Leading The Workplace and Workforce Evolution

Book your ticket for our upcoming event 'Leading The Workplace and Workforce Evolution' for leaders, managers and HR/people professionals, exploring the key leadership challenges that face organisations today.

An event in association with the North East Chamber of Commerce and in media partnership with NE Times.

 

Event Location: The Great Hall, Northumbria University (Sutherland Building)

Event Overview:

Both the workplace and workforce are undergoing seismic shifts. Today’s leaders are seeking to navigate rapid technological innovation, conflicting views on hybrid and flexible working, disparate expectations amongst an age diverse workforce, talent attraction and retention challenges, and an increasing focus on corporate values, individual wellbeing and equitable opportunities for all.

At this event, we’ll explore the issues presented by our constantly changing business environment. Our speakers and panelists will discuss some of the biggest leadership challenges facing organisations today. And we’ll consider the values and skills that are critical for managers, leaders and businesses to thrive.

Speakers and Panelists:

 

• Sarah Glendinning, Director of Business Partnerships at Northumbria University, Compere and Panel Host

• Aneela Ali, Executive Director - Finance and Corporate Service, North East Chamber of Commerce

• Joeli Brearley MBE
  
  Joeli Brearley MBE is a prominent British activist, author, and public speaker, best known as the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, a charity dedicated to addressing workplace discrimination and the motherhood penalty. Her work has inspired changes at both societal and legislative levels. She is credited with influencing the recent £5.2 billion investment in childcare, as well changing laws on flexible working, tribunal time limits, and redundancy protections. In 2021 she took the Government to court for indirect sex discrimination and won her claim. Joeli spearheaded the biggest protest of mothers the UK has ever seen - March of the Mummies saw 15,000 parents march across 10 UK cities garnering nationwide attention for demanding workplace equality and better policies for parents.
  
  Joeli was listed among British Vogue’s “25 Most Influential Women,’’ was PR week’s 8th most prominent British communicator in 2023, and the New Statesman listed her on their left power list. Her book, Pregnant Then Screwed: The Truth About the Motherhood Penalty, has been lauded for its candid exploration of these issues and for empowering women to fight back against discrimination. Joeli remains a tireless advocate for creating a fairer and more inclusive workplace for women everywhere.

 

• Dr Helen Charlton, Associate Professor and Head of Executive Education, Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University
  
  Helen is an Associate Professor and Head of Executive Education for the Business School. Helen’s remit includes all business apprenticeships, executive CPD programmes, and distance learning programmes.
  
  Helen's teaching focusses on practice related HRM at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has taught within HRM-related programmes in FE and HE for over a decade and has specialised in the development of students’ academic and employability skills. Helen’s professional practice was in senior HR management in the not-for-profit and arts sectors.Helen holds a Doctorate in Education and a Masters in Human Resource Management.  She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, and a Chartered Manager and Fellow of CMI. Helen co-convenes the University Vocational Awards Council's Higher Education Tripartite Professionals network.

For any queries around this event please email: bc.b2bint@northumbria.ac.uk

Agenda

9:00 - 9:30	Networking and Breakfast
9:30 - 9:35	Welcome - Sarah Glendinning, Director of Business Partnerships at Northumbria University, Event Compere and Panel Host
9:35 - 9:55	Welcome and introduction from Aneela Ali, including business and policy insights on some of today’s key leadership challenges and hotly debated issues, such as AI adoption, engaging Gen Z, hybrid working, and more.
9:55 - 10:25	First keynote from Dr Helen Charlton (NU):The importance of human-centred and responsible leadership in today’s fast changing business world.
10:25 - 10:55	Our second keynote from Joeli Brearley MBE Building a parent-friendly workplace: Working parents are facing unprecedented levels of stress, impacting both their personal wellbeing and productivity at work. Despite this, many employers are scaling back their support for this key group. As a result, companies risk losing out on a highly skilled and dedicated talent pool. In this talk, Joeli Brearley will share her personal journey of workplace discrimination, which ultimately led to the creation of Pregnant Then Screwed - a movement dedicated to fighting the injustices parents face in the workplace. She will shed light on the ‘motherhood penalty’ - what it is, why it matters, and how it affects not just parents, but organisations as a whole. And she will share actionable strategies that can transform your workplace into one that truly supports parents.
10:55 - 11:30	Panel discussion hosted by Sarah Glendinning followed by an audience Q&A Panelists: Joeli Brearley MBE Dr Helen Charlton  Aneela Ali
11:30	Close