The emPOWER Breakfast Celebrates 1 Year of Transformative Conversations

The ground breaking emPOWER Breakfast series marks its first anniversary, celebrating twelve months of authentic conversations that have reshaped how the industry approaches vulnerability, leadership, and workplace culture.

Founded with the vision of creating a safe space for honest dialogue, emPOWER has featured some of the industry's most respected leaders sharing deeply personal journeys that challenge conventional workplace narratives and inspire meaningful change.

"What began as a forum for authentic conversation has evolved into a movement," said the series' founder Athene Parker. "emPOWER has demonstrated that vulnerability isn't a weakness but rather the foundation of genuine leadership and organisational transformation."

The anniversary highlights an impressive roster of speakers who have courageously shared their stories:

Leila Bartlam opened up about her autism diagnosis, offering profound insights into neurodiversity in the workplace and challenging long-held assumptions about success and communication in corporate environments.

Nishma Patel Robb, former director of brand reputation, discussed her 'second act' career transformation, reimagining professional identity and purpose beyond traditional corporate roles.

Jody Allison, former HTV RKCYR and founder of Heads Up Production, shared her mental health journey through addiction, sobriety, and breast cancer, demonstrating remarkable resilience while highlighting the importance of comprehensive support systems.

Selma Nicholls, founder of Looks Like Me casting, addressed critical issues of representation and diversity in advertising, both in front of and behind the camera, challenging the industry to move beyond tokenism toward authentic inclusion.

Sue Higgs, executive creative director, spoke candidly about solo parenting and surviving workplace bullying, offering a powerful testimony on resilience and the importance of psychological safety in creative environments.

Deputy executive creative director Rosie Arnold shared her deeply moving experience of caring for her husband through his battle with leukaemia and coping with his loss, illuminating the complex realities of balancing personal tragedy with professional responsibilities.

Lucy Hudson, managing director at McCann, addressed bereavement in the workplace, drawing from her experience of losing her daughter to a rare tumour to advocate for more compassionate grief-aware workplace policies and practices.

emPOWER has been a space for transformation!

The emPOWER Breakfast series has distinguished itself by creating an environment where vulnerability becomes strength. By fostering authentic connection through shared experiences, the series has demonstrated that honest conversation drives not just personal healing but more authentic connections fostering empathy in the workplace.

Attendees consistently report that insights gained from emPOWER have directly influenced policy changes, leadership approaches, and workplace culture initiatives within their organisations. The series has sparked industry-wide conversations about mental health support, inclusive leadership, caregiving accommodations, and grief awareness.

"What makes emPOWER truly revolutionary is its connection between personal narrative and business impact," said Laila Bartlam. "These aren't just moving stories—they're catalysts for tangible change in how we structure our organisations and support our people."

As emPOWER enters its second year, the series plans to expand its reach while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that has made it such a powerful forum for transformation, and are soon to have the first in their emPOWERMENt series which sees four male leaders sharing their journeys and the series kicks off with Barny Wright, co founder of No.8 London.

"The business case for compassion, inclusion, and authentic leadership has never been clearer," Athene reflected. "When we create space for whole humans to show up, we unleash potential that traditional workplace structures aren’t yet doing enough but awareness is rising and companies want to do better."

The emPOWER Breakfast series continues to demonstrate that better business isn't just about metrics and strategies—it's about creating workplaces where personal challenges become sources of wisdom, connection, and unprecedented innovation.