The International Women's Day panel event is the first in the Centre for Leadership’s Women in Business series

International Women's Day: Leading business women to address pandemic and ‘reset and recovery’ agenda in panel event

Five of the South West’s leading business women will discuss the impact of the pandemic and the role women can play in the region’s economic recovery in a special panel event for International Women’s Day, hosted by the University of Exeter Business School’s Centre for Leadership.

Entitled Reset and Recovery – Women, Business and the Pandemic, the all-female panel will focus on what ‘choose to challenge’ – this year’s theme for International Women’s Day – means for businesses in the South West.

It is the first event in the Centre for Leadership’s new Women in Business series, and will see the panel tackle three key questions for the South West: what the impact of the pandemic has been on women, what contribution women can make to the reset and recovery agenda, and how diversity and inclusion can become a fundamental part of the future for businesses.

Chaired by Professor of Practice Ciara Eastell OBE, the panel will include Sarah Abrahams, founder of the Inspiring Girls mentoring initiative in Exeter, a programme in which Exeter’s leading business women support and mentor girls in Year 9 to explore their future aspirations.

Other members of the panel include Sawsan Khuri, innovation specialist and professional facilitator; Clodagh Raddon, entrepreneur and Chair of Exeter Chamber of Commerce; Professor Ruth Sealy of the University of Exeter Business School, whose research focus on women on boards has achieved national recognition for shining a spotlight on gender inequality; and Melanie Walker MBE, Chief Executive of Devon Partnership NHS Trust and a passionate voice in the field of mental health and learning disability. 

Professor Eastell said: “It is so important that senior business leaders in the region address not only the impact of the pandemic on women, but also how we can use and learn from this experience to shape a better and more inclusive future for women in the South West.

“I am very happy that this amazing group of women, drawn from a range of businesses and organisations across the region, have agreed to share their thoughts and observations, and am sure it will prove to be a lively and enlightening discussion.”

Reset and Recovery – Women, Business and the Pandemic will be held on 8 March from 4pm-5.30pm. Please click here to register.

Date: 25 February 2021