Level Up Summit Agenda
TUESDAY 06 DECEMBER 2022
The sessions* featured on our stages are a mixture of keynotes, Q&A panels and table discussions.
The stages will be divided into three tracks – the Main Stage and Tech Innovation, powered by EY and Career Bites, powered by Sky. All sessions and panels are being recorded and will be available for ticket holders to play on demand for a period of 30 days.
*The agenda is subject to change
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STAGE AGENDAS
Click on the STAGES on the left-hand side to see what we are covering on the day.
08.45-08.50: Welcome
with Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting; Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO, Founder, WeAreTechWomen
08.50-09.00: Opening Keynote
with Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP, Former Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
09.00-09.10: Welcome from EY
with Catriona Campbell, UK&I Client Technology and Innovation Officer, EY
09.10-09.20: Meet the Room – Speed Networking Session
with Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO, Founder, WeAreTechWomen
09.20-09.35: Blow Through the Barriers! Enabling Women in Tech to Succeed
with Sue Phillips, President of Gender Balance Network, Ipsos & Global UU Service Line Leader, Insights for Impact; and Debbie Forster MBE, CEO, Tech Talent Charter
During this session we will discuss WeAreTechWomen’s recent research with partners Ipsos Mori and the Tech Talent Charter “What is Holding Back Women in Tech?”. What’s preventing women from reaching their full potential and what solutions are working to address those barriers – and where is further innovation needed to make a bigger difference faster.
09.35-09.50: Career Support Relationships: Who Do You Need to Get Ahead?
Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO, Founder, WeAreTechWomen, in conversation with Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting
In this session we discuss the different kinds of career support relationships that can enable more women in tech to get ahead. What’s the difference between sponsorship, mentorship and coaching? How do you spot the different kinds of potential career supporters, and how do you need to prepare to make sure you get the most out of those relationships? And why should you support others – what actions fall to sponsors, mentors and coaches to make sure the support provided is effective for the situation?
09.50-10.00: Personal Story: How Sponsoring, Mentoring and Coaching Accelerated My Career
with Michelle Garrigan, Senior Vice President, EMEA Cyber Threat Intelligence Lead, Bank of America Europe
Career paths are not always straightforward. From archaeologist to cyber threat intelligence lead, join Michelle Garrigan to hear her career journey. Michelle will share her motivations for changing careers not once but three times, some of the challenges she faced along the way and how she overcame them. Learn the art of networking and managing relationships and how sponsorship, mentorship and coaching along the way helped her achieve her career goals.
10.00-10.40: Panel: When Do We Need Which Kind of Career Support?
Facilitated by Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting; with Natalia Isajenko, Global Head of Professional Services, Solutions, S&P Global Market Intelligence; Barbara Hamilton-Bruce, Head of Client and Business Operations for Simmons & Simmons Solutions Limited; Narmada Guruswamy, Director for Forensic Data Analytics in EY and Roni Savage, Chartered Engineer, Chartered Geologist & SILC (Specialist in Land Condition)
Do you need a sponsor just to say you have one if you want to get promoted? When is a mentor better than a sponsor? How do coaches fit into the picture? During this panel we will discuss various situations where our panel have benefited from different kinds of career support relationships. We will also discuss the most effective practical actions that our panellists have taken to support others in their careers and their recommendations for how companies can leverage these relationships to change representation outcomes.
10.40-10.55: Table Topic: Let’s Take Down The Barriers!
Table coaches/facilitators will support discussions reacting to the barriers outlined from the research. What are the most significant barriers you see? What actions are already underway trying to address them, and who else needs to understand their role in removing the barriers? What do you have the ability to change around the barriers based on your day job? What more could your companies do to remove some of the perceived barriers?
10.55-11.15: BREAK
11.15-11.30: Gender Balance in Tech: Men Are Part of the Solution
with Ilker Yaman, Head of Group Technology Service Management, Barclays
Men can actively contribute to gender balance in tech. In this session we will hear about the role of men as allies. Our speaker will share his thoughts on opportunities for men to help supercharge careers for women in tech through active allyship, other ways some men are already contributing to better gender balance in the industry and how to get more men engaged.
11.30-11.40: Personal Story: Allies – More Than Just Men
with Dr Heather Melville OBE CCMI, Senior Managing Director, Teneo People Advisory
In this session we’ll explore how women are being allies to one another as well as to others around them. This story will share examples of allyship, what good looks like and top tips on how you can be an inclusive ally to all!
