The Conference Empowering ERG Leaders to Drive Meaningful Change

TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2026 • LEONARDO ROYAL ST PAUL'S, LONDON

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Join the UK’s flagship conference for ERG Chairs, Committee Leaders, DEI strategists, HR and Talent directors, and Executive Sponsors.

Our Sponsors

Event Partners

About the ERG Blueprint Conference

Bringing together the UK’s most committed leaders in workplace inclusion, the ERG Blueprint Conference is designed to equip you with the practical tools, insight and community needed to elevate your networks and amplify your organisational impact.

This is a dedicated space where your leadership is recognised, your challenges are understood, and your work is strengthened through expert guidance and peer connection.

Because you’re not just running an ERG, you’re shaping the future of inclusion, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Find out more about the organisers and hosts

Why Attend the ERG Blueprint Conference?

Across the country, ERG leaders are driving belonging, inclusion and culture change, often without formal training, structure or recognition. Many balance these responsibilities alongside demanding roles, stepping up because they care deeply about their people and workplace culture.

The ERG Blueprint Conference exists to provide the support, clarity, community, and tools that ERG leaders deserve. This event is for those committed to building more strategic, sustainable and impactful networks.

What to Expect

A full-day, in-person event bringing together ERG leaders and inclusion practitioners across sectors, from global corporations to start-ups, scale-ups and non-profits.

Built around three core pillars:

Learn & Build

Expert-led workshops and masterclasses covering the fundamentals of strategic, sustainable ERGs: governance, structure, mission clarity, leadership, succession planning and internal branding.

Share & Reflect

Hear real, honest stories from ERG chairs, DEI leads and sponsors on what’s working, what isn’t, and how others navigate the evolving realities of leading networks today.

Network & Collaborate

Dedicated opportunities throughout the day to connect with peers, share resources and build cross-industry partnerships.

By the End of the Day, You’ll Walk Away With:

A clear roadmap for strengthening or launching your ERG
Tools to measure, articulate, and grow your network’s impact
New allies, collaborators, and industry connections
A renewed sense of purpose, energy, and confidence
Exclusive resources you can share across your organisation

What’s Included with Your Ticket

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day, and the chance to meet fellow attendees
Access to every speaking session, panel and workshop
Opportunities to meet a diverse range of suppliers
A powerful chance to build your ERG network across sectors
Entry to post-conference networking drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic options available)

This is a full, energising and genuinely valuable experience, designed to support every part of your ERG. This isn’t just a conference, it's the starting point for more strategic, better supported and more sustainable ERGs across the UK.

Agenda

Session 1. Why It’s Worth It – Framing the Value of ERGs for Chairs, Members, DEI Leads and Sponsors

09:40 - 10:20

Geoffrey Williams, Head of Culture & Sustainability - Howlett Brown

Eleonore Murauer, Area Brand Director - Reckitt

Simone Coultress, Head of Diversity and Inclusion - Johnson Matthey

Rodney Williams, Senior Commercial Manager - Orsted

Why do ERGs matter? And what makes them worth it?

This opening panel sets the foundation for the day by bringing together ERG leaders with diverse experiences to share honest stories about the value their networks create. Through candid conversation, panellists explore three dimensions of ERG impact: personal growth and career development, community belonging and support, and tangible business outcomes.

Expect real talk about both wins and challenges - the "roses and thorns" of ERG leadership. Leave with language to articulate your own ERG's value, understanding of what success looks like at your stage, and renewed motivation for the journey ahead.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Articulate the multi-dimensional value ERGs create through real examples
Understand what success looks like at different ERG stages
Set context and goals for your own ERG journey
Gain language to advocate for your network's impact

Session 2. Navigating Political Turbulence – ERGs in a Shifting Global Landscape

10:25 - 10:55

Charlene Brown, Managing Director - Howlett Brown

Lee Harding, Partner - DLA Piper

Rimi Bassi, Global ERG Manager - National Grid

Adeife Onwuzulike, Global Director - Culture, Engagement & Inclusion - Euromonitor

How do you lead an ERG when the political landscape keeps shifting?

