An annual conference is a good day. It is not, on its own, a pipeline. That was the conclusion of the Women's Network committee after reviewing where attendees ended up two years later.
The programme now pairs emerging leaders with members who have run the equivalent business or held the equivalent post, with a structured commitment of six sessions a year.
Mentees set one measurable objective for the year — a promotion, a funding round, a first hire, a board seat — and the mentor is matched to that objective rather than to sector alone.
The conference remains the anchor point, but it now opens and closes a programme rather than standing alone.