11.40-12.20: Panel: How to Demonstrate Inclusive Allyship
Facilitated by Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting; with James Tufts, Partner, Markets & Business Development, EY; Nick Atkinson, Chief Officer of Technology and Operations for Visa; Matt Griggs, Head of Technology – Infrastructure, Fidelity International and Russ Shaw CBE, Founder of Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates
In this panel we will hear from four individuals about the actions they have taken across their teams and departments to improve diverse representation and create truly inclusive working environments. We will also discuss what good allyship looks like and the benefits of being allies to one another.
12.20-12.40: Table Topic: Us As Allies
What’s happened when you’ve been on the receiving end of allyship? How have you supported the careers and ideas of others in your day to day working environment, and who have you missed out? What other allyship would you find helpful and what does that look like? What can women do to demonstrate allyship to each other? What could your company do to ensure that allyship is built in to the company culture?
12.40-13.40: LUNCH
*Towards the end of lunch, delegates have the opportunity to attend a meditation session in the EY lounge before joining the afternoon session.
13.40-14.00: Keynote
with Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Founder, Stemettes & Author, She’s In CTRL
In this keynote Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon shares stories from her book “She’s in CTRL”, including how she founded the amazing tech organisation Stemettes, why she believes women need to take back tech, the importance of role models and her top tips for for a successful technology career.
14.00-14.10: Personal Story: Stepping Up as a Woman in Tech
with Laura Moore, Global Director of Identity Platforms, Sky
In this session we hear from an individual who has not only built an incredible tech career, but who has chosen to step up for others and pay it forward. We will hear about the importance of sharing your story, volunteering and engaging in activities that will encourage future generations to consider careers in technology.
14.10-14.50: Panel: What Does It Take To Set a Positive Example for Others in Tech?
Facilitated by Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting; with Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Founder, Stemettes & Author, She’s In CTRL; Jacqui Leggetter, Head of Integration, DWP Digital; Rav Bumbra, Founder, Structur3dpeople & Cajigo and Anna Brailsford, CEO, Code First Girls
During this panel we will discuss what being a role model in the tech industry actually means, and the importance of both male and female tech role models to drive better gender balance in the industry. We discuss why representation matters, what behaviours are involved in showing up for women and other under-represented groups in the industry, and how extra curricular activities can elevate your career.
14.50-15.05: Table Topic: What Else Can I Do To Step Up For Others?
What are you already doing, and what other opportunities do you have to set a good example for others? What external opportunities could you explore to encourage more girls and women into the industry? What skills and experiences could you offer as a volunteer to a non-profit organisation? What would make role models more visible within your organisations, and how can you become more visible?
15.05-15.20: BREAK
15.20-15.35: The Traditional Career Path is Dead: Embracing the Squiggly Career
with Helen Tupper, Co-Founder & CEO, Amazing If; and Co-Author, The Squiggly Career
Helen Tupper, co-author of bestselling book The Squiggly Career and host of the UK’s #1 careers podcast ‘Squiggly Careers’ will talk about why owning our career development is more important than ever and the 5 skills we need to invest in to support ourselves and the people we worth with to be at their best.
15.35-15.45: Personal Story: Changing Paths and Taking Risks
with Ralitsa Nenkova, Director, EY
In this session we will hear from a woman who has had an unconventional career path into tech. They will share their journey of jumping at opportunities and taking risks, and will give their top tips for taking the leap in to something new.
15.45-16.25: Panel: Journey into the Unknown: Finding Fulfilment By Going Another Way
Facilitated by Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting; with Wincie Wong, Head of Services Workforce Technical Capability, NatWest; Varalakshmi Venkatraman, Head of Data Engineering, Funding Circle; Sarah Painter, VP, Customer Experience, Merkle UK and Flavilla Fongang, Serial Entrepreneur, Author & Founder, 3 Colours Rule
In this panel we will hear stories from our panellists who did not take traditional or even planned routes to get to where they are now. Whether it’s changing industries, stepping sideways, starting again in roles for which they had minimal experience, or taking a chance on something completely different, hear how these individuals found career fulfilment by going a different way.
16.25-16.40: Table Topic: Reimagining Career Paths
What traditional career path are you on, and what “squiggly” options could you see for yourself? What support would you need to go different routes? Are there additional skills or considerations that you would need to work through to progress in those directions? What could your company do to make it easier to take different career paths to get to senior roles?
16.40-17.05: Speed mentoring and networking
Sponsored by Simmons and Simmons
In this session attendees will have the opportunity to pose career-related questions to our on-site mentors – senior leaders from over 30 different companies in Tech. This is a terrific opportunity to make connections for the future and to receive experienced advice.
17.05 – Event Close
11.15-11.45: The Future World of Work
with Josie Cluer, Partner in People Advisory Services, EY
In this session, Josie will talk about the big forces shaping the future world of work, what it means for you and your organisation, and how you can prepare yourself to thrive in it… and even shape a better workplace of the future.