This panel tackles the reality ERG leaders face: DEI rollbacks, regulatory uncertainty, and external pressures that create fear and instability. Hear from practitioners navigating these challenges as they share their experiences and strategies for maintaining trust and psychological safety, communicating effectively when language becomes weaponised, building cross-ERG coalitions for greater resilience, and sustaining impact without a budget.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Understand how political and legal pressures impact ERG strategy
Learn practical approaches to maintain trust and momentum during turbulence
Navigate cross-border and multinational ERG considerations
Sustain impact with limited resources while maintaining compliance

Session 3. Effective Communication and Storytelling for ERGs – Defining and Showcasing Your ERG’s Unique Voice

11:20 - 12:20

Richard Etienne, Founder - The Introvert Space

Natalia Zurowski, iCAN Advisory Member - iCAN

ERGs need a clear, authentic voice to engage members, influence leaders, and secure sponsorship.

This interactive session equips you with proven frameworks to articulate who you are, why you exist, and what sets you apart. Through structured exercises and fireside conversation with storytelling expert Richard Etienne, learn to craft your ERG's Unique Selling Proposition, translate activity into business language, and position your network strategically to different audiences.

Master storytelling models and use empower communication champions to advocate for your ERG in rooms where you aren't present. Leave with practical tools, including communication templates and your own story bank.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Articulate your ERG's unique value
Apply storytelling models to craft narratives for different stakeholders
Translate ERG work into business language that leaders understand
Use the communication champion strategy to multiply your influence through champions
Build the foundations of your ERG's communication strategy

Session 4. Identifying Challenges, Barriers & Solutions in Employee Resource Groups

13:10 - 13:45

Geoffrey Williams, Head of Culture & Sustainability - Howlett Brown

Stop treating symptoms. Start solving root causes.

This interactive workshop teaches you to diagnose what's really blocking your ERG using systems thinking. Learn to distinguish surface tensions from systemic barriers, separate structural from cultural blockers, and identify what you can control versus what requires escalation.

Discover resourceful, high-impact solutions for zero-budget contexts. Through structured exercises, generate targeted solutions and leave with an action plan to address your key barriers.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Diagnose structural and cultural blockers affecting your ERG
Distinguish surface tensions from root systemic barriers to
Generate targeted solutions for your specific ERG challenges
Identify high-impact, low-effort solutions for resource-constrained ERGs

Session 5. Measuring ERG Impact – Data that Influences Without a Budget

13:50 - 14:25

Morgen Hake, Advisory Analyst & Trainee Solicitor - Howlett Brown

Anton Streeks-Henry, Culture & Sustainability Manager - Howlett Brown

ERGs are expected to demonstrate impact – but often without budget, analytics support, or time.

This practical masterclass teaches you which metrics actually matter (not vanity metrics that look impressive but don't drive decisions), how to capture impact using low-cost qualitative and quantitative methods, and how to present results in ways that resonate with senior leaders. Learn to combine hard data with compelling stories, translate ERG activity into business outcomes, and communicate value that influences sponsorship and resourcing decisions.

Walk away with a simple, executive-ready framework you can apply – no analytics degree or dedicated budget required.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Identify key metrics that demonstrate ERG value to senior leaders
Capture impact using low-cost methods combining quantitative data and qualitative insights
Communicate ERG outcomes strategically to influence leadership sponsorship and resourcing decisions

Session 6. Personal Brand, Leadership & Power – Building Networks That Last

14:50 - 15:15

Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE, Author, Speaker, CEO, Founder - We Are The City

What does it take to build leadership power that actually lasts?

Dr Vanessa Valley OBE brings 20 years of network-building experience to share honest insights on personal brand, community care, and long-term vision. This isn't traditional brand advice - it's about hearing from someone who has experienced how ERGs have evolved. It’s about developing successors, prioritising community health, navigating internal conflict, building coalitions that amplify power, and adopting sustainability practices that prevent burnout.

This keynote offers a different, more sustainable path forward.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Understand personal brand as legacy work
Learn the importance of community health as the foundation of lasting influence
Hear how to navigate conflict without fracturing trust or psychological safety
Identify coalitions that multiply your power and extend your reach
Identify a future vision and apply it to your practices in your ERG

Session 7. Influence & Persuasion – Gaining Buy-In and Executive Sponsorship

15:20 - 16:00

Kishan Mangat, Co-Chair - iCAN

Piers Linney - Entrepreneur, Co-Founder & Former Dragons' Den Investor - Implement AI

This session tackles ERG leadership's hardest challenge: persuading executives to support your work with resources, access, and advocacy.

