Despite significant progress in recent years, the journey towards gender parity in leadership is far from complete. Women now hold 44% of FTSE 100 board positions yet represent just 37% of senior leadership roles and fewer than 10% of FTSE 100 CEO positions. While the boardroom is becoming more balanced, representation in the most influential executive roles remains uneven.
CHAIR
Nicki Pritchard, Managing Partner, Anderson Quigley
SPEAKERS
Dame Theresa Villiers, Director and Trustee, Shaftesbury | Kate Mackie, Global Chief Marketing Strategy & Operations Officer, EY
This session will provide practical insights into the financial challenges and opportunities that arise at senior leadership level. Attendees will hear an update on the current investment landscape, explore the increasing complexity of wealth, remuneration and tax planning, and consider strategies for managing investments alongside broader financial priorities. The discussion will also examine the benefits of taking a coordinated approach to tax, investment and financial planning, maintaining flexibility as careers and circumstances evolve, and planning for long-term goals and legacy. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, and the final slide will include a QR code for those who wish to book a complimentary consultation.
SPEAKERS
Michael Winson, Senior Investment Director, Rathbones | Chris Noble, Senior Financial Planner, Rathbones
From Exit to Onboarding: Leveraging the CHRO Role in CEO Transitions
Together, we’ll explore what happens before the welcome announcement, how executive relationships are formed in the earliest days, and why the most valuable information often comes from beyond the boardroom. We’ll also examine how leaders can stay connected to the reality of employee experience during periods of significant change.
CHAIR
Misti Melville, NED/Chair Nominations & Remuneration Committee, Al Jammaz Group
SPEAKERS
Helen Easton, Chief People Officer, Darlington Building Society | Neil Hayward, Chair, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust
Executive Transitions – Why They Often Fail & How to Better Navigate to Success
Stepping into a new executive role is one of the highest-stakes moves a leader, and their organisation, can make. The numbers tell a sobering story: research consistently shows that more than 40% of executive transitions fail within the first 18 months. Behind that statistic sit real costs: lost momentum, unsettled teams, damaged reputations, and, too often, a talented leader whose potential never had the chance to land.
SPEAKERS
Peter Jackson, NED, Taha Capital | Richard Turner, Portfolio CFO, Executive Transition Coach / Adviser
