Wo+Men’s Leadership Conference 2025: Fostering Trust, Inspiring Change

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4 Oct 2025

09:00 -18:15

Time shown in local time

Open to: All

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Cambridge Judge Business School

Trumpington St

Cambridge

CB2 1AG

United Kingdom

Celebrate 10 years of Women in Leadership: a legacy continued

This year marks a remarkable milestone: 10 years of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School. Since its inception, the conference has been a space for bold conversations, new collaborations and lasting impact.

At this year’s conference we look toward the future with the theme of Trust. Throughout the day, leading thinkers and practitioners will explore what it takes to build trust within ourselves, our teams and our organisations to drive both performance and belonging.

In times of global instability, trust is the foundation we need.

A lecture theatre populated with attendees of the Wo+men's Leadership Conference.

About the event

This year, we’re delighted to welcome Marty Wikstrom, Founding Partner of Atelier Fund, Chairman of Fortnum & Mason, Advisory Board member of Cambridge Judge and Fellow of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge, in conversation with Pam Garside, Chair of Cambridge Angels, Co-Chair of Cambridge Health Network and Fellow of Cambridge Judge Business School.

In an interactive session, Yasmine McDougall Sterea, Founder of FreeFree, will share her trajectory of building an organisation rooted in trust, alongside practices and tools for leaders to strengthen both inner and collective trust during turbulent times.

Panels will address:

  • tackling the erosion of trust by building inclusive workplace cultures
  • the role of women leaders in restoring confidence through values-led decision-making and leadership
  • how trust can accelerate progress in sustainability and the unique role women leaders play in shaping future-focused organisations

A plenary interactive workshop led by Professor Alan Jagolinzer will explore the rise of parasocial relationships that form online and their impact on authentic communication, connection, trust and leadership and seed reflection on how to foster genuine leadership in the age of AI and the growing crisis of trust in society.

With plenty of networking opportunities throughout the day, the conference will conclude with a celebratory drinks reception, a fitting close to a day of inspiration, connection and renewed commitment to women’s leadership to make a difference.

Join us as we celebrate a legacy continued.

Agenda

08:30-09:00

Registration and welcome refreshments

Lobby

09:00-09:20

Conference opening and welcome 

Lecture Theatre 1

Speakers
  • Professor Feryal Erhun, Professor of Operations and Technology Management & Academic Director, Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School
  • Tracey Horn, Executive Director, Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Director, Corporate Communications and Marketing, Cambridge Judge Business School

09:20-10:20

Panel 1: Building the right foundation: trust in organisational culture

Lecture Theatre 1

This panel will explore practical strategies for cultivating high-performing, inclusive organisational cultures rooted in transparency, ethics and integrity, demonstrating how trust drives both performance and belonging.

Panellists
  • Sulaiman Durrani, Enterprise Account Executive, Diffblue (EMBA 2022)
  • Noor Teja, Cell Supply Referent, Médecins Sans Frontières (EMBA 2024)
  • Anna Wood, Founder & CEO at JUX Food (MBA 2022)

Moderated by Professor Elizabeth George, KPMG Professor of Management Studies, Cambridge Judge Business School 

10:20-10:40

Refreshments

Lobby

10:40-11:40

In conversation

Lecture Theatre 1

  • Marty Wikstrom, Founding Partner of Atelier Fund, Chairman of Fortnum & Mason, Advisory Board member of Cambridge Judge Business School and Fellow of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School, in conversation with Pam Garside, Chair of Cambridge Angels, Co-Chair of Cambridge Health Network and Fellow of Cambridge Judge Business School. 

11:40-12:40

Workshop: Parasocial vs human connection  

Lecture Theatre 1

  • Professor Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting, Vice Dean for Programmes and Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting and Accountability, Cambridge Judge Business School 

This interactive workshop will explore the rise of parasocial relationships that form online and now, with AI, their impact on our ability to form meaningful human connections. Alan will address how these one-way bonds can derail authentic communication, connection, trust and leadership. The goal of this workshop is to start your personal reflection on how to foster genuine leadership in the age of AI and the growing crisis of trust in society. 

12:40-13:30

Networking lunch

Lobby

13:30-14:30

Panel 2: Leading through uncertainty: restoring trust in times of deficit 

Lecture Theatre 1

This panel addresses the erosion of institutional trust and the role of women leaders in restoring confidence through values-led decision-making and leadership. 

Panellists
  • Dame Menna Rawlings, President of Queens’ College 
  • Dr Heather Melville OBE, Partner at Stork and May and Chancellor of the University of York 
  • Tariq Shah OBE, CEO of Vigo (EMBA 2019)
  • Jane Hamilton, The Times Appointments Editor, News UK

Moderated by Professor David Stillwell, Professor of Computational Social Science, Deputy Director of the MBA Programme, Academic Director of the Psychometrics Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School 

14:30-15:30

Interactive masterclass: trust and resilience

Lecture Theatre 1

  • Yasmine McDougall Sterea, Founder of  FreeFree

In times of global instability, trust is the foundation we need. Without it, how can we truly move forward? In this interactive masterclass, Yasmine McDougall Sterea, Founder of  FreeFree, will share her trajectory of building an organisation rooted in trust, alongside practices and tools for leaders to sustain energy, focus and resilience during turbulent times. This session will offer a rare opportunity to connect leadership to personal grounding, including guided practices and reflections designed to strengthen both inner and collective trust.

15:30-16:00

Refreshments and networking

Lobby

16:00-17:00

Panel 3: Women in Sustainable Luxury (WiSL): trust, leadership, sustainability and women’s role 

Lecture Theatre 1

This panel will explore how trust can accelerate progress in sustainability and the unique role women leaders play in shaping transparent, responsible and future-focused organisations.

