Speakers

Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE is one of the UK’s most well-connected women and a leading authority on gender equality. She has delivered keynotes for over 600 companies, inspiring more than 50,000 women globally. A sought-after consultant, Vanessa advises both government bodies and corporations on strategies to attract, develop, and retain female talent. In June 2018, she was awarded an OBE by King Charles for her contributions to women and the economy, and in 2024, she received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Warwick University.

In 2008, at the peak of her 25-year career in banking and finance, Vanessa launched the award-winning WeAreTheCity, a platform designed to support women’s career development. Its sister organisation, WeAreTechWomen, together with WeAreTheCity, has grown to a membership of over 80,000, offering resources, conferences, awards, and job opportunities to women worldwide. To date, Vanessa has helped over 250,000 women gain new skills and expand their networks. In 2024, she launched the first-ever National Women in Tech Week, which offered more than 70 free events across the UK to women in the tech sector.

She also spearheaded the recent Lovelace Report, which highlighted a £2-3.5 billion gap in the tech sector by not developing women’s careers. Vanessa is also the founder of several prestigious awards programs, including Rising Stars, TechWomen100, Trailblazer50, Pioneer20 and Themis20, collectively raising the profile of over 2,500 extraordinary women and men. She is the author of the acclaimed book Heels of Steel: Surviving and Thriving in the Corporate World, which chronicles her journey from a council estate in East London to the C-suite, her new book, 404: Women Not Found is set for release on 01 October 2026.

Over the past 25 years, Vanessa has earned 28 industry accolades, including Women in Banking & Finance’s Champion for Women, Financial News' Top 100 Rising Stars, and The International Alliance for Women's Top 100 Women globally. She has also been recognised as one of Brummell’s Top 30 London Entrepreneurs and was recently inducted into Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame as an icon for women in tech. Additionally, Vanessa has been featured in GQ UK’s Top 100 Connected Women and the Evening Standard’s 1000 Most influential Londoners. A regular media contributor, she has appeared on Sky News, BBC News, Talk London, CNN, Women’s Hour, and Radio 4.