Agenda

We're delighted to welcome you to the Women in Finance Online Festival! Join us for a quick introduction into the event, our highlights and a special introduction to the workshops from our workshop leads.

Day One is our Pre-Event Networking and Workshop Day where you will be able to join the Career Advice Clinic and meet your matches as part of the dedicated Matchmaking service.

Can you build a powerful, dream network in a virtual world? Networking expert J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World, firmly believes we can. In this session Kelly shares her fresh take on networking and the ways you can adapt for a future of more virtual, fewer in-person IRL interactions - and not lose out on the opportunity to forge meaningful, lasting connections in virtual settings.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn a new approach to this necessary skill and why it is critical after the events of 2020
• Discover the opportunities to be unlocked by embracing a network-building mindset on social networking platforms
• Why showing up every day is your most valuable networking skill
• Learn the biggest networking mistake you’re making 

We live in a very interesting time when the barriers of entry into innovation are extremely low and people can be digitally connected throughout the planet. We have digital currencies, digital banks, the power of the average smartphone that we carry around is millions of times more powerful than all of NASA’s combined computing in 1969. But what does it really take to launch your own FinTech service? In this workshop, you will get step-by-step instructions on starting a FinTech business. You will have an understanding of the field and plan, learn about tricky regulatory aspects, and find out about your future partners, service providers, and clients.

Key takeaways include:-

• Key elements of creating a Digital Banking service
• Discover who the partners & service providers are
• Understand licensing requirements

Book your appointment at the Career Advice Clinic featuring some of our speakers where you'll be able to gain advice pertaining to your professional development in a private 1-to-1 10 minute session. Premium pass holders will have the opportunity to join Colleen Ostrowski, Margo Black Wylie and Caroline Rainbird at the Clinic!

10 minute sessions at the Career Advice Clinic are limited to one per person and once they are booked they are gone. Booking will be made available one hour before the first slot of the dedicated hour block. Booking will be facilitated through the event platform.

A successful career is one that brings satisfaction and fulfilment. Many individuals reach a certain level of successin their career, and then they reach a plateau, not really understanding what they need to do to get to the next level. Are you lacking clarity in your future career path, and you have not been able to find the path forward towards the next step in your career? Do you feel the true value of your skills and expertise are not understood or valued, which is frustrating and demotivating? You know something has to change, and you need a plan to get on the right path in your career, feeling satisfaction and accomplishment in what you do. If the answer is ‘Yes’, then this workshop is perfect for you.

Key takeaways include:-

• Discover why you are lacking clarity in your future career path and why making the link to your career value is the first step to moving forward
• Influence the direction of your career, and how you can change this now
• Learn the one thing that will make you stand out in your career

In this 40-minute workshop Alli Spargo will support you to adopt a growth mindset in relation to the way you interact with your team. Spend time reflecting on your own behavioural preferences and how other people experience you as a leader. Take away models to use to support your growth in the key areas of leadership brand, resilience and creating a safe, open & trusting environment. Leave the session with clarity and an action plan to help pivot your leadership style in response to current climate and future uncertainty.

Key takeaways include:-

• Increased awareness of your own leadership brand
• Tools to nurture a generative thinking and safe psychological team culture
• Techniques for role modelling resilience in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world

Did you know that organizations with higher engagement levels are not only more productive, they actually achieve four times higher earnings per share growth? With numbers like this on the line, and especially during challenging times like these (read: Covid-19) it is so important to engage your workforce. You can say that having an engaged workforce is the holy grail for your company success. But what does “employee engagement” mean? And where to start? During this workshop we will help you draw a blueprint with some pragmatic tips in helping you build and keep that engaged workforce.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn practical and pragmatic tips on how to uplift the engagement of the workforce
• Understand the importance of an engaged team
• Know how to set priorities in engagement
• Get some ready to use tips for engaging the workforce and improving business outcomes

In the light of the global pandemic your 'Virtual' Executive Presence has now become a 'Reality'. Organizations are relinquishing coveted head office sites and asking Leaders to step up and run teams remotely, and this means spending the vast majority of your working day talking to a computer screen. Being influential has never been so important, and so challenging. If we are to succeed in delivering results through others, we need a set of influencing skills which cut through the consequences of a tragic health and economic crisis, connect with our co-workers and deliver performance. Never has there been a better time to hone your skills and 'shine'. This workshop provides a practical, entertaining and immediately applicable introduction to the topic. It will provide you with a range of best practices to implement immedately.

