Top 3 reasons to attend the LEAD Network Conference 13th-14th October 2022

Blog #29

Top 3 reasons to attend the LEAD Network Conference
13th-14th October 2022

The worlds of business and entrepreneurship are evolving, with an increasing number of women taking on leadership roles. It is a welcome and long overdue evolution that we should all take steps to nurture. While women in business are starting to see tangible rewards for their efforts, the quest for equality is far from over; LEAD Network continues to inspire women across the globe to thrive – and registration is open for 2022’s annual conference.

Long-term readers of this blog will be acutely aware of how highly I value the LEAD Network and the insights and support I gain from membership. The day and a half of networking afforded by the conference is perhaps the embodiment of this, with 2022 marking the 10th annual event.

The 2022 event promises to be an extraordinary occasion for many reasons.  I highlight three here:

1. Networking

in person and online with an expected record number of participants

Allowing structured networking in person for the first time since the LEAD Network community met in Madrid in 2019. Do you remember those blissful days when we could look into the eyes of our peers and shake their hands, thanking them in person for their valued input into our working lives? Finally, they’re here again.

As discussed, this is also the 10th conference. That’s a decade of experience and insight behind LEAD Network, with each event growing larger and offering an increased engagement and interest. In 2022, over 700 attendees are expected in person, with hundreds of additional members joining virtually from 107 companies and 51 countries.

That’s right – the 10th annual LEAD conference is the first hybrid event. If you cannot make it to beautiful Paris to attend in person, you can participate from the comfort of your home or office. Sessions will be live-streamed, while the marketplace is entirely virtual.

2. Enjoy the culturally rich surroundings of Paris!

If you can make it to Paris, you’ll experience the culturally rich surroundings of one of Europe’s most diverse and centrally located cities. It seems fitting, as diversity and inclusion are at the heart of so much of LEAD’s mission.

3. Inspirational speakers

showcasing multiple perspectives, from both inside and outside our industry

Just some of the confirmed speakers at the event include:

• Rami Baitiéh, Executive Director, Carrefour France
• Katie Moran, EMEA Sector Leader – Baby Child Care, Kimberly-Clark
• Olena Vdovychenko, CEO, Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine
• Pankay Bhalla, Sr. Vice President Europe Grooming, Procter & Gamble
• Claire Wardle, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
• Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Human Resources & Business Services, Nestlé
• Matt Close, President Ice Cream, Unilever
• Veronika Pountcheva, Sr. Vice President Corporate Responsibility Metro/CO-CEO NX Food & LEAD Network Advisory Board Chair

Truly, there are insights for everybody to glean from the LEAD Network Conference. It’s rare for many of the most inspirational and interesting figures in the business world to congregate under one roof, thus ensuring it’s an opportunity not to be missed.

Closing thoughts
I have to say, this year’s theme – “Doing not Trying: Lead through Inclusion,” really strikes a chord with me. For years, we were promised that the corporate world would try to include more women in the C Suite and around the executive table, but there is still lots of work to do. We all need to unite and keep moving forward, advancing inclusion to create a more just, equal, and righteous world. The first step to achieving this is registering online for the 2022 LEAD conference and learning more about how we can turn our ideals into reality.

LEAD NETWORK CONFERENCE 2022

For the first time in three years, the LEAD Network members will be able to gather face-to-face for our upcoming annual event in Paris! We wish to celebrate our community coming together, to share knowledge and to provide networking time. The D&I Marketplace will be virtual, and the plenary sessions will be in-person and live-streamed. 

Our theme for this year is “Doing not Trying: Lead through Inclusion” because advancing inclusion is not only good for your business, it is also a prerequisite for a more righteous and equal world. It’s not optional, and it requires thoughtfulness and intention. And leadership, to make the inclusion shift and to enable diversity to thrive.

Delegates, including the CEOs of some of Europe’s largest #CPG and #retail companies, are coming together to network, share knowledge, and best practices. And this year, those members unable to join us in person can participate virtually!

If you are a partner company, you can book your seat now:  https://lnkd.in/eC5YUPg
On-site tickets are now available to partner companies through the partner ambassador allotment. Next month, on-site tickets will be available to all LEAD Network members. If you cannot attend in person, reserve now your complimentary ticket to participate virtually. 

Please visit the conference website to check out our fantastic event line-up and keep up-to-date with additional speakers as they are confirmed: https://lnkd.in/dxym8NFs