Friday 6th October 2023


Developing the future workforce

  • Upskilling and retention
  • Inclusive recruitment practices
  • Returning to work
  • Eliminating unconscious bias
  • DEI and the future of work

8:30am EDT / 1:30pm BST:

Wellbeing Workshop: 
Self-care is not selfish

With Andreena Leanne, Lived Experience Speaker

Opening Keynote
Rashmi Verma square

9:00am EDT /
2:00pm BST

What’s Next for DEI?
  • What is the future of our sector?
  • How important will be the culture of leadership to advance DEI?
  • Employee wellbeing and mental health
  • How can diversity and inclusion leaders make most impact (and does this mean changing job titles?)

Rashmi Verma, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Hugo Boss

Ticketholder Content
Mark Lomas
Nell-Andrew
Navdeep Singh

9:30am EDT /
2:30pm BST

Panel Discussion: Tackling pushback on DEI: Making change stick
  • Tackling the politicization of the ‘woke’ agenda from right-wing parties in the UK and USA and the impact this has on diversity and inclusion
  • Why it’s really important to make sure focusing on DE&I is as much good governance as good business sense and why DEI can help you make good business decisions.
  • To what extent should organisations have a duty to protect their staff regardless of the rise of anti-minority sentiment?

Panellists:

Mark Lomas, Head of Culture, Lloyds of London

Nell Andrew, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, RSPB 

Dr Navdeep Singh, Founder, The Sikh Group

Sally Bucknell

10:15am EDT /
3:15pm BST

Preparing effectively for the future of work
  • Preparing for the future with new technology, effective office space, collaboration and remove work policies
  • Implementing remote work policies to meet the rising demands for flexibility
  • Creating sustainable workplaces of the future encompassing real estate, HR and IT

Sally Bucknell, Director, Future of Work Programme, UK, EY

Donna Newton
Amareet Kaur
Michele Shelton
Cressida Stephenson

10:45am EDT /
3:45pm BST

Panel Discussion: Pursuing a diverse workforce: Are organisations hunting in the wrong places?
  • Many companies claim they cannot find diverse talent – but are they trying hard enough and looking in the right places?
  • What does broadening reach for diverse talent really look like?
  • Gaining a competitive edge through diverse talent the company – how does this make a tangible difference to your company
  • Importance of looking at the full picture – think about local communities and customers too, and how best to represent them

Panellists:

Donna Newton, Head of Client Relations, TPP Recruitment

Amareet Kaur, Global Head of Talent Acquisition and Inclusion, Cyncly

Michele Shelton, CEO, Michele Shelton LL

Cressida Stephenson, Director, EdenChase Associates 

Shayne Halls

11:25am EDT /
4:25pm BST

AI and The Power of Digitalization to Improve Diversity
  • Practical experiences and insights
  • How to motivate individuals and organizations to think for themselves
  • How to invest in digitalization and technology to foster diversity and create more opportunities for yourself
  • Recruitment and hiring

Shayne Halls, author, How AI is Accelerating the DEI Movement

Roberto Lopez Armenta
Brian Thibeaux
Julie Dennis

11:55am EDT /
4:55pm BST

Panel Discussion: How to accelerate DEI Success
  • Pushbacks against DEI aren’t new but there is now greater opposition especially during difficult economic times
  • How to identify opposition and articulate it clearly to make sure decision-makers are aware of resistance
  • How HR leaders can proactively communicate the need for DEI initiatives
  • How to anticipate threats to DEI initiatives and foster empathy and company-wide involvement and support to advance DEI

Panellists:

Roberto Lopez, Head of Culture and Diversity and Inclusion, Walmart

Brian Thibeaux, Manager, Engagement Diversity & Inclusion, Astellas Pharmaceuticals

Julie Dennis, Head of Inclusive Workplaces, Acas 

Seren Jones

12:35pm EDT /
5:35pm BST

DEI Changemaker Q&A: Seren Jones

After swimming competitively in the UK and the USA, Seren Jones only met six other black girls in the pool. She set up the Black Swimming Association in 2020, a charity to encourage more people from African, Caribbean and Asian communities to swim and engage in water safety awareness.

With Seren Jones, Co-founder, Black Swimming Association and Journalist, BBC

Bron Williams

12:55pm EDT /
5:55pm BST

Leveraging the Power of Difference
  • Why good intentions and being nice to people are not enough – real diversity is about change
  • Why it’s our differences and how we combine them that creates true diversity and generates innovation, fresh thinking and ultimately, success
  • Why unconscious bias training isn’t the fix we need and why listening to all individual voices, not just assuming that one viewpoint represents a group, is key

Bronwyn Williams, Author