Join our Innovators Assemble specialists for the very first of our expert panels, focusing on howto continue to embrace innovation in a time of changing focus for the social housing sector.

When there’s increased regulation and scrutiny and with less resources, it’s easy to put innovation on the back-burner, without recognising how crucial it can be in helping you address, overcome and succeed in dealing with those regulatory and consumer issues – and ultimatelydeliver the best for your tenants and residents.

In our first session, three of our Innovators Assemble panelists (including two DIN members), will focus on change resistance; how to get buy-in and take people on your innovation journey.

And to make sure you get the most from this hour-long session, it’s over to you!

We want to hear your burning questions in advance, so we can give you the best possible ideas, guidance and solutions to the issues you’re dealing with when it comes to change resistance and getting buy in for change and innovation.

How do you deal with leaders you feel are restrictive? Handle discussions on cost? Sell a business case that will affect multiple teams?

All this and more can be answered – you just need to ask!

Please don’t worry if you have a tricky question that means you’d rather stay anonymous; we can do that too.

What the session will cover:

Three of our very own Innovators Assemble panel members will come together to:

• Give you an overview from their own experience and perspective

• Share some of their own examples of overcoming change resistance and getting buy-in

• Answer the questions you’ve provided in advance

Please add your question(s) when registering for the event.

About our panel of speakers:

Julia Mixter, Executive Director of Business Services at Anchor

Julia is responsible for people and culture, technology and data, communications and marketing and change leadership at Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life.

Previously as director of transformation at Raven, she led an award-winning multi-year business transformation programme to improve services to customers, drive value for money and reduce operational risk and waste. With more than 25 years of experience in senior human resources roles, she was previously the Director of Human Resources at the Royal Automobile Club.

Julia has also served as the Director of People and Operations at The Children’s Trust, a medical charity, and as a Senior HRBP at Transport for London.

Steve Allcock, Group Business Transformation Director at The Riverside Group

Steve started his career in customer services within the utilities sector, before venturing into the land of change and transformation 20 years ago.

Since then, he has worked in telecoms, health insurance and the finance sector, developing user-centric products and services, before joining social housing five years ago.

Steve brings a wealth of experience in designing, building and optimising design, change and innovation capabilities and played a vital role in Johnie Johnson Housing’s Customer First programme, which won the association ‘The Most Innovative Housing Landlord’ Housing Digital award in 2022.

Susie Braam, Founding partner of Yellow Cat Innovation

Susie is a highly accomplished leader and expert in corporate transformation and innovation. Her expertise lies at the intersection of innovation, strategy, and leadership, enabling organisations to thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape.

With a distinguished 20+ year career in national security, Susie has held pivotal roles as head of innovation in Central Government, including setting up and leading multi-organisation incubators tasked with tackling some of the UK’s most persistent counter-terrorism challenges.

She also built organisation-wide innovation capability, developed innovation strategies and portfolios, set up and coached investment boards and professionalised innovation as a skill. Since 2020, Susie has worked as a trusted advisor, trainer and coach. She has worked with executive teams engaged in large-scale digital transformation projects and with established organisations that have an ambition to grow beyond their core business.

Who should attend?

This event isn't just for people with roles in innovation, transformation, change or business development. If you’re looking to embed change as being comfortable within your organisationor you’re struggling with how to bring people along on the journey with you, then this is for you.

Unable to join the live session, but still interested?

Please register your place and we will send you a link to recording of the session shortly afterwards and we’ll also create a write-up of the Q&As.

Watch out for our second session, coming in September.

Innovators Assemble! How to handle change resistance and get buy-in