Jessica Frank-Keyes | Political Reporter | City A.M.
Jessica Frank-Keyes is a political reporter for City A.M., a business-focused newspaper based in the City of London.
She covers politics at Westminster and London’s City Hall and writes a fortnightly column exploring key issues in the worlds of politics and business.
Highlights of Jessica's first twelve months in the Lobby have included joining the press pack accompanying Rishi Sunak to COP28 in Dubai; covering the Conservative and Labour Party conferences - including interviewing shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds on the eve of Labour’s ‘Business Day’, and reporting on Sunak’s interview with X owner Elon Musk.
Before joining City A.M., Jessica worked at start-up news website LondonWorld as senior reporter. She led the title’s coverage of the ongoing crisis at the Met Police, including securing a series of exclusive interviews with the families of victims of the Stephen Port murders. She also revealed exclusive claims of alleged misconduct by police officers at Charing Cross Station, and tirelessly reported on the aftermath of Sarah Everard’s murder. This included dogged reporting on the Met Police’s efforts to convict protesters who attended the vigil, and an anniversary piece focusing on women’s safety.
Jessica graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2017 with a first-class BA in History and Politics, before joining the Eastern Daily Press as a trainee journalist. She studied for her NCTJ with PA Media - where she later worked as a Real Life Features reporter - and secured the media law and ethics award for her NQJ Senior exams.
Rebekah Schelfhout | Partner - Sourcing Operations | Dentsu UK Limited
Becky, with 16 years of unwavering commitment at dentsu, currently serves as the Partner – Sourcing Operations within dentsu Media UK.
Over the past 4 years, she has actively championed borderless teaming and integration across different locations. Her passion for inclusivity has transformed the way dentsu collaborates globally.
Becky co-chairs the dentsu UK Parent & Carer network, advocating for parents to bring their whole selves to work. Her impact extends beyond words—she successfully introduced policies such as baby loss support, carers assistance, fertility and an expanded paid parental leave from 2 to 6 weeks. Becky’s commitment to family well-being is unwavering.
As part of the People & Culture (P&C) Committee, Becky fosters community, breaks barriers, and celebrates milestones. She collaborates with other network chairs, promoting diversity and inclusion. Balancing work and life, Becky works 3 days a week and proudly advocates for flexible arrangements. Her legacy at dentsu is one of leadership, compassion, and positive change.
Milica Lukic | Account Director | Adform
My career began while studying Advertising Management and Digital Communications at Buckinghamshire New University, where I engaged early with the world of media through assignments that involved briefs from media agencies.
This allowed me to fast-track into the world of advertising and land a job at Wavemaker, a media agency, as a Journey Activation Executive on its Vodafone team.
My tenure at Wavemaker provided me with an invaluable knowledge base that laid the foundation for my future endeavours. From there, I moved to work for a dynamic audio company, where I delved into the profound impact of sound on how consumers perceive a brand, before moving to work across Display, Connected TV, and Gaming, helping to expand my omnichannel expertise.
Two years ago, the opportunity to join Adform as an Account Director presented itself, marking a significant milestone in my career journey. Being part of a company that is so innovation-focused, passionate about the consumer, and growing at a rapid pace aligns perfectly with my values of drive and ambition.
Adform has also allowed me to champion a cause dear to me, sustainability. I am driving this heavily within the business through being part of the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Sustainability group.
Championing the representation of women in the male-dominated ad tech space is also something close to my heart, and I collaborate at every opportunity with like-minded women and men to ensure this cause is front and centre in the industry.
Mollie Leivars | Filmmaker | Spirit Productions
Hello! My name is Mollie Leivars and I am a writer/director based in the East Midlands.
I started writing and directing in 2019, making my first short film when I was 15, after moving over from the acting industry. Since then I've been lucky enough to work with schools and local police forces to showcase the films, have the shorts shown at film festivals across the UK and USA and teach/mentor young actors and filmmakers at the start of their careers.
Andrea Donaldson-Smith | Head of Soft Services | The Hurlingham Club
Starting out in the Hospitality industry I segued into the Corporate industry about 8 years ago and worked my way up the facilities management ladder from reception to coordinator, Assistant FM and Senior FM with FM Providers.
Now I'm working clientside as Head of Department, bringing a deeper understanding of Facilities and Workplace Management into a new organization.
Throughout my career, I have remained eccentric and authentic, sometimes this has not served me well, but for the most part, I am celebrated for not being the stereotypical incarnation of a facilities manager.
I have since joined IWFM's committee Women in FM, where I now hold the role of Secretary and have started to invest in myself and my brand and have been taking part in networking events, showcasing the different side to FM
Callie Wang | Senior Associate, Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Pathways | FCA
My career in banking and finance began in September 2012 with a FTSE 100 company, where I broadened my expertise across sales, risk, finance, and product management.
