{"id":19762,"date":"2025-03-11T09:19:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&p=19762"},"modified":"2025-03-11T09:19:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:19:58","slug":"vccp-hosts-women-in-ai-event-this-womens-international-day","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2025\/mar\/vccp-hosts-women-in-ai-event-this-womens-international-day","title":{"rendered":"Women & AI: Future Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Date:<\/strong> 13th March\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong> <\/span>1 Francis Street London SW1P 1DH<\/span><\/p>\n

Time: <\/strong>09:00 – 17:00 GMT<\/span><\/p>\n

On 13th March, VCCP will host <\/span>Women & AI: Future Ready<\/b>, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Th<\/span>e event boasts a stellar lineup of speakers, including:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Speaker Lineup:<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Priya Lakhani<\/span> – CEO, Cenruty Tech & Co-host, BBC\u2019s AI Decoded<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Hannah Maude<\/span> – Founder, Fire up Skills\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Lois Janos<\/span> – Founder, Work Smarter with AI<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Sherifat Akintunde-Shitu<\/span> and <\/span>Zsanett Bahor<\/span> – AI and Data Experts, Accenture<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Kathryn Pool<\/span> – AI Implementation Lead, Microsoft<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Alex Dalman<\/span>, our Managing Partner and Head of Social and Innovation (VCCP) and VCCP’s AI creative agency, faith<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Barbara Johnson<\/span> – Co-Founder, Kortical<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Fiona Sweeney<\/span> – Partnerships Director, Women in Data\u00ae<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Agne S.<\/span> – Director, Barclays Investment Bank<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Lorelei Brice<\/span> – Global Client Executive, LinkedIn<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Kate Hunt<\/span> – Regional Sales Director, Salesforce<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Hannah Maude, Founder of Fire Up Skills<\/b>, said:<\/span> \u201cWith a <\/span>pre<\/span>dicted 59% of the workforce needing AI training by 2030, t<\/span>he 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cOur 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThe event falls just after<\/span> International Women\u2019s Day<\/b> and the theme \u2018Future Ready\u2019 ties in perfectly with the IWD theme \u2018March Forward\u2019. 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Turning risk into opportunity\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n

    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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    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.<\/span><\/p> \r\n \r\n \t\t\t <\/div>\r\n \r\n

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    The formula for success, according to Maude, is simple but powerful: Experience + New Skills + Attitude = High Performance. \u201cYour 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,\u201d she adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

    This equation drives everything about <\/span>Women & AI: Future Ready<\/b>, from its practical approach to its emphasis on real-world applications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cWhat <\/span>VCCP<\/b> did with the creation of <\/span>faith<\/b>, 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\u2019t. One year on and they have already amassed incredible success – including <\/span>O2<\/b>\u2019s 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\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

    “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 <\/span>Fire Up Skills<\/b>, 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\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Alex Dalman, <\/b>Managing Partner and Head of Social & Innovation at VCCP<\/b> notes: ‘When we set up our AI creative agency, <\/span>faith<\/b>, one of our main missions was to make Gen AI accessible to everyone. We are thrilled to be working with <\/span>Fire Up Skills<\/b> 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.’<\/span><\/p>\n

    Women & AI: Future Ready<\/b> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sessions include:<\/span><\/p>\n