Key takeaways include:-

• Why we need the skills to convey Executive Presence remotely
• The Key Verbal strategies to master in the remote environment
• How to Challenge others without damaging the relationship

Can you build a powerful, dream network in a virtual world? Networking expert J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World, firmly believes we can. In this session Kelly shares her fresh take on networking and the ways you can adapt for a future of more virtual, fewer in-person IRL interactions - and not lose out on the opportunity to forge meaningful, lasting connections in virtual settings.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn a new approach to this necessary skill and why it is critical after the events of 2020
• Discover the opportunities to be unlocked by embracing a network-building mindset on social networking platforms
• Why showing up every day is your most valuable networking skill
• Learn the biggest networking mistake you’re making 

Have you been told you need to promote yourself more at work, but the sheer thought of getting more visible is literally crippling you with stress and anxiety? You’re not alone. That’s exactly how I felt, too. When I was told by my manager “you think you’re doing a great job, but you’re not being perceived as such. It’s your responsibility to change that!” It was the toughest message ever. But it was also the catalyst that changed how I showed up at work, and a few months later I finally got that promotion I’d been longing for. In this workshop, you’ll discover the exact tools and strategies that helped me, so that you can succeed, too.

Key takeaways include:-

• Experience a simple but effective tool to instantly boost your confidence
• Discover the underlying subconscious blocks that are stopping you from standing out at work
• Ways to promote yourself and simultaneously help your company improve results

Book your appointment at the Career Advice Clinic featuring some of our speakers where you'll be able to gain advice pertaining to your professional development in a private 1-to-1 10 minute session. Premium pass holders will have the opportunity to join Colleen Ostrowski, Margo Black Wylie and Caroline Rainbird at the Clinic!

10 minute sessions at the Career Advice Clinic are limited to one per person and once they are booked they are gone. Booking will be made available one hour before the first slot of the dedicated hour block. Booking will be facilitated through the event platform.

Have you ever wondered what statement you are making with your visual appearance? How do people describe you? How do you want to be described? Is your lack of self-identity reflected on your clothes? Do you feel the need to conform? Do you wonder why you’re not seen, heard or valued? When you discover the right style for you, you will know how to align your appearance with your personality and will appear authentic. You will look good and feel good every day. You will have a wardrobe which works for you. Your brand will be consistent, multi-dimensional, professional.

Key takeaways include:-

• Know why it’s important to reflect all of your identity and personality in your wardrobe choices.
• Understand how to match your wardrobe to your lifestyle and your budget.
• Learn how to have impact and how to carry authority in your clothing

A natural and unseen aspect of adapting to change and disruption is transition fatigue when cognitive functioning can be impaired. This is a time when regrettable decisions are made, productivity is low, and relationships are strained. When life pivots in a new direction the stakes are high, choices and commitments impact life for the long-term. Big life events, retirement, divorce, inheritance, business disruption or sale, as well as a global pandemic, dissolve the norms of life and require us to adapt. The objective of this session is to introduce the concept, explain how decision making and planning can be compromised and provide two take away tools to assist in the universal need for reclaiming our capacity to make our best decisions, tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty, and move forward in the process of shaping the life we want to live.

Key takeaways include:-

• Identifying the four signs of Transitions Fatigue, in clients and ourselves
• Direct benefits of enhancing capacity for comprehension and long-term thinking
• Transitions Fatigue self-assessment short form
• Decision Free Zone® protocol for prioritizing actions and decisions by timeline, urgency
  and capacity.

Can you build a powerful, dream network in a virtual world? Networking expert J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World, firmly believes we can. In this session Kelly shares her fresh take on networking and the ways you can adapt for a future of more virtual, fewer in-person IRL interactions - and not lose out on the opportunity to forge meaningful, lasting connections in virtual settings.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn a new approach to this necessary skill and why it is critical after the events of 2020
• Discover the opportunities to be unlocked by embracing a network-building mindset on social networking platforms
• Why showing up every day is your most valuable networking skill
• Learn the biggest networking mistake you’re making 

Book your appointment at the Career Advice Clinic featuring some of our speakers where you'll be able to gain advice pertaining to your professional development in a private 1-to-1 10 minute session. Premium pass holders will have the opportunity to join Colleen Ostrowski, Margo Black Wylie and Caroline Rainbird at the Clinic!

10 minute sessions at the Career Advice Clinic are limited to one per person and once they are booked they are gone. Booking will be made available one hour before the first slot of the dedicated hour block. Booking will be facilitated through the event platform.

How can you lead when the whole world is emotionally exhausted? How can Emotional Intelligence build resilience? And what is the link between Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Intelligence? When you understand the impact of these soft skills and how to acquire them, your personal leadership style becomes your leadership signature. When emotional intelligence is part and parcel of how you show up, stand up and speak up as a leader, the outcome is Executive Presence. This workshop will address steps you can take to increase your understanding of the interplay between Self-awareness and Other-awareness, Emotional Intelligence and Cultural Intelligence and how together they impact Executive Presence.

