Active International and Avenir Network co-hosted the latest Women Who Lead: Connections & Conversations lunch at The Ivy, West Street.

A small room, by design. Senior women from business, media, marketing, technology and the creative industries came together over lunch to talk about visibility, legacy and what it means to use your influence well, not as an abstract idea, but in terms of how it actually plays out day to day.

The invitation was simple: leave the polished version at the door. That set the tone. The conversation was open, honest and generous, with a good amount of laughter and rather more candour than these things usually allow.

By the end, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a one-off. Women Who Lead will now run quarterly, with the next gathering in September.

A room built on proper relationships

The lunch was co-hosted by Ruth Cartwright, UK Managing Director at Active International, and Dinah Williams, Founder of Avenir Network and Avenir Pathways CIC.

Between them they pulled together women with very different backgrounds and roles, but plenty in common, chief among it an understanding of what good relationships are actually worth. Not the forced networking kind, but the kind that helps you think differently, opens a door, and gives you a bit more confidence to back yourself.

“I’m still buzzing from what a gorgeous afternoon we had, and by how lucky I feel to have added so many wonderful women to my network.”

Alexandra Beeden
Client & Operations Director, Active International

The responses afterwards said it better than we could. Jane Putley, Commercial Partnerships Director at Active International, called it “a delight to be in a room of such brilliant women and to be part of something so inspiring.”

The warmth came just as strongly from across the table. Sophie Catto, Joint Managing Director at AllBright, admitted she wasn’t sure she’d “laughed and enjoyed myself that much at a work event ever.” Carli Gooch, Agency Development Lead EMEA at Reddit, summed the afternoon up as “a gorgeous gathering of tremendous women.” And Kate Tovey, Director of Customer Engagement at JCDecaux, valued the chance to “catch up with likeminded women who are creating space for personal reflection and growth.”

Supporting Future Reset®

The afternoon also gave Dinah the chance to talk about Future Reset®, a new Avenir Pathways CIC initiative supporting mid-level professionals navigating redundancy and finding their way back into meaningful work.

Rather than charge a ticket fee, guests were invited to contribute towards funding additional places on the Future Reset® pilot. It gave the lunch a purpose beyond the table.

Why it matters to Active

That matters to us at Active. We believe strong relationships remove barriers. We see it in business every day, and it holds just as true in leadership, careers and community. When people with experience and influence choose to share it, the impact travels a good deal further than a single conversation.

Leadership presence doesn’t have to be loud or over-rehearsed. Sometimes it’s just showing up honestly, listening properly, and making room for someone else to take their next step.

A huge thank you to Dinah, Ruth, Kelly and everyone who joined us.

As Giselle Elsom, Managing Director at Truffle Social, put it, “I can’t wait for the next one.” The lunch is over, but the group is already asking what’s next, which is about the best result we could have hoped for.

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