Celebrated annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for improving women's equality. It highlights that when we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world.
When women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.
This International Women’s Day, celebrate the theme, Inspire Inclusion by hearing from one of our motivational International Women’s Day speakers.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is a prodigy in every sense of the word. Aged 11, she was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level computing and was just 20 years old when she received her Master’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford.
Since then, she has held positions at Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard and Deutsche Bank.
A recognised and respected thought leader in the tech space and trustee at the Institute for the Future of Work, Anne-Marie has spoken across the globe for some of the world’s biggest digital companies and conferences, including Facebook, Amazon, Google and Mastercard.
From A.I and The Future of Work to the need for diversity in tech, Anne-Marie is a champion for women in the workplace and inspiring keynote speaker for International Women’s Day.
Stef Reid MBE
British Paralympic sprinter and long jumper Stef Reid is a five-time world record holder, World Champion, triple Paralympic medallist and motivational speaker.
Stef’s talent and passion for sport were spotted early, and at 12 she was already dreaming of playing rugby on the world stage. However, at age 15, she was involved in a boating accident, suffering severe propeller lacerations ultimately leading to amputation.
Following her amputation, Stef encountered countless difficulties as she attempted to re-enter the world of sport. Her childhood dream of being a professional athlete however proved all the drive she needed to achieve greatness.
Now a sought-after keynote speaker, Stef inspires and challenges audiences through her message that excellence is possible for everyone.
Through her talks, Stef examines harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion, adaptive mindsets, dealing with failure and human performance in business.
Carrie Gracie
With a BBC career spanning more than three decades, Carrie Gracie has served as China correspondent, Beijing bureau chief presenter on the BBC News Channel and host of the weekly BBC World Service programme The Interview.
During her career, Carrie covered every major national and international news story including 9/11, the Iraq war, 7/11 as well as the MPs expenses scandal.
By 2013 it was clear that China’s rise was one of the biggest stories of our time. The BBC created a new role as China Editor and appointed Carrie to the post; a position she cites as the greatest privilege of her professional life.
However, in January 2018, Carrie resigned from the post in protest of pay inequalities, she published an open letter to BBC audiences and later appeared before a parliamentary committee.
After a yearlong struggle, she won a public apology from the BBC as well as back-pay. Carrie went on to donate the full sum to gender equality charity, the Fawcett Society.
An authoritative and empowering keynote speaker, Carrie’s experience as a figurehead for the equal pay movement provides the foundations for her talk focused on inspiring inclusion.
Karren Brady CBE
Voted Business Woman of the Year, Ultimate Entrepreneur and rated among the 50 most inspirational people in the world, Karren Brady is one of the most influential and respected female business leaders in the UK.
As well as being Lord Sugar's aide on The Apprentice, Karren is probably best known as 'the first woman in football'. After becoming Managing Director of Birmingham City FC at only 23 years old, she turned the club's fortunes around.
A passionate champion of women in business, Karren is the Chairman of Mentore, an organisation that works with businesses to harness the talents, ambitions and drive of women, and ensure more women are appointed to senior management and board positions.
Karren also serves on the Department for Culture Media & Sport’s Women in Sport Advisory Board, set up to help increase the status, influence and participation of women in the world of sport.
Drawing from her own experience across a plethora of businesses, Karren’s speeches examine what success is, breaking the glass ceiling and thriving in a male-dominated industry.
Sue Barker CBE
Sue Barker is a former British tennis player, commentator and broadcaster.
After ranking 21st in the World Tennis Association, Sue was professionally signed on her 17th birthday.
During her playing career, Sue won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, including a major singles title at the 1976 French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 3.
Following her retirement from tennis, Sue began the next phase of her career as a sports pundit and broadcaster.
A staple part of the BBC sports broadcasting team, Sue acted as the lead presenter of BBC’s tennis coverage until her retirement in 2022 and hosted A Question of Sport for 24 years.
In an era, particularly in sports, where male commentators and broadcasters dominated, Sue epitomised the importance of inclusion.
A dynamic and inspiring speaker, Sue talks about her exceptional Grand Slam-winning career, the significance of a support system to succeed and her 30-year broadcasting career.
To find out more about our full range of International Women’s Day speakers available please enquire online, email us or pick up the phone and speak to one of our booking agents.
