BWiS International Women`s Day Lunch

Join us for a truly empowering celebration of International Women’s Day 2025. The 2025 theme is: For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.

This is your chance to be part of a transformative afternoon, connecting with like-minded individuals and gaining valuable insights from a panel of inspiring speakers who are driving change and shaping the future.
 

What to Expect:
Engaging discussions led by our dynamic panel of speakers, sharing their stories and actionable strategies to inspire you.
A delicious two-course lunch served with a complimentary drink, offering the perfect setting for meaningful conversations.
Unmatched networking opportunities with professionals and leaders from various industries.

Whether you’re looking to be inspired, expand your network, or celebrate the achievements of women worldwide, this event promises to leave you motivated and energised to accelerate action in your own life and career.

Meet Our Speakers! 

Martine Robins – Event Host
The HR Dept Surrey Hills

Martine is the owner of The HR Dept Surrey Hills and opened the office in June 2016 having worked in senior generalist HR roles throughout her career in a variety of business sectors including engineering, manufacturing, technology and professional services in UK, European and Global roles. 

Martine is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD).

Martine’s knowledge and experience of employment law and the situations that businesses often must deal with, is considerable.  The main aim is to act as a trusted advisor to clients, with the right solution for the situation.  The key to success is providing robust advice and guidance and practically and pragmatically advising business in resolving issues. 

Martine is passionate about helping businesses understand how their people can successfully support business growth and aspire to be an ‘employer of choice’.

Leah Boxell
Enablists

Leah is not just the founder of Enablists; she’s a visionary leader whose entire career has been committed to enhancing organisational effectiveness.

With a robust portfolio of successful projects and programmes, Leah has proven her prowess in her career by steering companies through large scale, complex transformative changes. She excels at refining and implementing strategies that significantly boost organisational performance but with simplicity. Leah’s passion for excellence shines through in her dedication to equipping clients with cutting-edge methods and strategies, ensuring they not only keep pace with change but lead it. 

A testament to her leadership, Leah spearheaded the Silver Command for NHS Professionals’ response to the Covid pandemic, one of the most challenging portfolios. Just one of the initiatives was to launch a vital Test & Trace service resulting in 10,000 people being hired and work ready in just 21 days, a remarkable feat that underscores her skill in managing critical, high-stakes initiatives. This was all alongside many other initiatives as part of the NHS Professionals Pandemic response.

Leveraging the approach that was used for Silver Command Leah is helping businesses to thrive, turning the overwhelmed into optimised.

Abi Chapman
Accessify

Abi Chapman is a multi-award winning founder, established public speaker and inspirational storyteller who is dedicated to improving the disabled experience in the U.K and beyond. Rooted in her own experience of disability, Chapman founded Accessify U.K, The Think Tank for Accessible Living, which uses a multi-disciplinary approach to make our communities, businesses and society, more inclusive to all. Recently awarded the Future 50 Award from her alma mater, University of Arts London, Chapman uses her ever growing platform to enact change, and pay it forward by empowering the next generation of changemakers yet to come. 

Julie Kapsalis
North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) 

Julie Kapsalis is Principal & CEO at North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) in Surrey. Nescot supports around 6,000 learners each year and has recently opened a new Institute of Technology to focus on digital skills. Julie has worked in economic development for 20 years with a particular focus on enterprise, skills and social inclusion. Julie is a Board Member/Trustee/Adviser to a number of organisations including Coast to Capital (Chair), Gatwick Diamond Business, Epsom Downs Racecourse, the Regional Clusters Advisory Board (Space) and the Aurora Academies Trust. Julie served as an advisor to the UK Government’s task force on women’s enterprise and contributed to the Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship. Julie has a particular interest in the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) can play in widening participation in education and learning and she serves on the Strategy Board of AI in Education.