BlogEnterprising women celebrated at IoD conference in Stockport

Enterprising women celebrated at IoD conference in Stockport

The North West branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD) hosted its eighth annual Enterprising Women conference last week, with a sold-out event at the Plaza in Stockport.

Celebrating the best in female business leadership and talent across the region, this year’s theme was ‘Inspiring Leaders’ with a panel of incredible women including Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Shadow Business Secretary and MP for Salford and Eccles who gave an insight into her political career, achievements and challenges, as well as Jess Moore, Executive Director, Corporate Responsibility at Warner Bros; a pioneer for nurturing talent, Jess spoke of her involvement in Warner Bros’ Creative Talent programme which invests in talented people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to pursue a career in the creative industries.

Other speakers included Kate Willard, Head of Corporate Projects at the Stobart Group and Vanda Murray OBE, who is non-executive director of Manchester Airport Group. Not forgetting the inspirational male voices from the region’s business community, the speakers were also joined by Tom Bloxham MBE, Chairman of Urban Splash, who gave his own talk and described an impressive 25-year long entrepreneurial journey.

Speaking at the end of a day-long, successful event, regional IoD director Claire Ebrey, said: “Today was absolutely superb. When we launched the conference this year, we wanted to give our delegates access to a range of brilliant, influential and inspirational experts from across the UK, I really think we delivered on that thanks to an engaging panel, and a proactive audience who wanted to hear what they had to say.

“I believe every attendee has been given a chance to enhance their own organisation, their leadership skills, their business acumen their personal impact in the region and beyond. I thank every single person who was there today and made the event the success it was.”

Latest

PR Fire’s Guide to Getting Media Coverage on a Startup Budget

Securing genuine media coverage often feels like it requires either an established brand name or a significant PR budget, neither of which most startups...

Armed Forces community to be honoured at Festival of Remembrance

Residents will come together at Rochdale Town Hall on October 16 for a Festival of Remembrance to pay tribute to members of the Armed...

Property developers and investors lose over £1m in leverage on a single deal by not comparing lenders, Brickflow research finds

LONDON, UK. September 11th, 2026 - Market research by Brickflow, the UK's leading specialist property finance comparison platform, has revealed that property investors and developers are...

From tradition to innovation: EU organic food and drink arrives at ExCeL London

LONDON, UK. September 10th, 2026 - European organic food and drink will be in the spotlight at this year’s Natural & Organic Food Show,...
Subscribe to our newsletter
Business Manchester will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
Don't miss

Swindon’s Clay Soil Could Be Behind More Driveway Damage Than Homeowners Realise

SWINDON, 8 September 2026 - The heavy clay beneath much of Swindon could be playing a bigger role in damaged driveways than many homeowners...

Structural Repairs celebrates national success with Best Large Business win

Structural Repairs has been named Best Large Business at the National Entrepreneur Awards 2026, recognising the company’s continued expansion, growing technical capabilities and the...

Rural Irish girl who left home at 16 sees life journey captured in new book

NORTH KERRY, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. September 10th, 2026 - A woman who left rural Ireland as a young girl and went on to become a...

Manchester hospitality serves up good offers as Eat Well, Do Good returns next month

Eat Well, Do Good month is returning to Manchester in October with an even bigger programme of restaurants, chefs, bars and events coming together...

More News

Ritherdon’s Latest Fire Safety Innovation Receives High Praise from Industry Leader

A major UK supplier serving the construction and fire protection industries has given a strong endorsement to Ritherdon’s latest passive fire safety innovation, describing...

Vega Introduces Detection Skills, The New Open Standard for AI Reasoning in Agentic Cyber Defense

Transforms static detection rules into a continuously improving agentic loop. Open to every Cyber Defender at detectionskills.io, natively integrated on Vega platform. LAS VEGAS –...

Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month Marks the Start of Two New Charity Partnerships for Mobility in Motion

During Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, Mobility in Motion has announced that it has formed new partnerships with Steel Bones and Finding...