This workshop will help you understand the importance of leaning into experiential learning. Leave equipped with the courage to approach potential mentors. 

• Understand the difference between "buddies", "mentors", "sponsors", “champions” and "coaches" 
• Learn how to identify what is appropriate at what point in your life - career evolution, leadership vision, life goals. 
• Learn how to identify people who can support your ambitions. 
• Build your own suite of fantasy mentors
• Practice the best ways of approaching your ideal mentors to increase your chances of securing their support. 

Workshop Facilitators: Adwoa Darko and Thalia Anagnostopoulou

Adwoa is an Inclusive Communities Manager within the Centre for Equity and Inclusion at London Metropolitan University. Adwoa's work focuses on fostering an inclusive environment across the institution that is welcoming and celebrates the cultural diversity of our students, staff and local communities. Working closely with key staff, students across the University, she strives to ensure there is a clear focus on improving and promoting inclusion practice, provision, organisational culture and equitable representation. 

Alongside her work in education, she is a freelance writer and host, with bylines in Glamour, Metro, The Independent and gal-dem. Her writing focuses on Black women’s issues, the politics of beauty and desirability, and the intersection of race, gender and fatphobia. She is currently studying for a master's in International Higher Education Management at the University of Bath.

Thalia is an award winning mentoring practitioner turned Leadership development professional and coach. Thalia is a big advocate of equality, diversity and inclusion in the context of supporting the right people to excel in the careers that they want and deserve- in spite of systemic barriers. With 17 years of HE experience with a focus on personal and professional development for those from underrepresented backgrounds, Thalia is very keen on transformational training, thinking outside of the box and most of all the power of human connections.

This workshop will offer a reflective opportunity to those in leadership positions and/or interested in leadership positions. In order to stimulate thinking, attendees are invited to read a short blog by Donna Whitehead in advance of the workshop and come willing to share personal reflections on what authentic leadership means to them.

What attendees can expect from the workshop:

• An opportunity to consider and reflect upon what authentic leadership is and whether we feel that we are authentic leaders
• An opportunity to consider whether our authenticity is what makes us successful (or not)
• An opportunity to reflect on what aspects of ourselves we hide away and why

You may wish to read her blog on authentic leadership ahead of the workshop. 

Workshop Facilitator: Prof. Donna Whitehead

Donna is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of South Wales. She has previously held roles as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at London Metropolitan University; Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean at UWE, Bristol; Deputy Dean at the University of South Wales; and a range of other senior leadership positions. She has also operated as a non-exec director in a variety of organisations.

In her role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Donna leads the faculties, the university’s Centre for the enhancement of learning and teaching, the future students directorate (responsible for recruitment of all students and internationalisation activity) and learning services. A key focus of Donna’s work and career to date is on equity and inclusion.

Donna is passionate about supporting others to develop; she invests significant time into mentoring others, including senior leaders across the sector.

In her personal life, Donna is married with two children. She enjoys weightlifting, jigsaw puzzles and caravanning!

This workshop will be an interactive and high energy workshop helping you to think differently about your career. Without revealing the three secrets, we can share that this session will include three of their favourite elements from the Career Accelerator programme and will get you thinking about how you talk about what you do and who to. It will be fast paced and content rich!

Workshop Facilitators: Marshah Dixon-Terry and Ellie Rich-Poole

Marshah and Ellie have been working together since 2022 when they co-designed the Career Accelerator Programme for WHEN and have been travelling the country together delivering the programme enabling women in Higher Education to harness their power to get the career they want.

In a constantly evolving, uncertain, hybrid working, distanced, pressured environment - how can we maintain our focus on our career goals? How can we lead ourselves and others in the best possible way whilst also navigating personal, work, team and career challenges?

In this workshop, you will be using 'My Individual Fear indicator', to understand what's getting in the way of leading yourself more effectively and in addition, you will get to consider, what 'love' has got to do with it!

In this practical session, join Sarah Higgins - Leadership Coach and Author of the Business Book Awards 2021 Finalist - 'Power of Love Leadership®' to discover the answers to these questions and take away practical tips that you can apply straight away in your personal lives, work and career journey.

Workshop Facilitator: Sarah Higgins

Sarah Higgins is passionate about taking the latest research and data from neuroscience and combining this with over 27 years of working with leaders to bring you practical and applicable ways of being at your best at work. She combines the commercial imperative that organisations need, with a purposeful and meaningful way of results focused compassion, humility and gratitude in the workplace and leadership.

Sarah works with leaders and leadership teams to maximise their effectiveness through 1-1 executive coaching and leadership team workshop facilitation and leadership effectiveness training. A Fellow of the CIPD and ex HR Director, Sarah brings practical expertise in how to apply Emotional Intelligence, how to understand what gets in the way and how to be Resilient and Confident no matter what comes your way. Sarah has a wealth of knowledge and practical tools, e.g., she is a qualified practitioner of The 6 Types of Working Genius, as well as over 10 years' experience of using the world class psychometric assessments Hogan, for self-insight and impactful change to all her clients. Sarah is a volunteer co-founder and Chair for the Lamp Business Club (Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project) bringing businesses together to improve mental health at work and a Black Belt in Karate. Sarah is the author of the Business Book Awards 2021 Finalist 'Power of Love Leadership®’, available on Amazon, which enables leaders to improve resilience, confidence, productivity, morale and creativity by using seven successfully proven powerful strategies. 

This practical and interactive workshop will explore how to bring a strengths-based approach to our work to increase overall engagement, career satisfaction and wellbeing. We will explore our personal strengths, why strengths matter at work, and practical tips for developing and applying our strengths within our work and careers. We will also explore how to use a strengths-based approach to give positive feedback to others.

Attendees will leave the workshop having:

• Understood the importance of strengths at work, and what it means to adopt a strengths-based approach
• Explored their own personal strengths and how to find a balance between under- and over-playing strengths at work
• Explored practical tips and examples for making the most of strengths at work
• Explored practical tips and examples for spotting & developing strengths in others

Workshop Facilitator: Charlotte Axon

Charlotte has worked in a variety of HR, inclusion and organisation development roles across the Higher Education sector, having led and supported projects relating to culture, change, inclusion and recruitment.
She has a specialist interest in inclusion and belonging, which she has applied in University contexts, both internally and as an external consultant. Charlotte is passionate about making work better for everyone, in particular, through finding opportunities for personalisation of the employee experience.

Charlotte has partnered with multiple universities during her time as a consultant lead people scientist, drawing on her experience of people analytics and how to practically use and apply these insights to drive and sustain positive change.