Come and have a drink with others in the network and our Women on Boards’ lead in Wales to meet, share your experiences and ask any questions you may have.
An IN-Person event in Cardiff, facilitated by Alison Thorne, Women on Boards’ lead in Wales. Alison will be joined on the evening by other inspirational speakers and there will also be ample opportunity for discussion and informal networking in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Wine and/or soft drinks and nibbles will be served.
Alison Thorne
Alison has developed a non-executive career and has just been appointed as Chair of National Dance Company Wales. Alison is also currently a Governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University; an Independent Panel Member of the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments service; and a Board Member of Sport Wales.
Until 2021, she was Chair of the leading equality charity Chwarae Teg and a trustee for six years. Alison previously held executive board and leadership positions at Otto UK, George at Asda, Mothercare, Lego Retail, and Kingfisher with B&Q. Following 2 years as a partner in a boutique executive search company, Alison set up ‘atconnect’ an executive search and people development company in 2010 which includes mentoring individuals at transition points in their careers.
Alison is based in Cardiff and is the Women on Boards Lead for Wales. She delivers Women on Boards’ CV Masterclass and our ‘Becoming an Effective Chair’ programme, as well as providing 1-on-1 Board CV reviews and mentoring across non-executive and executive careers.
Speakers
Roisin Connolly
A Senior Management Consultant at Accenture since 2012, Roisin provides strategic direction to c-suites, and will often focus on difficult programmes of work including digital transformation or inclusion, diversity, and behavioural measures to improve and make an organisation more impactful. In addition to her role at Accenture, she is also a non-executive board member for Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Roisin is very focused on improving diversity within the tech industry. She leads a number of gender diversity and female empowerment initiatives, as well as raising awareness through public speaking events. Roisin was previously selected as Women in Tech Top 50 (awards focused on championing female tech talent) and was invited by the then UK Minister for Digital, Karen Brady MP, to 10 Downing Street as one of 40 inspirational young women working in technology, to share her work and discuss how to create the next generation of role models for the youth of today.
Nicola Mead Batten
Nicola is a Board member of Sport Wales (also sitting on Audit, Investment and Facilities sub-committees), the body responsible for distributing funding for sport in Wales from grass roots to Elite and a Partner in the Regulatory practice of UK Top 50 Law Firm (and 2021’s Law Firm of the Year) TLT.
Nicola spent the formative decade of her career at the largest law firm in the world, Baker & McKenzie in London and Melbourne, Australia. She also spent time in house at the Professional Standards Authority, Accenture and the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund. During her time at Baker & McKenzie, Nicola launched the Young Public law Lawyers Group – a group focussing on developing young lawyers in the public sector, the Group goes from strength to strength today.
After having twins in 2013, Nicola made the oft’ travelled way back home to Wales. She became a Partner at boutique law firm Capital Law working for the likes of Welsh Government, the British Medical Association and Gambling Commission, before joining TLT in 2022. Nicola has a keen interest in diversity and inclusions matters and in pro bono work and has worked for the likes of Save the Children and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
With thanks to our event hosts
