The Tech Talent Charter, sponsored by Channel 4 and in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group and Accenture, are delighted to invite you to our first Leeds Regional event.

Get a Business Edge with Diversity - Supporting Retraining and Returners

The Tech Talent Charter is committed to action and solutions; to connecting the dots rather than re-inventing the wheel. We create and share best practice for recruiting and retaining female talent and bring companies together to find solutions for the sector. 

The Event

Are you working to drive business growth through gender diversity? If you've struggled in the past to increase the diversity in your teams and to recruit women in tech roles and want to know more about how retraining and returner programmes can work for your company, then this is the event for you!

This is a working breakfast and will focus on practical solutions. This is deliberately not a Friday event - we want you to go back to work and use what you've learnt the very next day.

You will leave with a toolkit of ideas and strategies, connections with others working in this space and a clearer sense of how you can move the dial on diversity through your own diversity programmes or support your clients in their people strategies.

Timings

8.15: Join us for breakfast to set you up for an insightful and lively discussion. 

8.30:  Welcome

8:40: Panel discussion - Challenges and rewards for getting retraining, returning and retention of women in tech roles right

9:10: Mapping diversity support in the North West. Share and learn about programmes & initiatives you can tap into to help drive diversity in your area. 

9.35: Coffee

9:45: Best Practice Hackathon. Work in groups to share and learn what companies are doing to improve how they support the retraining and returning of diverse teams. 

10.50: Wrap up, Close and Photo Call

Please note that a photographer and videographer will be present and active throughout the event. Images captured will have minimal privacy impact. If you would prefer not to be included in event footage, on social media/press, please contact us at events@techtalentcharter.co.uk

Strategic Sponsor

Event Powered By

Panellists

Charlotte Light - Channel 4

As Controller of System Delivery Charlotte is responsible for the teams that deliver technology initiatives across Channel 4s linear, digital and operational systems. Previously having Director level roles in Specsavers and BUPA Charlotte has worked with leadership teams in multiple industries and has a broad spectrum of experience to draw on. She is an active Industry Advisory Board Member for the Institute of Coding supporting the development of digital skills in the UK, and is a champion for diversity in tech both driving initiatives within Channel 4 and more widely in the Industry.

Sara Milne - Engineering Culture & Capability Lead, Lloyds Banking Group

Zoe Newman - Senior Manager, Accenture

Zoe is a highly accomplished business and IT consultant with 15 years’ experience across the retail, resources and telecom industries. During her career, she has worked extensively with organisations with large mobile workforces in various sectors,and has managed a number of international project implementations. She is a flexible professional focused on solving challenging business problems and driven by a feel for process improvement and technology.  In addition to client delivery, Zoe leads the Accenture UKI Technology Break|Through programme, an annual technology internship programme designed for experienced managers (Ideally 5+ years), seeking to return to a career in technology after a break of two or more years. Zoe is married with 2 children (2 girls aged 6 and 4) and takes advantage of Accenture’s flexible working policy – working 4 days a week. On her day off she looks after her younger daughter and also runs a local Rainbows Girlguiding unit with 15 girls age from 5 – 7.

Jenny Holmes -Head of the Getting Back to Business Programme, FDM 

Jennifer Holmes is a highly experienced and versatile senior leader, accomplished in the development of strategy, innovation and vision. Following a successful and exciting career in the Royal Air Force, where she undertook a variety of roles from the management of military flying activity, to deployment on overseas operations, and the preparation and presentation of key information to various Prime Ministers, she joined FDM and took up the global role as Head of the Getting Back to Business programme. Through her drive and determination, she has led the development and growth of FDM’s returners programme.

 She remains energised by the level of interest shown and support given to this inspirational programme that enables (predominately) women to return to work and progress to more senior levels, whilst helping to redress the gender imbalance that often exists.  

Isabel Chapman - Techmums

Isabel is a qualified specialist in Gender & Equality. Experienced in engaging young people from deprived communities, designing & delivering Education, Employment & Training (EET) programmes. Extensive experience in Diversity and Inclusion, Corporate Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement, reporting to Boards of Trustees and Policy Implementation.

Natasha Sayce-Zelem - Empowering Women with Tech

Natasha Sayce-Zelem is the Head of Technology at Sky across their extensive Digital Service estate. Sky is one of The Times Top 50 employers for women, with an award winning ‘Women in Leadership’ programme and a number of external free initiatives to encourage more women to get into a Tech career. 

Outside of work, Natasha founded the ‘Empowering Women with Tech’ initiative, which aims to drive (and retain) more diversity into the digital, science and technology sectors through events, a mentoring scheme and training.
Over 1000 people have attended a EWWT event with past keynote talks from Lauren Laverne, Dr Sue Black OBE, Anne Marie Imafidon MBE and Debbie Wosskow OBE to name a few. Natasha is on the steering group for the BIMA Diversity & Inclusion Council, and on the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Leeds School of Computing.

Debbie Forster MBE – CEO, Tech Talent Charter

 Debbie is a recognised figure in the areas of diversity, tech, innovation and education, and is CEO for the Tech Talent Charter, an award-winning industry collective which aims to deliver greater gender diversity in the UK tech workforce. Debbie was awarded an MBE in January 2017 for services to Digital Technology and Tech Development and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) named her Woman of the Year for 2016.  Debbie has also been named on Computer Weekly’s list of “25 Most Influential Women in UK IT” for the last 6 years and on their“50 Most Influential People in UK IT for 2018., their “definitive list of the real movers and shakers in UK IT - the CIOs, industry executives, public servants and business leaders driving the creation of a high-tech economy.”

FAQs

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event? Find out more at https://odileeds.org/location/

How can I contact the organiser with any questions? Please email events@techtalentcharter.co.uk

Will vegetarian/gluten-free options be available? Yes. Please advise when booking.

I require an adjustment in order to attend, who should I contact? Please contact events@techtalentcharter.co.uk