13.30-14.00: Neurodiversity: Building Innovation
with Tania Martin, People and Operations Lead for Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence (NCOE), EY
Ever wonder what happens when great minds don’t think alike? In this session we will hear from Tania Martin, EY’s Neuro-diverse Centre of Excellence, who will discuss how neurodiversity offers new perspectives fostering creativity and innovation, resulting in the best teams. Discover more about how to you can create a more inclusive environment by making simple changes to your attraction and onboarding processes, and what you are missing by failing to reach the neurodiverse talent pool.
14.10-14.40: The Mind & the Machine – The Importance of People in Data, Analytics & Technology
with Richard Parker, Client Director, EY Lane4; & Simon Barclay, Lead of the UK Financial Services Data and Analytics Practice, EY
In this session we will hear from Richard Parker & Simon Barclay who will look at the different focus areas that organisations are looking at in terms of data and analytics in support of Digital Transformation and why the human aspects of these changes are just as important as the technology aspects if true value is to be realized.
15.20-15.50: The Metaverse
with Kanika Seth, EMEIA Financial Services Consulting Cybersecurity Leader, EY and Lopa Ghosh, UKI Cybersecurity Competency Leader, EY
Throughout this session, we will hear from Lopa Ghosh & Kanika Seth who will be discussing everything from the ethos which underpins the Metaverse, to its ethical, regulatory, and social implications
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11.15-11.45: Tackling Imposter Syndrome While Climbing the Ladder
with Susie Ramroop, Mindset Coach & International Speaker, Make Life Simple Ltd.
It can be easy to assume that people at the top of their careers mustn’t ever feel like frauds – but if those people followed the ‘Fake it till you make it’ advice, that is exactly how they are likely to feel. Now is the time to develop your mindset so you can speed up the climb and don’t feel this way when you reach the top.
This talk is a safe place to banish gnawing self-doubt and the fear of being found out. Your mindset will be challenged, and practical steps offered to overcome the patterns that stop you from excelling in this role and boldly stepping into the next one.
Key takeaways include:
- why you keep falling into the same pattern of behaviour
- how to leave self-doubt behind once and for all
- the formula for a winning mindset
- the one action you can take today to own your value
13.30-14.00: Harnessing Your Resilience
with Jenny Garrett OBE, Award-Winning Career Coach & Leadership Trainer
Challenging times put our resilience to the test, whether in our professional or personal life.
Do you want to:
- Gain the strategies that you need to be resilient?
- Respond well to life’s challenges?
- Use your energy where it can make the most difference?
If yes, this session is for you.
In this interactive and engaging session, Executive Coach, Jenny Garrett OBE will guide you to:
- Identify what resilience looks like for you
- Explore the factors of resilience
- Consider how your personality preference impacts your resilience
- Begin to build a personal resilience strategy
If you want to become more resilient and able to deal with the uncertainty we face now and, in the future, and help others do the same this session is for you.
14.10-14.40: Speak Up & Get Your Sassy Voice Heard!
with Esther Stanhope, The ‘Impact Guru’ & Founder, The 80% Perfect Club & the Author of Goodbye Glossophobia: Banish Your Fear of Public Speaking
In this keynote Esther Stanhope shares stories from her book Goodbye Glossophobia about how she found her voice and overcame her fear of public speaking. She went from being a brilliant behind-the-scenes producer at the BBC to being brilliant professional speaker! She set up the 80% Perfect Club to help professional women, like you, to build confidence, be more visible and stop hiding their light under a bushel.
She’ll share her stories of women all over the world holding themselves back because they are not speaking and being visibly brilliant (as well as technically brilliant).
Esther believes women need to own their space, be more visible, step into spotlight and be a role model to others.
“You can’t be what you can’t see” Michelle Obama 2019 speaking at the O2 in London.
Esther’s tips will motivate you to speak up and get your voice heard like nothing you’ve ever experienced!
15.20-16.00: Sky Panel – Lift as We Climb: Fearless Together
with Laura Moore, Global Director of Identity Platforms, Sky; Dulcie Omonubi, Head of Innovation, Sky Labs; Dianne Cavanagh, Director of Software Engineering; Sharon Wallace, Head of Technology D&I, Partnerships and Change; Vyshali Nayak, Head of Software Engineering and CoChair of TechWomen
We are greater than the sum of our parts and that’s why at Sky we have a women in leadership development programme with a focus not just on your own climb up the ladder, but being part of a supportive community that Lifts other women up along the way.
Hear from our panel of amazing leaders at Sky on their own journey and perspectives of life as a female leader in Technology and their sense of belonging as part of the LIFT community.
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