Key takeaways include:-

• The foundations of Emotional Intelligence and how to develop it
• How Cultural Intelligence is inherently reliant on Emotional Intelligence which is the way you show up, stand up and speak up influence how you lead across cultures.
• How leading with emotional courage builds trust and leads to psychological safety

Dedicate time to meet your match before the conference starts, with a handful of digital ice-breakers provided to have deeper roots & connections with your matches.

We're delighted to welcome you to the Women in Finance Online Festival Day Two! Join us for your morning breakfast briefing into what is in store for you and how to get the most out of your day.

Day Two will feature our keynote speakers Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Founder and Executive Chair @ Snoop, and Joanna Place, COO @ Bank of England as well as sessions from Delia König, Managing Director, Identity Unit @ Solarisbank and Marla Sofer, Strategic Partner Development Director @ Microsoft.

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia sits down with Ascend Global Media co-founder and CEO, Michaela Jeffery- Wed, Feb 24, 2021 Morrison to discuss her experience of the pandemic as a leader while launching her own Fintech service. Jayne-Anne will also discuss the progress of the Women in Finance Charter now five years on from it's inception and where the industry needs to improve.

Key takeaways include:-

• Uncovering the challenges facing leaders in response to the pandemic and how to respond to them
• Identifying where the industry needs to improve on its commitment to women's careers

Delve into the basics of nutrition so you can feel like a different person when you know you are eating the correct foods and you will be able to not have a sugar spike mid morning or mid afternoon. We will also explore some wellness areas including a journaling practice to get all the thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

In 2019, pandemic risk was not even classed as a top 50 risk by global firms surveyed by Aon; but in the last year COVID-19 caused unprecedented disruption to businesses globally. In this session, Julie Page will share insights on the insurance industry’s response to coronavirus and on the changing face of risk and insurance in a post-pandemic world. This will include how traditional risks have been replaced by less tangible risks that require innovative solutions, the steps the industry is taking to address these risks and the emerging perception gap about what the industry can – and can’t – do.

Key takeaways include:-

• How the insurance industry is responding to the evolving needs of clients
• Why risk preparedness matters now more than ever
• How diversity underpins the evolution of the industry

Throughout sales and marketing departments globally it's been said that women are better with money and making financial decisions and as such we become the target of countless advertising. So why are 54% of millenial women deferring financial control to the men? Women need to be educated into their financial planning and competency. Although women are more likely to be savers, we are less likely to investing and growing our assets. Educating women on their access to finance is the next step in achieving financial equality and freedom.

Key takeaways include:-

• Educating women on their financial choices and how to build their financial freedom
• How exposing young women to different aspects of finance will also expose them to different career opportunities

He embodies all men, and I as myself and every other woman. We are forever challenged by the current status quo and need to master breaking down barriers and speaking up to get our set at the table. If He can, I Can is about empowering women to demand that the standard for excellence be raised and that respect isn’t earned, it's given as it is to our male counterparts. It’s a chance to reiterate that we can’t wait, we must act and fight for our careers. We need to be explicit about what we want and go for it, because if he can win, I can win too.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn how to get what you want and deserve through shameless self promotion
• Unlearning the social conditioning of women needing to be modest
• Creating a better working environment for present and future women

Mobile-first banks and cryptocurrencies are becoming the driving force behind the move towards a completely cashless society, but historically, regulators and policymakers are slow to respond to new innovation. As the new regulation moves to enforce Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) initiatives how can financial services prevent criminal activity while protecting their customers privacy?

Key takeaways include:-

• How new regulation will impact the privacy of consumers
• What will the shift to digital finance mean for cyber crime?

As a woman in finance, you're incredibly likely to be the only one in the room, team, function and even, organisation. You'll be presumed to have particular traits and as such, you will be treated differently. But there is a larger community out there of women who are experiencing the same thing you are and together, we can change how everyone sees the world of finance and how you can elevate yourself above your male counterparts who underestimate you. In the words of Michelle Obama, "when they go low, we go high."

Key takeaways include:-

• How to deal with men who underestimate or undermine you in the workplace with real life examples
• Learning from your failures and picking yourself back up again
• Finding your community and building a network of women in finance for a more inclusive workplace

How many times has someone told you that your idea is “not really doable” or “we tried that in the past and it didn’t really work” or “this is how we've always done it, so no need to change anything”? Ana Draskovic has heard this in every workplace, sometimes more than once and yet - she did it her way by being tenacious and persistant. By building right coalitions and securing support, step by step you can do it too! Join this session to hear Ana's personal story on how she's changed the mindset of her organisation resulting in better business performance.

