Women & AI: Future Ready
Date: 13th March
Location: 1 Francis Street London SW1P 1DH
Time: 09:00 - 17:00 GMT
On 13th March, VCCP will host Women & AI: Future Ready, an all-day event designed to equip and inspire women from all backgrounds with the AI skills they need to thrive in the evolving workplace.
AI is set to drive a staggering $15.7 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030. However, women face a significant risk of being left behind if they are not given the opportunity to upskill. A recent study highlights a 42-percentage point gap in AI skills between men (71%) and women (29%). Recognising the urgency of this issue, Alex Dalman, Managing Partner and Head of Social & Innovation at VCCP, and Hannah Maude, Founder of Fire Up Skills, are taking action.
The event boasts a stellar lineup of speakers, including:
- Speaker Lineup:
- Priya Lakhani - CEO, Cenruty Tech & Co-host, BBC’s AI Decoded
- Hannah Maude - Founder, Fire up Skills
- Lois Janos - Founder, Work Smarter with AI
- Sherifat Akintunde-Shitu and Zsanett Bahor - AI and Data Experts, Accenture
- Kathryn Pool - AI Implementation Lead, Microsoft
- Alex Dalman, our Managing Partner and Head of Social and Innovation (VCCP) and VCCP's AI creative agency, faith
- Barbara Johnson - Co-Founder, Kortical
- Fiona Sweeney - Partnerships Director, Women in Data®
- Agne S. - Director, Barclays Investment Bank
- Lorelei Brice - Global Client Executive, LinkedIn
- Kate Hunt - Regional Sales Director, Salesforce
Hannah Maude, Founder of Fire Up Skills, said: “With a predicted 59% of the workforce needing AI training by 2030, the distinction between 'tech' and 'non-tech' roles is disappearing. The question isn't whether AI will transform your job - it's whether you'll lead that transformation, this represents an opportunity if we act.
“Our research shows that women often find AI training too hypothetical; we're changing that by showing how to use AI, how to plan an AI project, and how to champion relevant AI business cases in your organisation.
“The event falls just after International Women’s Day and the theme ‘Future Ready’ ties in perfectly with the IWD theme ‘March Forward’. We want to give women access to new skills to both demystify AI, and also empower women who attend. AI could level the playing fields but it can seem overwhelming. Many women who attend my events have talked about building a safer future, we need that ambition when it comes to the AI age.”
Turning risk into opportunity
The stakes are high. With women occupying more administrative and knowledge-based roles, they face a higher risk of initial job displacement. However, their diverse experiences and perspectives make them uniquely qualified to shape AI transformation.
Adding to this, the traditional narrative around women in technology has focused on getting more women into the tech sector. When it comes to AI, there needs to be a spotlight on how each business function is adopting AI. AI isn't IT's sole responsibility anymore. Whether in marketing, finance, HR, operations, all roles are now tech roles. The real opportunity is leveraging women's deep business expertise to drive AI innovation from within their existing roles.
The formula for success, according to Maude, is simple but powerful: Experience + New Skills + Attitude = High Performance. “Your past experience is the key ingredient when it comes to AI and how you use it. Looking ahead is a smart thing to do. I hope many new exciting careers can be forged because people have taken agency around their role in the AI age,” she adds.
This equation drives everything about Women & AI: Future Ready, from its practical approach to its emphasis on real-world applications.
“What VCCP did with the creation of faith, the AI creative agency, is the type of leadership we need to see more of. Alex Dalman led a team of creative and technical professionals to test and learn what worked in advertising and what didn’t. One year on and they have already amassed incredible success - including O2’s anti-scamming Granny, Daisy which has taken the world by storm. We are excited to see what innovation and progress we see from attendees after this event’.
"We have a choice," Maude concludes: "We can either let AI perpetuate existing inequalities, or we can use it as a catalyst for change. Through Fire Up Skills, we're choosing to lead that change, ensuring women are at the forefront of the economic opportunity and hands on in building a safe future”.
Alex Dalman, Managing Partner and Head of Social & Innovation at VCCP notes: 'When we set up our AI creative agency, faith, one of our main missions was to make Gen AI accessible to everyone. We are thrilled to be working with Fire Up Skills on this event, and supporting their mission to ensure there is parity within the workforce from a gender perspective, in ensuring equal opportunities for learning and development.'
Women & AI: Future Ready takes place on 13th March in London. The day is structured to take participants from personal AI adoption to organisational leadership, with inspiration and connection a focus throughout.
Sessions include:
- 9:45 - 10:15: Practical AI tool demonstrations with real-world applications
- 10:15- 11:15 : Data fundamentals for non-technical leaders led by Accenture experts
- 13:15 - 14:15 : A keynote on ethical AI implementation by Priya Lakhani of BBC's AI Decoded
- 14:30 - 15:15 : VCCP's journey of building an AI-first advertising agency
- 15:30 - 16:45 : A future-focused panel featuring leaders from LinkedIn, Salesforce, Barclays and Kortical AI
Buy your ticket for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/women-ai-future-ready-tickets-1234247470409?aff=oddtdtcreator
For business leaders and professionals interested in being part of this transformation, more information about the Women & AI: Future Ready event can be found at www.fireupskills.com
We want to give women access to new skills to both demystify AI, and also empower women who attend. Hannah Maude, Founder of Fire Up Skills