Learn practical strategies for navigating executive psychology, building strategic relationships, and securing commitments. Understand power dynamics, build credibility without positional authority, and make strategic asks aligned with how leaders actually decide. Discover when to push and when to wait, how to sustain influence without burnout, and transform frameworks into executive buy-in.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Navigate executive power dynamics to position ERG work strategically
Build sponsor relationships based on mutual value, not just requests
Apply persuasion techniques rooted in executive decision-making psychology
Craft strategic asks that secure resources, access, and advocacy
Sustain influence without burnout through distributed leadership

Session 8. ERGs of Tomorrow: Building Futures, Leveraging AI and Managing Risk

16:05 - 16:35

Nicholas Creswell, People, Culture & Leadership Advisor - Talentwell Advisory

Rukasana Bhaijee, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Financial Times

Erik Johnson, Head of Technical Underwriting and Oversight - Markel International

Bal Mahil, Head of Global Client Transformation - AXA XL

Serita Murray, CGMA, ACMA, CEO & Founder - Black Excellence Network UK

What must ERGs become next, and why is that exciting?

The role of ERGs is evolving, from AI and data literacy to shifting demographics, from regulatory complexity to new inclusion frontiers. This panel explores how to leverage these changes as opportunities: using AI to scale impact, advising on algorithmic bias and tech ethics, leading on emerging topics like menopause support and neurodiversity, positioning ERGs as strategic partners in culture change and ESG strategy.

Hear from innovators who have built successful ERGs as they share their hopes of how ERGs can shape the future of organisations.

Leave inspired, informed, and ready to lead your ERG into whatever comes next with confidence, curiosity, and clarity about the value you bring.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Understand future opportunities and risks for ERGs
Learn how to leverage AI and data to amplify ERG influence and impact
Position your ERG strategically for emerging inclusion frontiers and organisational partnerships
Leave inspired and ready to lead into the future with confidence and curiosity

Meet Your Conference Hosts & Speakers

Learn from experienced practitioners who understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing ERG leaders today.

Charlene Brown

Managing Director

Howlett Brown

Charlene Brown is a seasoned leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion with over 15 years of experience building and scaling Employee Resource Groups across multiple industries.

Ajay Mistry

Founder & CEO

iCAN

Ajay Mistry is the visionary Founder and CEO of iCAN, a leading consultancy focused on empowering Employee Resource Groups and advancing workplace inclusion.

See all Speakers

Testimonials

iCAN has been a fantastic partner - connecting us with other D&I professionals, providing high-quality data on our recruitment impact, and supporting our ERGs through inspiring cross-company events. Their passion and commitment to real change in the industry truly stand out.

Wayne Page Head of Inclusion and Diversity

iCAN has helped us navigate sensitive moments with empathy and cultural awareness, while also expanding our network and amplifying the reach of our inclusion efforts across the industry.

Jacinda da Rosa Global Underwriting Head of Multinational – Financial Lines & Cyber, and Regional Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging Council Lead

iCAN keeps the inclusion conversation alive with consistent, high-impact support. Their insight, cultural calendar, and hiring platform offer excellent value while helping us drive culture change internally and across the market.

Bernadette Tredger & Wes Clarke Head of Portfolio Management & Head of HR

iCAN has helped us expand our outreach, focus our DEI efforts, and empower our Inclusion Network with expert support. Their tailored approach and professionalism make them an invaluable partner.

Dr Julie Humphreys Head of Diversity & Inclusion

Ready to build your own ERG blueprint?

Join 200+ ERG leaders, DEI professionals, and inclusion champions for a day of practical learning, strategic networking, and actionable insights that will elevate your networks.

TUESDAY 28 APRIL 2026 • LEONARDO ROYAL ST PAUL'S, LONDON

The Conference Empowering ERG Leaders to Drive Meaningful Change

Brought to you by

Our Sponsors

Event Partners

About the ERG Blueprint Conference

Why Attend the ERG Blueprint Conference?

What to Expect

Learn & Build

Share & Reflect

Network & Collaborate

By the End of the Day, You’ll Walk Away With:

What’s Included with Your Ticket

Agenda

Meet Your Conference Hosts & Speakers

Testimonials

Ready to build your own ERG blueprint?

ERG Blueprint

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