Key takeaways include:-

• Tenacity and perseverence - how to play on them to win
• Building partnerships and coalitions in work place
• Owning your success

UK based Fintechs are faced with continued uncertainty around Brexit and most importantly what will happen now that the UK has finally left the EU. What can businesses do to protect their relationship with clients and businesses in the EU and how can the UK Fintech industry build new relationships on a global scale? Join Dr. Ruth Wandhöfer where she will be providing an overview of the challenges facing the Fintech ecosystem in a post-Brexit world and how the sector can forge new relationships with international markets.

Key takeaways include:-

• Reacting to unknown regulatory change and protecting businesses and employees
• Understand the opportunities for the UK to build new relationships with global markets
• Maintaining relationships with Europe and continuing to lead the Fintech charge

As Corporate Social Responsibility becomes instrinsicly linked with strategy and financial goals, the boardroom is heading for a shake up with women counting for 32.5% of emerging C-Suite roles aligning with CSR goals compared to 27% of traditional CxO roles. Join Caroline Rainbird, CEO at Financial Services Compensation Scheme to hear how she has been building the boardroom of the future where women are in the majority and her vision for the future of the industry.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn the impact emerging C-suite roles will have in shaping future organisations
• Why women make the perfect candidates for emerging C-suite roles

Very little has changed in Investment Banking over the past 20 years but recent trends and focus on Sustainability and the importance of ESGs in all segments of finance is poised the shake up the industry. Join Sophie Javary, Vice-Chairman CIB EMEA at BNP Paribas as she discusses key trends in Investment Banking, the opportunities and challenges facing a digital transformation of the sector and what the future holds.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn the acceleration of ESG trends for listed companies
• Understand the rapid rise of Green bonds
• Discover the digital transformation journey in Investment Banking and the challenges that lie ahead

Racism, sexism and many other forms of discrimination are systemic. Extreme examples make headlines; but biases play out in the small decisions, behaviours and comments that we all make everyday. We have to shine a light on these instances in order to change the culture and create a more inclusive FS sector where diverse talent thrives, driving innovation & growth.

Key takeaways include:-

• Understand why micro-behaviours are key to tackling macro-challenges
• How FinTech has launched an industry wide, data-led approach to inclusion
• How can your organisation ensure that critical ‘inclusion data’ is captured to better tackle challenges.

The lockdown provided many of us with a lot of extra time than any of us could've hoped for and with an opportunity to learn new skills. The lockdown confirmed that the digital revolution isn't just fast evolving but so are the skills needed to be prepared for it. Join this session to learn about how digital is increasingly impacting you and your role and how you can evolve along with it.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn what skills are going to be valuable as we approach a new digital revolution
• Investing in yourself is investing in your future and your job security

Join a 20 minute guided hatha yoga class where we will be exploring calming yoga poses to really allow your whole body to relax. These will include gentle head and neck stretches as well as a few standing poses and end with breath work to completely relax you and get you ready for the rest of your day.

We are in a time when learning about money has become more crucial, especially for "cool" young people. Join Arinola Araba for an interactive session to explain some of the key concepts around the subject of money targetted at ages 11-15.

Key takeaways include:-

• Getting to know about your finances
• Getting into the act of saving

Investing seems complicated and risky and today’s market conditions add to the skepticism. But if you want to grow your money, achieve long-term goals and outrun inflation, investing is key. When you invest, you’re looking to achieve higher returns in exchange for taking on more risk. With interest rates at rock bottom, it’s especially important to consider investing to make your money work harder. Research suggests that men are more likely to invest than women. This gender investment gap has a direct impact on women’s wealth, pensions, and overall financial wellbeing, and it needs to change.

Key takeaways include:-

• Learn about the gender investment gap and why it exists
• Understanding when to invest or save your money
• How to get started with investing in the stock market

For many women in the financial services, their career will peak at middle management where they will either stagnate or stop altogether. Financial services is an overly traditional industry which has been built on male traits that the industry still very much thrives on. Those who do not showcase similar traits will feel like they're underperforming and risk leaving the industry. What can organisations do to retain the women in their workforce and how can an industry shift their mindset of traits over skills?

Key takeaways include:-

• Initiatives to actively develop and retain women's livelihoods
• Breaking the stereotype on what women in finance should be and possess

The landscape of payments has changed from the pandemic and now, more than ever, the solid foundation of security and resilience is essential. While keeping payments infrastructure robust and resilient is paramount, we also need to look to the future innovations in retail payments to ensure we grow and change with the industry. In this fireside chat, we will discuss some new research and talk about innovation trends in retail payments that we think will have a big impact for new propositions which will, we hope, will make life easier for businesses.

Key takeaways include:-

• An overview into the evolution of payments one year on from the pandemic
  
• Learn how industries such as retail have been innovating payments