ethnic and gender diversity in UK boardrooms as a resource for bringing about real change.
Panel Speakers
Caroline Killeavy, Chief Executive at YMCA Lincolnshire.
Caroline has had a hugely successful career at senior management level in both the charity and public sectors and is known for creating innovative social action opportunities: empowering and equipping people to make difference in their own community. In recent years Caroline has implemented a youth engagement strategy for a national charity and has also strategically designed and executed an extensive volunteering social action programme. Caroline is currently leading YMCA Lincolnshire through an exciting period of change, which will build upon and expand the charity’s range of essential services.
Lisa Wainwright, established leader in the world of sport.
Lisa has held a number of senior roles at Sport England. Executive roles at England Netball, Volleyball England and British Basketball, as well as being a Director of the British Olympic Association. She is currently a Technical Director for International Volleyball (FIVB) and is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Governance Commission. She is committed to supporting team sports, and in particular for women and girls.
Karen Smart, Managing Director at East Midlands Airport.
Karen has been MD at the airport since April 2018, where she leads a team of more than 500 at the international passenger airport which is also the UK's biggest pure cargo airport. Karen joined MAG in 2014 and during her time with the business has also served as customer services and security director at Stanstead. Prior to joining MAG she spent several years at Serco and had a distinguished career in the RAF.
Bill Skelly, Chief Constable of Lincolnshire
Bill was appointed Chief Constable of Lincolnshire in November 2016. He joined Lothian and Borders Police in 1990 and throughout his policing career has held many rewarding positions including leading the Immigration Crime Team at New Scotland Yard and being appointed in 2008 by Her Majesty the Queen as her Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland. Bill joined Devon and Cornwall Police from Police Scotland as Deputy Chief Constable in 2013 where he had been working on the safety and security of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He is a keen supporter of celebrating policing history and was the founding Chair of the South West Police Heritage Trust. Bill is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors having passed with distinction their Certificate and Diploma programmes and been accepted as a Chartered Director.
Susan Hallam MBE, Founder and CEO of Hallam Internet
With more than 30 years’ experience working in the digital industry, Susan is a leading influencer in the Internet world and a thought leader who inspires businesses to greater success through digital engagement.
Susan is a practicing digital marketing consultant, a public speaker and Founder and CEO of Hallam Internet. Established in 1999, Hallam is one of the UK’s leading digital agencies and a Premier Google Partner. She was awarded an MBE for services to entrepreneurship and innovation in the Queen’s Honors 2018.
Her experiences include being a chartered member of CIM and CILIP, a Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing and named a BIMA 100 CEO & Leaders shaping the digital industry in 2018. As well as Chair of the Board of Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, a Freeman of the City of London, a Trustee of Nottingham Castle and formerly a Senior Lecturer in Computing at Nottingham Trent University with specialist interest in digital technologies.
Melanie Currie, Deputy Dean, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University
Melanie was appointed Deputy Dean of Nottingham Business School in March 2015. She has over twenty five years of teaching and supervisory experience within higher education focused on information systems, strategy and change management. She has held numerous roles in her academic career but all these roles have had the same shared objective of enhancing the academic learning experience and working with and through others to transform the student journey. Melanie has strategic responsibility for learning, teaching and enhancement of the School's academic portfolio. She was part of the team that co-created the award winning student dashboard, which was developed to help students engage more effectively with their studies and enrich the conversations with their mentors and tutors as part of the NBS Personalisation project. Melanie has chaired both national and internation validation panels and has held numerous external examining, reviewer and verifing posts across the globe. She has worked with school internationally on a varity of academic transformation projects.
She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Management Institute.
Hosted by
Louise Third MBE
Louise is a highly experienced and respected public relations and communications consultant whose interest in enabling business growth has taken her though a career as a business adviser, project consultant, government policy adviser, and PR expert. She is a speechwriter and speaker coach to clients across the UK.
A passionate campaigner, Louise is a volunteer for the Trussell Trust NG11 Food Bank, and for the Teso Development Trust working in NE Uganda. Between 2015-18 she was Chair of the Fund-raising Campaign for the Nottingham Trent University John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, and in 2018 was appointed Chair of the Speakers’ Corner Trust. Louise was awarded MBE for services to enterprise and charity in 2016.