Prioritise yourself as we celebrate International Women’s Day

09.00 – Registration opens
09.50 – Event opening (itSMF UK – Claire Drake & Valerie Wilson)
10.10 – Presentation 1 – Shaping the future of leadership: the women’s advantage (Valerie Wilson, BT)
10.40 – Break
10.55 – Presentation 2 – Stress can enhance your performance – here’s how (Hannah Holden)
11.25 – Presentation 3 – Breaking barriers: a woman’s guide to salary negotiation and legal empowerment (Alison Benney & Holly Mapstone, enlighten HR)
12.00 – Lunch
13.00 – Presentation 4 – Being your authentic self as a woman in IT leadership (Karen Brusch, Arqiva/PeopleCert Ambassador)
13.40 – Presentation 5 – Release & Reconnect: A Gentle Movement Practice (Hannah Holden)
14.10 – Break
14.25 – Presentation 6 – The power of your tribe: building connections to succeed (Hannah Hammonds, Prolific)
14.55 – Presenter Panel Session
15.15 – End of day networking
16.00 – Event close

Join us for an exploration of how women are shaping the future of leadership. This talk will delve into the unique impact women bring to modern workplaces, showcasing the transformative power of their strengths. We’ll examine how leadership has evolved over the years, why the world is looking to women to lead the way forward, and how we can harness this momentum for a brighter future.

Valerie Wilson has been leading service management teams for a decade. Based in Belfast, she currently oversees all the managed service front line service desks across BT Business globally, leading a team of over 1500 people across 15 geographies. Valerie is passionate about leadership and service management, with a special focus on supporting and empowering women in this field. She also serves as a non-executive director on the board of itSMF UK and chairs Women in ITSM.

Stress isn’t the enemy—it’s how we respond to it that matters.

In this session, Hannah will introduce the 7 Rs of Stress Mastery, a powerful framework to help you navigate stress effectively. You’ll explore how to shift your mindset to transform stress into a tool for peak performance. Later, in the accompanying yoga session, you’ll experience how body-based techniques can be used to release and relax.

Having experienced burnout firsthand, Hannah created the 7 Rs of Stress Mastery to help you increase your impact, achieve peak performance, and prevent burnout. Her system empowers you to lead with intention, live with purpose, and thrive—without burning out. A qualified teacher in Hatha, Kundalini, and Yin yoga, she seamlessly integrates body-based practices into her teachings, helping you work with your nervous system to navigate stress effectively.

In this session, we will explore gender pay equality, the legislation that protects women’s rights, and how women can confidently negotiate their salaries. We will discuss the importance of understanding your legal rights, while also providing practical strategies for negotiating salary and benefits. Delegates will learn how to evaluate their worth, prepare for salary discussions, and confidently handle objections, all while overcoming personal and societal barriers. This session aims to empower women to assert their value in the workplace, secure fair pay, and advocate for their rights with confidence.

enlighten HR is a trusted employee relations specialist, providing pragmatic advice on employment law and employee relations to small and medium-sized businesses. Alison Benney and Holly Mapstone understand the need for expert HR support in today’s business landscape, which is why they offer flexible, affordable, and effective solutions tailored to your business needs.

Join Karen Brusch to discover not only what it means to be your authentic self, but also how. You will likely know that feeling; you walk into an IT leadership meeting to find you are the only woman in the room. Things are changing, but this is the reality many of us face. We often hinder ourselves by perceiving the expectation is to be ‘one of the lads’. How, then, do we make an impression that gives us not only a seat, but a voice at the top table?

Learn what it means to be authentic in leadership, what key skills and support you need. Hear some tips and techniques that can make that difference. Explore how we can learn from ITIL4 principles to help us be better leaders. Karen is passionate about enabling people, particularly young professionals, understanding what it takes to have a voice in leadership. She has recently ‘retired’ from being Chair of itSMF UK, and is now an ITIL4 Ambassador for PeopleCert, alongside her day job as Head of Service Management & Design at Arqiva.

In this gentle yoga-based movement session, you’ll use your breath, body, and mind to release tension, calm your nervous system, and reconnect with yourself. Open to all abilities and experience levels, this practice will leave you feeling grounded, peaceful, and deeply in tune with yourself.

Having experienced burnout firsthand, Hannah created the 7 Rs of Stress Mastery to help you increase your impact, achieve peak performance, and prevent burnout. Her system empowers you to lead with intention, live with purpose, and thrive—without burning out. A qualified teacher in Hatha, Kundalini, and Yin yoga, she seamlessly integrates body-based practices into her teachings, helping you work with your nervous system to navigate stress effectively.

Let’s explore how building your network in the workplace can elevate your career and set you up for success. In this session, we’ll talk about the importance of finding your people; the cheerleaders, mentors, allies, and challengers who help you grow and thrive. We’ll dive into who these individuals are, how to identify them, and the ways they can support your career journey. You’ll leave with insights on creating meaningful workplace connections that empower you to reach new heights.

Hannah Hammonds is passionate about building meaningful connections and fostering inclusive communities. As the founder of a Women in Tech network, she is incredibly proud of creating a space for mentorship, empowerment, and collaboration. She is thrilled to deliver this talk on finding your people, believing that her career has been transformed by the connections she has made, the skills she’s developed and the confidence they’ve helped her build. Surrounding yourself with the right people is the key to success.

Short Q&A panel session with the presenters from the day before we break for end of day drinks and networking.