In July 2017, I was elevated to Vice President and assumed the role of Senior Manager for Credit/Model Risk Strategy for one of the UK's core credit portfolios. This role involved leading model risk management activities for both regulatory and internal credit-grading models throughout the business bank portfolio. In 2019, drawing on my established expertise, I was recruited by former senior managers to join a FTSE 250 UK merchant banking group as a Risk Manager. In this capacity, I played a pivotal role in refining the operational risk management framework for one of its key businesses. In 2022, I made the transition from the private sector to a financial regulatory role and began pursuing a PhD to further my academic interests. My academic background is extensive, covering law, risk, finance, accounting, and applied neuroscience. This foundation was further reinforced by achieving chartered status with the ACCA and FRM in 2015, followed by ACMA and CGMA in 2019. In July 2021, I embarked on a part-time doctoral study, motivated by a strong interest in risk, fintech, and financial stability. My goal is to integrate research-based learning with practical solutions to address business challenges.
Catherine Tomlin | Planning and Delivery Manager | Transport for London
A travel behaviour change specialist, I am currently a Planning & Delivery Manager in the Travel Demand Management (TDM) team at Transport for London.
I use project management, strategy, communications and analytical skills to deliver large-scale behaviour change projects that mitigate the transport effects of some of the capital’s most high-profile events and closures.
Since joining the team in 2020, notable achievements include overseeing customer demand management for the Coronation, and the closure of Kentish Town Tube station. Outputs of my projects typically reach millions of customers and are a key cog in supporting Londoners and visitors to the capital in getting around smoothly.
Most recently, I’ve taken on higher level responsibilities in shaping the strategic direction of the team’s Evidence & Analysis portfolio; building team capability in conducting the analysis required for our projects.
I also manage the team’s continuous development work. I work with CILT and other TDM teams, as part of their TDM Forum, to identify the skills, knowledge and experience needed to deliver effective travel demand management. This provides a great outlet for my commitment to supporting colleagues in their professional development and improving access to the profession.
Originally a University of Birmingham Geography graduate, prior to TfL I worked as a Transport Planner for Mott McDonald. Key achievements include championing Mott MacDonald's global future mobility strategy, promoting the Future Mobility Toolkit (FUTURES), fostering international relationships, and completing a Masters degree in Transport Planning with Distinction.
Mafalda Perez | Management Consultant | Accenture
I have a degree in Business Law and a masters in Entrepreneurship. Throughout my whole academic career problem solving was always the thing I enjoyed to do most, regardless of the subject.
It allowed me to be creative in a way I hadn't experienced before. What I enjoyed the most was the brainstorming sessions with my teammates. This is something that I continue to do everyday in my job at Accenture, working with incredible individuals from all walks of life towards a common goal. Delivering value for our clients is very rewarding, but the journey to get to that point is what truly makes this career a memorable one.
Monica Nguyen | Customer Success Manager | ONE
Monica is a pioneering woman in tech, known for her journey of resilience and innovation.
From a recruitment administrator, she boldly transitioned into fintech as a Crypto Broker, defying conventional barriers with her passion and determination. As a mother of four, Monica's career path exemplifies her commitment to continuous learning and growth.
Throughout her career, Monica has embraced diverse roles, from building administrative processes to managing a crypto trading desk. Her adaptability and versatility have been instrumental in navigating the fast-paced tech landscape. Beyond her professional endeavours, Monica is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech.
As a board member of EUTECH, Monica actively supports initiatives to empower women in tech and promote Europe as a global tech hub. She champions female entrepreneurs and shares her insights through podcasts and mentorship programs. Monica's story serves as an inspiration, illustrating the transformative power of determination and perseverance in the tech industry. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and empowerment makes her a deserving nominee for the Rising Star award.
Kate Nicholls | Leader, Amazon Fresh Private Brands | Amazon
I started my career in front-line retail at 16 with part time jobs in ladies’ fashion and grocery stores whilst I studied.
This is where I first developed my deep sense of customer obsession, supporting customers to find their perfect outfit or crucial ingredients for their evening meal. After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a First Class degree in History, I went full-time into grocery retail and have never looked back.
My career has seen me stacking shelves and working the check-outs, learning the commercial skills of buying Produce at the UK’s largest food retailer Tesco, developing innovative new products as the Biscuits & Confectionery buyer at Marks & Spencer (and the Percy Pig buyer!) and launching two new grocery businesses at Amazon (Treasure Truck and Amazon Fresh Stores).
I inherited my strong work ethic from my parents who both worked their way up from entry level roles in their organisations to senior positions and as a first-generation university graduate I value hard work and am not afraid of rolling up my sleeves.
I have a keen curiosity and have worked in different capacities learning new skills including Buying, Supply Chain, Product and Program Management and more recently Marketing, Brand and Sustainability. After 8 years within physical grocery retailing, I moved into omni-channel grocery, learning about the growing online grocery space.
In my current role I lead an omni-channel team spanning 9 functions, responsible for sourcing and developing all Amazon private label food across physical stores and online in Europe.