Come and have a drink with others in the network and our Women on Boards’ lead in Scotland to meet, share your experiences and ask any questions you may have.
An in-person event in Edinburgh, facilitated by Julie Ashworth, Women on Boards’ lead in Scotland. Julie 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.
Lead for Scotland, Julie Ashworth
Julie is Chair of the Board of the University of Aberdeen and Chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Scotland, an Advisory Board member for the Scottish Business Network and has recently been appointed to the board of ICAS as a Non-Executive Director. She has previously held non-executive roles with George Watson’s College and the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh among several others, and spent 3 years as Chair of an award winning retail tech start-up.
Julie is CEO of Broadreach, providing specialist leadership consulting services to global blue-chip companies. Julie works extensively as an Executive Mentor and coach with various FTSE 100 companies. She has held Retail Director roles with Liberty of London and Punch Taverns and was Executive Partner at IBM with responsibility for retail across EMEA and the US. She began her corporate career with Tesco, leaving her role as a senior executive to compete in the Round the World Yacht race.
Julie lives in Edinburgh and is our Women on Boards Lead for Scotland. Julie leads Women on Boards’ ‘Getting to the C-Suite’ Leadership programme and delivers different types of our Board CV support offer and mentoring.
Speakers
Vikki Macleod
Vikki is an experienced non-executive director with board roles spanning healthcare, technology, and digital innovation. She is a Group NED at MDDUS, where she also chairs its FCA-regulated subsidiary, and holds further non-executive appointments with Libereat, Safehinge Primera, and AND Digital. Previous roles include IndigoVision PLC, where she chaired the Audit and Risk Committee, alongside advisory work supporting mid-market businesses through Grant Thornton’s Growth 365.
Vikki’s non-executive portfolio builds on a 35-year executive career in financial services with Virgin Money, Tesco Bank, HSBC and Equiniti, as well as trustee responsibilities for Tesco PLC’s £8bn pension schemes.
Kim McAllister
Kim McAllister is a communications professional with experience broadcasting for the BBC, writing for the Herald, Scotsman and The Times and developing media strategies for private, public and third sector organisations.
With over 15 years of experience in journalism and business, Kim has developed a keen sense of how to distil complex information into engaging and relevant stories for diverse audiences. Kim currently serves as a Council Member on Hutchesons’ Former Pupils Council, Glasgow and as a Member of the Board of Trustees at The Yard, a Scottish charity providing adventure play services and whole family support for disabled children, young people and families.
Fiona Islam
Fiona Islam is a seasoned global business executive whose nearly two decades at a leading investment bank in London have seen her lead and shape major strategic initiatives across Fixed Income, Currencies, Commodities, Equities and ESG products. She has recently moved into the Wealth Management business, leading business change and transformation programmes. With deep expertise in global sales business management, regulatory programme delivery, and transformational change, she has steered high-impact mandates—most notably acting as a lead for the bank’s Brexit and MiFID II implementations, and overseeing multi-billion dollar global revenues as part of its Global Sales leadership. Her professional ethos is anchored in clarity under complexity, turning challenging business problem statements into executable strategies, and fostering high-performing, geographically diverse teams in the pursuit of sustained growth and efficiency.
Beyond her executive roles, Fiona mentors emerging professionals and female entrepreneurs through various initiatives and is a trusted mentor for The King’s Trust. She is also linked to academia and governance via her appointment to the University of Aberdeen Court, her former University, one she is extremely proud of. This role allows her to contribute to the strategic direction of the institution.
Marian Glen
Marian Glen is an experienced non-executive director with a strong background in financial services, investment management, and corporate governance. She currently serves on the boards of Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust plc and The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS), where she is Vice-Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and Chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Marian has held a number of senior non-executive roles, including with Shires Income plc, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Friends Life Group, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, and Murray Income Trust plc.
Earlier in her executive career, she was General Counsel and a member of the Executive Committee at AEGON UK, responsible for legal, governance, and regulatory affairs, and served on the AEGON Global Leadership Team.
Marian brings extensive expertise in investment strategy, financial regulation, and board leadership across both listed and mutual organisations.
With thanks to our event hosts
