Event

NEDworking: May networking event for Chairs and NEDs

Holly Addison, Will Sealy 8 Apr 2025

Leathwaite’s Board Practice hosts regular events to bring together Chairs and NEDs from multiple industry sectors to share their learnings and journeys. The Next event will be on Thursday 1st May 2025.

Whether you are an established NED or a senior executive looking to build your portfolio, join us for an informal and inspiring evening of networking and knowledge sharing.

Guest speakers:

  • Victoria Gosling OBE: CEO, GB Snowsport, NED, British Olympic Association, Chair, British Surfing and Chair, Invictus Games 2027
  • Helen Jones: NED – Premier Foods, Fuller Smith & Turner Plc, Toast Ale, Virgin Wines Plc, THG Plc
  • Richard Phelps: Chair , Henley Royal Regatta | Advisor, ProFinda
  • Mary O’Connor: Chair, Ascot Lloyd | NED, Carne Group

If you are interested in joining us please email: [email protected].

Please note, these events are strictly invite only.

 

Guest speakers

Victoria Gosling OBE

Victoria has had an outstanding career to date with many achievements, including being Chair of the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, Chief Executive Officer of the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando and the Military Executive Lead for the first Invictus Games (London 2014), inspiring 14 nations and over 400 athletes to compete. She has completed 21 years’ service within the Royal Air Force culminating with the prestigious rank of Group Captain.

Victoria is currently Chief Executive of GB Snowsport, Chair of the Invictus Games 2027 and Chair of GB Surfing. She is also a Board Director for the Jockey Club at Aintree Racecourse, a Board Director for Lost Shore Surf Resort (Scotland’s first inland wave pool), Custodian of the Rugby Centurions, responsible for creating Social Impact on a global platform, and sits on the British Olympic Association Board.

Away from sport, Vicky was a Director at Sage Global and was pivotal to establishing their Foundation for tech entrepreneurs. She has also held Board Director roles for a Fintech and Responsible Finance who work to increase access to fair finance for all.

 

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Helen Jones

Helen is a Portfolio Non–Executive Director, having left executive life and her role on the Board of the Caffè Nero Group in 2017. Prior to that she was Managing Director of Zizzi Restaurants. Before moving into Hospitality, Helen worked for Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and is credited with … successfully launching the brand in the UK and Europe. During her 25 years with the company, she served as UK MD and the EU Brand Development Director, having overseen the company’s integration with Unilever in July 2000. She left Ben & Jerry’s in 2009, but subsequently became a member of their Independent Board of Directors, based in Vermont USA.

Helen serves on six Boards and is currently Remuneration Committee Chair at Premier Foods plc, Fuller, Smith & Turner plc, Virgin Wines plc and THG plc. She’s a NED on the Board of Whittard’s and Chairs the Board of Toast Ale. She was previously SID at the Halfords Group plc from 2014 – 2023.

 

Richard Phelps

Richard was made Chair of the Board at Henley Royal Regatta in July 2024. Prior to that, he had been a member of the Board for 20 years. Richard was first put in a rowing boat by his grandfather at the age of six – it took another 10 years before he took the sport seriously and was eventually good enough to row for his school. He went on to represent Great Britain many times between 1985 and 1994 including the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Richard has had three careers; immediately after school he worked in the property investment sector, then, after university, he spent 25 years in banking and insurance and his current focus is the sports sector. He has also had a brief stint as a BBC commentator. Over the last 20 years Richard has held a variety of advisory roles ranging from tech startups, industry lobby groups, global corporates and high growth ventures. Richard lives in west London with his wife Annamarie. They have three children who have technically left home but, to varying degrees, do a good impression of still living there.

Mary O’Connor

Mary O’Connor is a distinguished Non-Executive Director and Audit and Risk Committee Chair with over 30 years of experience in financial and professional services. She has held roles such as CRO, CEO, and various board-level positions, working with public and private equity-backed enterprises and a Big 4 accounting firm.

Mary began her career as a trial attorney with the US Attorney’s office before transitioning to senior positions in large US and UK legal firms. At the Financial Services Authority (now FCA), she played a pivotal role in establishing the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

Currently, Mary chairs the Audit and Risk Committees of Carne and Ascot Lloyd. She has also served on the board of Charity Bank. At KPMG UK, she was the first CRO, transforming risk, control, governance, and audit quality frameworks, and later became CEO of the non-audit business. At Willis Towers Watson, she improved governance and risk processes, was promoted to lead major global businesses and drove significant revenue growth.

Mary excels in complex regulated environments, using her technical expertise and leadership skills to drive successful change. She is passionate about client-focused outcomes and promoting diverse talent

Holly addision

Holly Addison

Holly co-leads our global product, sales and marketing practice and also our Board, CEO and general management practice. Specialising in CEO and C-level talent that drives growth, with a focus on digital transformation, leadership succession and value creation, Holly is best…

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Will Sealy

Will joined Leathwaite following his former role as an analyst in a boutique strategy consultancy. He is now a key member of Leathwaite’s Technology & Digital practice, leading research across a breadth of sectors with a strong focus on consumer,…

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