Event date: 07/03/2025
Start Time: 9:00 am
End Time: 1:00 pm
Location: 7 East St, Leicester LE1 6EY, UK
7 East St
Leicester LE1 6EY
UK
Accelerating Gender Parity
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
We’re delighted to announce YMCA Leicestershire as our Venue Sponsor and Host of our International Women’s Day Conference 2025! Their generous support will ensure a fantastic experience for all attendees.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Paul Brown, CEO, and Nicola Thompson-Windley, Director of People, Policy and Culture, for their commitment to empowering women.
“YMCA Leicestershire is privileged to support this year’s International Women’s Day which is being held in our wonderful Victorian theatre. We are committed to gender parity and supporting the progression of our female staff and all women.” – Paul Brown, CEO, YMCA Leicestershire.
Join us for our now annual International Women’s Day Panel Discussion and Networking event at the YMCA Leicester, 7 East St, Leicester LE1 6EY.
The theme campaign theme for 2025 is ‘Accelerate Action’ for women worldwide. A call to raise awareness of the current level of gender parity. According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 134 years to reach full gender parity – 2158. We can come together and ensure we do better than this prediction.
Join our panel of speakers as they discuss this topic and share their experiences and ideas of how we can together speed up the rate of gender parity.
Join us for great networking, and the opportunity to meet many of our Women’s Awards Winners and Shine Members, and speak with our panelists.
#AccelerateAction
Gender Parity Panel Members:
Nicola Thompson-Windley
Director of People, Policy and Culture, YMCA Leicestershire
Nicola Thompson-Windley is a dedicated HR leader and advocate for inclusive workplaces, with over 20 years of experience in human resources, organisational culture, and leadership development. As the Director of People, Policy, and Culture at YMCA Leicestershire, she is committed to fostering an environment where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.
With a strong focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion, Nicola has been instrumental in driving policies and initiatives that promote fairness and opportunity for all. She is passionate about creating meaningful change, ensuring that workplaces are not only legally compliant but also spaces where individuals—especially women and underrepresented groups—can reach their full potential.
Throughout her career, Nicola has worked across both the charity and public sectors, leading transformative projects in employee engagement, well-being, and leadership development. She has also dedicated time to supporting community initiatives that help young people and vulnerable individuals build brighter futures.
Nicola is honoured to be attending this year’s International Women’s Day event, joining in the conversation on accelerating women’s equality. As someone who champions the importance of inclusive leadership and positive workplace culture, she looks forward to engaging with and learning from other inspiring women and allies.
Nicola is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and holds a MSc in Strategic Human Resource Management from Nottingham Trent University.
I. Stephanie Boyce
Dr. I.Stephanie Boyce (Hon. Causa)LLB (Hons), LLM, DipICArb, FRSA, FKC Honorary Professor of Law. Former President of the Law Society of England and Wales.
A strategic visionary who brings significant expertise in legislative affairs, strategic policy development, and stakeholder engagement.
I. Stephanie Boyce is a solicitor, executive mentor, thought leader, commentator, and a trusted advisor to executive leaders. Stephanie is using her leadership position for wider positive social impact, particularly around issues of social mobility and social justice.
Stephanie’s work has been recognised with a number of awards. In 2020 Stephanie was voted on to the Governance Hot 100 – Board Influencer and made the Power List 100 Most Influential Black People in the UK in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and jointly awarded the 2022 Burberry British Diversity Awards-Inspirational Role Model of the Year. Most recently, following a public ballot, Stephanie is featured in an art exhibition celebrating ‘100 Black Women Who Have Made a Mark’.
David Hayes BSc(Hons), FRAeS
Director, David Hayes-Export Controls®
David Hayes has many years experience in export controls and sanctions, both from an industry and regulator’s perspective. In addition to his own consultancy, David is the Director of UK Affairs for the Washington DC based trade consultancy The Trade Compliance Group (formerly MK Technology LLC).
David was the founding Chairman of the Export Group for Aerospace and Defence (EGADD), which he developed into the UK’s leading trade body on export controls, and a widely recognised expert in his field. He stood down as Chair of EGADD in 2012 in order to devote more time to his consultancy business.
David is a qualified helicopter pilot and also spent ten years as an Intelligence Officer with 7006(VR) Intelligence Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, specializing in Air Defence and Electronic Warfare. He is also a qualified Six-Sigma Green Belt.
Leanne Bonner-Cooke MBE
Founder of LBC Mentoring Ltd, and Co-Founder of Shine Together CIC
Leanne I was awarded MBE for Services to Women in Business and Technology in 2018.
As a multi award winning serial entrepreneur, Leanne has worked in the corporate world and start-ups, leading innovation and growth.
LBC is about Leading Businesses Consciously. What that translates to is my belief that people and our teams are at the core of success. Now after 35 years of gaining a range of skills, experiences and knowledge, I want to use that to mentor and coach you. I support business leaders like you to collaborate and communicate effectively to deliver results.
Linda Neville DHyp RMN BA MSc, CNHC Registered
Linda Neville is the founder and CEO of SanaMente. Her passion lies in unlocking the full potential of individuals in their personal and professional lives.
With an extensive career, in a variety of Mental Health clinical settings, managerial and leadership roles within the NHS, and now in Private Practice, Linda is skilled in understanding the context of complex human challenges, obstacles and ambitions. She has a passion for helping people to overcome adversity and challenge, assisting them to recognise and use their unique skills and talents to thrive in work and life.
She is the Founder of Strive with SanaMente a flexible and responsive online programme that guides people to better mental health by learning to understand it themselves. Each member is assessed on enrolment and then given direction on what they need to learn to help them. Members are pro-actively engaged via text, email and a private Facebook group that offers the support of a community should they need it. They also have access to 1-2-1 support with mental health professionals and fortnightly events that are designed to
practically address life skills.
Linda is the Winner of The Women’s Awards 2022 Outstanding Woman in Care Services – East Midlands, and The Women’s Awards Inspirational Female Leader of the Year East Midlands 2022.
Nikhil Mistry
Video Artist, Nikhil Mistry Video Production
Nikhil Mistry is an award-winning global filmmaker and entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling that sparks change. Launching his career at 17, he has collaborated with global brands like NHS, Porsche, and Amazon Prime, crafting mini-documentaries around the world and commercial films that captivate audiences and ignite conversations. His talent for connecting with people from all walks of life allows him to create visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and socially impactful narratives.
Beyond filmmaking, Nikhil is committed to mentoring future entrepreneurs and championing gender equality. As an Enterprise Advisor for schools across Leicestershire, he helps young people develop the confidence and skills to succeed in business. He also collaborates with a CIC that supports women and works alongside a UN Women’s board panel to advocate for gender equality and women-led initiatives.
Blending creativity with curiosity, Nikhil uses film to amplify voices, challenge perspectives, and inspire meaningful change. His global experience and entrepreneurial mindset fuel his mission to make storytelling a powerful force for impact.
Refreshments of Breakfast cobs, Teas, and Coffees will be available.
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IWD 2025 Conference: Accelerating Gender Parity
Event Registration Form
Exhibition Stalls
This event also offers the opportunity for exhibition stalls. This is a great opportunity to present your products and/or services to our members, guests, and sponsors. Spaces are limited, so register early. Stall availability is on a first come first serve basis.
