VGC Group in partnership with FM Conway and Kerry London were delighted to host our first ‘Leading Ladies’ drinks reception and dinner at the House of Commons.
Hosted by Mims Davies MP, this inaugural event is a dynamic and collaborative alliance designed to inspire and celebrate women. Our vision is to bring women together from diverse sectors, into an environment that encourages the exchange of ideas, experiences and strategies.
We were delighted to hear from two key note speakers:
Hayaatun Sillem is the CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She co-founded the Academy’s Enterprise hub, a leading deep tech accelerator and co-chaired with Sir Lewis Hamilton his commission on improving Black representation in motorsport. Hayaatun has been named as one of the ‘Inspiring 50’ women in tech in Europe and one of the most influential women in UK engineering and tech.
Charlotte Lomas Farley has worked with senior leaders in some of the biggest businesses in global tech, automative, pharmaceutical and energy. She has provided support to thought leadership, including serving as a consultant to Chatham House. Before moving into coaching and consultancy she was journalist for over 20 years and workers as a correspondent and presenter for Sky News reporting on several key events including the War in the Ukraine, Brexit, Grenfell and covid. Her investigative reporting resulted in a national safety review and suspension of medical procedures linked to the usage of vaginal mesh.
It was a fantastic balmy evening with drinks on the Thames pavilion over looking the Thames followed by the inspiring speeches and a dinner with facilitated and lively discussions with mims Davies MP.
Charlotte shared how her tenacity ensured that the vaginal mesh scandal stayed in the press and resulted in a change in government policy. She then spoke of her courage stepping away from a career that she loved and pivoting her skill set to coaching of senior leaders of major international companies.
Hayaatun, a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion spoke of
Managing the headwinds that she navigated in her career and the sense of differentness and isolation at times. How she controlled the internal voice of doubt by focusing on the things she could control and just sticking with it.
The energy in the room was both electric and fun. We are looking forward to how the leading ladies network develops under the founder members of Ciara Pryce, Maria Pratt, Natasha Mealey, (fm Conway) Imogen Coggan, (Kerry London) Kelly Tolhurst and Amanda Solloway (ex MPs).