Panellists
  • Nina Briance, Founder & CEO, Cult Mia 
  • Anabel Calvo, Director of Supply Chain Operations, Sustainability, Data & Analytics, Burberry  
  • Dina Khalifa, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of MA Luxury Brand Management, Regent’s University

Moderated by Benedicta Banga, Founder of Women in Sustainable Luxury and Director, of Fluxury (EMBA 2023)

17:00-17:15

Closing comments

LT1

  • Tracey Horn, Executive Director of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre and Director of Corporate Communications & Marketing, Cambridge Judge Business School
  • Professor Feryal Erhun, Academic Director of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre and Professor of Operations and Technology Management Cambridge Judge Business School

17:15-18:15

Networking drinks reception

Lobby

Speakers

Benedicta Banga

Founder, Women in Sustainable Luxury

Director, Fluxury

EMBA 2023

Tracey Horn

Executive Director, Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre

Director, Corporate Communications and Marketing, Cambridge Judge Business School

Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Director of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre
Tracey is passionate about improving gender diversity, through dialogue and action, and is a founding member of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Tracey is a member of the senior leadership team, with responsibility for overseeing
externally facing communications and corporate marketing. She is also a member of the European
Foundation for Management Steering Committee and a mentor to students at her alma mater, the University of St. Andrews. Tracey’s background is in outreach, engagement, and PR.

In her early career, she project-managed the creation, operational running and marketing of museums, including the Museum of Rugby and Twickenham Experience Tours at England Rugby, Twickenham. She developed engagement and
partnership programmes as Director of Outreach for the NASA Specialised Center of Research and Training in the Research Triangle, North Carolina and for ScottishTelecom, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Tracey holds degrees from the University of St Andrews and the University of Aberdeen, has
completed the Executive Education Cambridge General Management Programme, at Cambridge Judge, and is now embarking on an Executive MBA at the Business School. In her spare time, she runs marathons.

Nina Briance

Founder & CEO, Cult Mia

Dina Khalifa

Senior Lecturer and Course Leader, MA Luxury Brand Management, Regent’s University

Anabel Calvo

Director, Supply Chain Operations, Sustainability, Data & Analytics, Burberry

Yasmine McDougall Sterea

Founder, FreeFree

Sulaiman Durrani

Enterprise Account Executive, Diffblue

EMBA 2022

Dr Heather Melville OBE

Partner, Stork and May

Chancellor, University of York

Professor Feryal Erhun

Professor of Operations and Technology Management

Academic Director, Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School

My research interests include strategic interactions between stakeholders in supply chains and socially responsible operations. I’m a strong proponent of practice-based research and through collaborations with Intel Corporation, Stanford University Medical Center and others, I’ve combined my academic interests with firms’ needs to deliver insights for both communities.

I’m a member of the Operations and Technology Management subject group at Cambridge Judge Business School, which focuses on practice-based research through partner organisations to address a wide spectrum of management challenges.

Dame Menna Rawlings

President of Queens’ College, University of Cambridge

Pam Garside

Chair, Cambridge Angels

Co-Chair, Cambridge Health Network

Tariq Shah OBE

CEO, Vigo

EMBA 2019

Professor Elizabeth George

KPMG Professor of Management Studies

Noor Teja

Cell Supply Referent, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

EMBA 2024

Noor is a Supply Chain Program Manager with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), where she oversees humanitarian logistics and operations across Eastern and Southern Africa. Her role involves coordinating life-saving medical supply chains in some of the world’s most complex and challenging environments—from conflict zones to remote regions with limited infrastructure.

With a deep commitment to global health equity, Noor leads diverse, multicultural teams working remotely across continents. She thrives in high-pressure, high-impact settings, where systems thinking and data-driven strategies are essential for navigating the unpredictable.

Noor is passionate about the intersection of operations, systems and social impact, with a particular focus on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the humanitarian space. Her work is rooted in the belief that efficient operations, empowered people and inclusive leadership are key to transforming global health outcomes.

Jane Hamilton

The Times Appointments Editor, News UK

Marty Wikstrom

Founding Partner of Atelier Fund; Chairman of Fortnum & Mason

Advisory Board member, Cambridge Judge Business School; Fellow of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School

One of the industry’s foremost authorities, Marty Wikstrom has over 35 years’ experience in global brands. She supports companies with brand strategy, creative development, responsible technology advocacy and women’s advancement.

She began her career at Nordstrom where, over 19 years, she rose from part-time sales assistant to President of the Full Line Stores Group. Marty served as Managing Director of Harrods and then as a Non-Executive Director of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA where she also led the Fashion and Accessories brands as CEO.

Marty is a founding partner of Atelier Fund, specialising in the acquisition and development of luxury brands. Since 2002, she has sat on the board of a number of companies in the luxury, technology and sustainability sectors and is currently Chairman of Fortnum & Mason and a Non-Executive Director of Johnstons of Elgin.

Marty sits on the Advisory Board of Cambridge Judge Business School and is also a Fellow of the Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre.

In 2017, Marty was inducted into the World Retail Congress Hall of Fame. The following year, she was selected as one of Retail Week’s ‘8 Women’ who have broken down barriers to pave the way for the next generation of female leaders. In 2019, Forbes named her as their Retailer of the Year and in 2025, Marty received the Leading Light award from the International Women’s Forum.

Professor Alan Jagolinzer

Professor of Financial Accounting and Vice Dean for Programmes

Co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability, Cambridge Judge Business School

Anna Wood

Founder & CEO, JUX Food

MBA 2022

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