WISE Online Conference 2021

Inclusive. Transformative. Driving sustainability.

The WISE Online Conference 2021 took place on the 2nd and 9th March.

In 2021, the UK needs inclusive growth AND transformative action that delivers sustainability. All people working together to solve the challenges of the future.

10 things we learned from our 2021 Conference

 

Click to read summary

Sessions and Workshops

Day one was all about inspiring action

Keynote speakers discussed the climate crisis and how we want to arm more young women with the knowledge and opportunities they need to combat it.

Welcome and Overview

An inspirational call to action to help build a sustainable world, from WISE Ambassador Baroness Brown of Cambridge.

Outreach with a Green Theme

Learn from Catalyse Change and Women in Sustainability about a programme focussed on mobilising the female sustainability experts and environmental engineers of the future.

Climate Change Action – Women making the difference.

Penny Endersby, Chief Executive, Met Office, talks about how we can do more to shine a light on the inspiring women who are leading the fight against climate change.

Green Credentials

Can a new wave of qualifications influence the number of women in STEM? Can the creations of degree qualifications focused on sustainability, renewable technology, and climate change encourage more female candidates to specialise in these areas? What is the evidence to date?

The Blue Planet Effect Surfachem

Your chance to find out about how one company capitalised on the momentum in sustainable products & changed its approach to improve business performance & gender balance.

WISE Conference 2021

From practical tips on how to find a mentor, to building allyship and providing an internal promotion process that’s free from bias, gain insider knowledge from a wealth of experts including Royal BAM, Network Rail, Belonging Pioneers and many more.

Welcome and Overview

Emer Murnaghan, Head of Sustainable Development, Graham and Vice-President of Institution of Civil Engineers

Workshop: Building Allyship

Alasdair Henderson, Global Director, HR Business Partnering at Royal BAM N.V. and winner of the 2018 WISE Man Award

Hear from Alasdair Henderson, Global Director of HR at BAM, talk about practical steps to build allyship within your organisation and business community to help create an inclusive workplace culture.

Access Passcode: @g2Md@pO

Workshop: Finding a Mentor

Suzy Firkin, Principal Associate at WISE

Everyone says we should have one but how to go about finding one? A practical session working through a series steps that you can use to identify and secure a suitable mentor.

Access Passcode: Jt120934!

Panel: Mind the “Eco-Gap”

A panel discussion with the WISE Young Professionals’ Board

Join the WISE Young Professionals’ Board in a panel discussion covering the subject areas of the Eco-Gender Gap and the impact of the lack of women in senior roles on sustainability and innovative change.

Workshop: Understanding barriers to progression for women – A Network Rail case study

How do we ensure that we provide an internal promotion process free from bias and support all employees to reach their full potential. Hear Network Rail talk about the findings of their latest research project in partnership with WISE.

Coming soon…

Workshop: Create Your Authentic Professional Brand – Be Valued For Your Unique Difference

Ishreen Bradley, Chief Inspiration Officer, Belonging Pioneers

How you will benefit from this workshop:

  • Understand what makes you stand out and what’s different about you that adds value at work
  • Articulate a compelling value proposition
  • Prepare a foundation for how you will communicate your value in a way that is authentic to you, recognised, appreciated and rewarded

Access Passcode: Jt120934!

Careers in Sustainability Panel – How do we create a diverse profession?

Chaired by Professor Serena Corr of the Faraday Institution

Our final session is a panel show casing forward thinking men and women in sustainability debating how we can create the most diverse, innovative and effective profession to tackle climate change.
Panel Speakers:
Dr Rachael Rothman MA MEng (Cantab), PhD, AMIChemE of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures
Ian Wilkinson of Siemens Energy
Myrtle Dawes of OGTC
Vania De Stefani of BP

Meet Speakers for the WISE Conference 2021

Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FRS FREng

Vice Chair of Committee on Climate Change, Chair of Carbon Trust, STEM Learning Ltd, Crossbench member of the House of Lords

Lila Thompson

Chief Executive of British Water

Alasdair Henderson

Global Director, HR Business Partnering – Royal BAM N.V.

Professor Penny Endersby

MA CPhys CEng FInstP FCMI, Chief Executive, Met Office

Professor Serena Corr

Chair of Functional Nanomaterials

Traci Lewis

Co-Founder & Director at Catalyse Change C.I.C

The WISE Young Professionals’ Board

Ishreen Bradley

Chief Inspiration Officer, Belonging Pioneers

Emer Murnaghan OBE

Head of Responsible Sustainable Business at GRAHAM Group and Vice-President of Institution of Civil Engineers

Dr Rachael Rothman MA MEng (Cantab), PhD, AMIChemE

Academic Lead for Sustainability, The University of Sheffield

Ian Wilkinson

Programme Manager, Siemens Energy

Myrtle Dawes

Solution Centre Director, OGTC

Vania De Stefani

Business strategy consultant and former Vice President at BP

Fakhara Jones

Technical Director at Surfachem Ltd

Lily Kitchen

Project Manager (Diversity and Inclusion)

2021 Conference Sponsors & Partners

Headline Conference Partner