Programme and speakers

Cath Bishop

Cath Bishop is a triple Olympian, former British diplomat, leadership and culture coach and teaches on Executive Education leadership programmes at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University.

Cath works with leaders across sport, business and education to develop high performing teams, resilient and inclusive environments and sustainable performance cultures where people can thrive and do their best work.  Her approach is one that both challenges and supports leaders to think differently, to trust and to adopt a human-centred approach.

Leena Haque

Senior UX Designer, Inclusive Design & Accessibility, BBC

Leena Haque, an innovative Senior UX Designer, is a leading figure in pioneering inclusive design and digital creativity. As a published author and exhibited artist, she has been recognised as one of the top 50 neurodivergent women in the UK. Her current research is dedicated to engaging new audiences, employing her co-founding roles at BBC CAPE and the BBC’s Neurodiversity Network Enigma to explore innovative strategies for expanding the accessibility and appeal of digital content across diverse groups.

As a Global Ambassador for Women in Tech, Leena's advocacy for diversity and inclusion extends her impact beyond traditional tech circles into the realm of digital alternatives, pushing for more inclusive digital experiences. Her work, featured in major publications and forums such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, Wired, and the World Economic Forum, exemplifies her commitment to transforming digital and physical spaces to be more inclusive and engaging for everyone.

Sean Gilroy

Senior UX Principal, Inclusive Design & Accessibility Lead, BBC

Sean Gilroy stands at the forefront of the BBC's inclusivity efforts, focusing on disability and neurodiversity. As the lead for the "Creating A Positive Environment" (CAPE) initiative and co-chair of Enigma, the BBC’s neurodiversity network, his work has been transformative. His advocacy and leadership in the design brief of the BBC Cymru Wales office, a model of neurodiversity-centred design, has set new standards for workplace inclusivity.

Beyond physical spaces, Sean’s role as the BBC’s Inclusive Design Lead emphasises his commitment to integrating accessibility and inclusion into every facet of organisational policy, promoting a more inclusive corporate culture. His advocacy extends beyond the BBC through active participation in workshops, articles, and speaking engagements, championing a broader societal shift towards inclusive practices. Sean’s initiatives have significantly impacted both the internal environment at the BBC and the wider community, advocating for the recognition and inclusion of talent from diverse backgrounds.

Helen Hughes

Associate Professor & Behaviour Lab Director,  Workplace Behaviour Research Centre, Leeds University Business School

Dr Helen Hughes is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and Associate Professor at Leeds University Business School, UK. She specialises in the social dynamics of workplace relationships, as well as graduate employability and early career transitions to the workplace. Helen takes an interdisciplinary approach to her research, and is passionate about translating high quality research into usable insights and strategies, so that it can contribute to the work of academic and practitioner communities.

Helen works with a wide range of organisational partners, and regularly contributes to policy and practice discussions in her areas of specialisation. Her research has been published in international journals and edited books, and has been featured by media outlets including the BBC, Forbes, the Financial Times, and the Guardian, as well as radio and podcasts.

Eleanor Gooding

People & Culture Director at Boost Drinks

A seasoned People & Culture Director, Eleanor has 20+ years' experience of managing people, 10 years of strategic consulting, and 7 years working in an HR best practice accolade. Not scared to roll her sleeves up and tackle the elephants in the room, Eleanor passionately believes in getting to the heart of the business, dealing with problems first and then paving the way for people programmes to thrive. She believes that there should be a mutually respectful two-way contract between employers and employees where great work is delivered, people have the opportunity to develop and that it should be fun along the way.

She is also a strong believer that you should be kind within business, even when dealing with the tough stuff.

Eleanor is currently in the role of People & Culture Director with Boost drinks in Leeds, where she has been since 2018.

Jasmine Rose

Head of Learning Innovation, RockCorps

Jasmine is a Learning & Development specialist with over 25 years’ experience in hospitality, retail and youth engagement sectors. 

Over the course of a long career with Marks & Spencer, she was responsible for leading the M&S Food Learning & Development Strategy, including the development of all 1500 Food support employees across 52 countries, from junior team members to directors. 

At RockCorps, Jasmine is the Head of Learning Innovation, and Apprentice Nation programme lead - ensuring that her teams create a platform targeted to inspire young people (particularly focused on historically underrepresented audiences in the UK) into careers they love and to positively shape their futures.

Zahoor Ahmad

Head of Social Mobility, Inclusion and Belonging at Co-op

Zahoor Ahmad has over two decades of experience in equality, diversity and inclusion practice garnered across and range of industries, including the public, private and charitable sectors. As a graduate of psychology, he fosters a behavioural approach, and has been instrumental in pioneering approaches to tackling non-inclusive behaviours and structural inequalities. He has led D&I teams in the MoD, the finance sector and emergency services. He led the return to work of the UK’s first amputee firefighter and was the founding member and Chair of the Asian Fire Service Association, an equalities campaigning and educational group.  He is a specialist inclusive coach and mentor.

His interests include post-imperial literature and has begun recent years with the aim of reading 52 books in 52 weeks.  He currently lives in Worcester with his wife and three children.

Michelle Johnson

Head of Service Performance & Improvement at PXC (formerly TalkTalk)

Driven by a passion for people leadership and positive change, Michelle has extensive service management experience across a number of sectors. With a tenacious approach, she has spearheaded service improvement initiatives, championing effective communication to drive positive organisational change.

Michelle believes strong professional relationships are the basis on which we can tackle even the most complex challenges and as a modern and progressive leader, she says there is always more to learn. Leading teams for 20+ years, she strives to empower people, utilise collaboration and harness creative thinking to achieve results.

Sophie Parsell

Head of People Business Partnering at British Red Cross

Sophie is a People Business Partner by trade, and has learned ‘her craft’ across private, public and third sector. She has recently moved into a Strategic People Lead role, that incorporates both strategic partnering, but also functional ownership for Employee Experience, Partnering and Reward. She is passionate about progressive, commercially minded, yet people-centred HR. She is currently working at the British Red Cross and brings a perspective that considers volunteers as well as employees.

Hannah Williams

Hannah is an illustrator with a talent for capturing and explaining complex and technical messages. She captures a visual record of ideas spontaneous at live events, with characterful and vibrant illustration. Hannah shows how artwork can be used to visualise stories, engage people, or energise important information.

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Fergus & Neb

TalkMagic was launched in 2022 by London-based magicians, Fergus and Neb. As two of the country’s leading performers, they have over 30 years of professional experience between them and have created a company centred around sharing their valuable skills and unique perspectives to enhance professional and personal success.

In their first highly interactive workshop "Think Like A Magician” Fergus and Neb stimulate a growth mindset, initiate inclusive thinking and inspire individuals to self-actualise by looking beyond the limitations they have placed on themselves in their professional and personal lives.

They cover topics such as creative problem-solving, storytelling, performance tips, anxiety management and mental health. They have worked with C-Suite through to graduate schemes. 

Lydia & Israel

Nottingham-based Lydia & Israel are an acoustic duo who perform up and down the UK bringing their fun energy and passion for music with them. With their tight harmonies and soulful sound, they perform a fun mixture of classic and contemporary hits.

The duo have many years’ experience working within the music industry. Lydia has toured as a backing vocalist and Israel is a singer-songwriter who performs his music across the UK.