Women in Leadership network
Over the last two years, we have welcomed more women from across a variety of sectors to our series of Women in Leadership (WiL) events.
The WiL initiative is part of our Firm’s commitment to addressing gender imbalance at leadership level and was launched by Corporate team members Sarah Wigington and Grace Hudson to explore and tackle the barriers faced by women both inside and outside of our business. The WiL network is dedicated to identifying and dismantling the barriers that hinder women's advancement into leadership roles. It is committed to fostering an environment that not only recognises the unique challenges faced by women but actively provides its members with tools to help their professional growth and leadership potential.
Sarah Wiginton Partner
Grace Hudson Associate
We concluded 2023 with the WiL event, ‘Silencing your Inner Critic’, which focused on developing awareness of your inner critic, exploring where it might come from, and how women can negotiate with their inner critic. Led by Claire Wigington, an integrative counsellor and registered member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, the workshop used a number of psychological models and therapeutic techniques to help empower participants and shift a focus to greater self-confidence. Our Cheltenham team then hosted this same talk in Bristol in September 2024, the first WiL event hosted outside of London.
In April 2024, we hosted a WiL event focused on financial and tax planning, attended by female founders, advisers and investors. The event featured our own panellists including Sarah Wigington, Nicola Thorpe, and Tessa Newman, as well as wealth manager Chloe Stages, all of whom shared valuable insights on founder exits, protecting wealth, and planning for the future.
In September 2024, we hosted a Media Matters round table event for women in leadership positions across various industries, discussing the impact of AI on content creation, how brands can communicate amidst geopolitical tensions, the effect misinformation has on businesses, and how to reach the Gen Z audience. The discussion was led by Raj Aujla, our Director of Communications & Corporate Affairs, and Joanna Trezise, from Headland PR.
We wrapped up 2024 with the now annual flagship event, this time focussed on ‘Hard Conversations and Smart Conflict®’ led by Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst of The PowerHouse. The talk explored how to equip yourself with the mindsets and skills needed to manage conflict and speak up with confidence and compassion.
The roster of 2025 WiL events includes ‘How to Avoid Burnout and Allow Rest,’ with a version tailored specifically for female-focused groups called ‘Why Am I Doing Everything?’. We are also hosting a fireside chat with the incredible Chantal Coady OBE (otherwise known as The Chocolate Detective) who has an OBE for services to chocolate! We are also honoured to be partnering with the Schools Consent Project for a private screening of the award-winning play, Prima Facie.
Our network is about action — breaking down barriers and building leadership that reflects the talent and determination of every woman involved. The aim is for women in positions in leadership to be the norm, not a novelty.”
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