The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, spoke about the need to empower women in finance and entrepreneurship at The Vote 100 Women in Business Summit London on 17th April 2018. The Summit which was opened HRH The Countess of Wessex, GCVO, Chair, The Women’s Network Forum and Global Ambassador, 100 Women in Finance’s Next Generation initiative, was held in partnership with the Women’s Network Forum, the Government Equalities Office, the Women’s Business Council, UN Women UK and 100 Women in Finance. It celebrated the centenary of the 1918 ‘Representation of the People Act’, which gave women the vote for the first time.
Speakers for the day-long summit included Dr Helen Pankhurst, International Development, Women’s Rights Activist and Writer; Elysia McCaffrey, Deputy Director for Women in Business and International, The Government Equalities Office; Dame Cilla Snowball DBE, Group Chairman and Chief Executive, AMV BBDO & Chair, The Women’s Business Council and Mary Macleod, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry; Former Member of Parliament & Government Adviser, among many others.
Digital Media entrepreneur Lopa Patel MBE, Founder & CEO of Diversity UK joined the keynote panel, moderated by Mary Macleod, discussing how specific technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can transform the workplace and career prospects for women, specifically in entrepreneurship.
Other key topics for discussion included:
– The outlook for the economy amid geopolitical changes across the world.
– Recent government’s actions on maximising women’s contribution to future economic growth
– Acknowledging and celebrating the impact of women’s leadership on corporate performance. How have successful UK women influenced female leaders globally?
– Women’s empowerment through the supply chain – how should companies focus on women-owned businesses in order to support women’s economic empowerment in the UK and globally and why is it important?
– Promoting “The Power of Equality”, effectively and steadily moving towards closing the “three Gs” – the participation gap, the remuneration gap and the advancement gap
– Dispelling myths regarding boardroom roles. How to get to the top and raise your profile internally and externally? Advice on planning your career journey and tips from role models
– Reviewing policies and initiatives to address the gender imbalance in your firm. What are the imperatives for building a successful diversity and inclusion strategy?
– Agile working – benefits for men, women and companies. Returning to work after maternity leave – best practices and the strategies which have worked well across businesses
The event builds on the success of the previous editions of the Women in Business and the Women in Finance summits, which both attracted 250+ senior delegates across the industries, government officials and regulators from across the UK and beyond, and was organised by City and Financial Globals, on of the UK’s leading research-based conference companies. www.cityandfinancial.com