Avivah Wittenberg-Cox: Gender Balance: A Strategic Imperative for Business?
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is speaker, author, consultant and CEO of 20-first, one of the world's leading gender balance consultancies.
Gender Balance: A Strategic Imperative for Business?
A politically incorrect overview of the debate around gender balance and its relevance to companies, profits and performance. It surfs through the benefits of balance, the obstacles to achieving it, and the role of leaders and corporate cultures in making it happen – or not. It invites people to explore one of today’s hot topics with cool heads.
Matt Johnson: Empathy & The Power of One
Matt is a professor, researcher, and writer specializing in the application of psychology and neuroscience to the business world. He received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Princeton University in 2013, where his dissertation work focused on the neural basis of language and communication. Now as a full-time professor at Hult International Business School, his current research aims to better understand the science of storytelling - particularly as it pertains to empathy and the consumer experience. Prior to joining Hult in 2015 as an Undergraduate Associate Dean, he worked as a consultant in Shanghai, China for 18 months. He is the author of Allure: The Neuroscience of Consumerism (BenBella Press, Winter 2019).
Geoff McDonald: Mental Health
Geoff’s background in teaching, HR, marketing, communications and sustainability is considerable. During his 25 years with Unilever (a global corporation with a turnover of £50 billion, 170,000 employees in 90 countries around the world), his experience has been truly global working across Africa, the Middle-East and Turkey, Australasia and Asia, Europe and the Americas..
John Watts: Calling Mathew Shepard
John has played leading roles in the West End and wrote a West End show for Honour Blackman. He was given the Freedom of The City of London for playing Samuel Pepys, played three leads in Hair in Amsterdam, and wrote and performed eight solo shows, four of which were also Lieder recitals. In opera he sang for Opera Worldwide and European Chamber Opera.
On television John has been seen as Byron, in The New Avengers, Quiller, The Professionals, Bloomsday, Spaghetti Two-Step, Campion, Beyond The Grave, A Dangerous Man and Shackleton.
In 2018 he played himself in his acclaimed play Matt in Brussels. His plays include Dream Children, Matt, Blue Orchids and The Naked Prince, optioned by Michael Codron.
Gina van Hoof: Grief: The Black Sheep of Emotions
Art therapist, Grief Recovery Specialist, Photographer.
Citizen of the world, based in Brussels.
Gina van Hoof relies mainly on the creative process and the spontaneity that is expressed through artistic techniques to rediscover, develop and stimulate human potential. She is passionate about how creativity allows the subconscious to speak and find legitimate expression. Gina’s mission is to connect humanity with presence and emotional awareness.
Dr Amy Armstrong: The Human Moment
Amy is a member of Hult Faculty based at the Ashridge campus. She teaches, consults and researches on the topics of personal resilience; engagement and compassion at work. She is particularly interested in how crucible experiences in our personal lives, such as bereavement or critical illness, shape who we are and how we lead.
Elizabeth Queta: Women Empowerment
BBA Major in entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School. Elizabeth is currently the co-founder of Ufolo, a waste management company in Angola, providing young Angolans with entry-level job opportunities while still cleaning up the city and using 3D printing to recycle.
She is also president of the African Society at her university and is an enthusiast of African development. Born in Angola but lived in Namibia, Portugal and England.
She is passionate and experienced in social impact business, consulting and social activism focusing on black people and women.
Kaustav Dey: Cultural Inclusion: Melting Pot or Mosaic?
Kaustav is an experienced HR professional who has over 17 years of experience in the IT, manufacturing and retail industry. His journey took him from India to Singapore, Russia, Netherlands, USA, Luxembourg and United Kingdom(where he now resides). The exposure he gained while living in these countries shaped his views of diversity and inclusion as a powerful force. He led D&I initiatives in his previous companies some of which have been recipient of various industry level awards. Today he shares these insights as advice to senior leaders in multinational firms on how to transform culture and develop sustainable talent strategies. He has published various research notes and speaks of various forms on strategic and operational management of employees to achieve potentials and growth objectives through strategy alignment, workforce planning, and performance development.