Gardner Leader hosts International Women’s Day event

Leading regional law firm, Gardner Leader, gathers industry leaders, business owners and Oxford’s academic community to celebrate the achievement of women on International Women’s Day (IWD). Celebrated through the lens of science and technology, the event focussed on the strengths of Oxfordshire’s science and technology communities, while also raising awareness for the STEM charity, Maths4Girls.

The event, which took place on the 7^th March at the new HB Allen Centre, part of Keble College, Oxford, included inspirational speakers from the science and technology sectors, roundtables, and networking in a dynamic, motivational and collaborative environment.

Sponsored by Critchleys Chartered Accountants, a leading accountancy, tax and human resource consultancy firm in Oxfordshire, the event provided an opportunity for industry leaders, business owners and Oxford’s academic community to gather, collaborate, share ideas, and to encourage greater recognition of the unique perspectives and contributions of women in these communities.

With over 80 people in attendance, the event celebrated achievement and showcased innovation across industries. It provided a platform for dialogue and discussions promoting gender equality and inspiring inclusion, in line with the theme of this year’s IWD of ‘#InspireInclusion to forge a better, more inclusive world for women’.

Speakers on the day included powerful, inspiring voices from scientific, academic, and business backgrounds, including Professor Eleanor Barnes, Professor of Hepatology and Experimental Medicine at the University of Oxford and physician at the John Radcliffe Hospital, and Sharon Parker-Lines, Deputy Managing Director at Astroscale, a private orbital debris removal company which is reducing the growing and hazardous buildup of debris in space. Attendees also heard from Susan Burton, founder & CEO of Classlist, a platform that helps schools and parents connect, collaborate, and celebrate together, as well as Susan Elliott, Senior Manager of the British Business Bank, Tara O’Driscoll, Sioned Jones and Lydia Mapston, founders of Boobybiome, and Paulette Elliot, founder of Huduma.

Sally Addis, Partner in the Corporate, Commercial and Life Sciences teams at Gardner Leader said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of our Inspire Inclusion event in celebration of International Women’s Day and in support of the charity Maths4Girls. The event brought together an exciting collaboration of business leaders, academics, and experts in their fields to showcase some incredible success stories and the diverse mix of innovation, expertise, and knowledge available in the region.”

Sharon Parker-Lines, Deputy Managing Director & Senior Vice President Business Operations, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Astroscale Ltd, added: “It’s been a huge pleasure to be a part of Gardner Leader’s Inspire Inclusion event and share my experience of working in the space industry all while celebrating women’s achievements on International Women’s Day. It has been a great opportunity to meet with and listen to so many inspiring women. The event has cleverly brought together the science, innovation, and business communities of Oxford in a highly motivational and collaborative environment.”

As well as taking place in support of IWD, 50 per cent of monies raised from the sale of tickets went to supporting Gardner Leader’s chosen charity for the day, Maths4girls. 

Maths4Girls is designed to provide girls aged 11-14 (in years 7, 8, 9) with the encouragement and opportunity to improve their maths skills, inspiring them to continue the subject beyond GCSEs. They achieve this by introducing both female and male role models from mathematics-related fields such as finance, computing, and science into classrooms.  

Juliette Buet, Project Lead at Maths4Girls said: “We want to inspire young people to excel at maths, to raise awareness of the fantastic careers that this subject can offer and debunk the myth that it isn’t for girls. We’re thrilled with all the support shown through the Inspire Inclusion event and grateful to Gardner Leader and Critchleys for providing such a brilliant forum for us to showcase the work and impact of our incredible team and volunteers.”

On supporting Maths4Girls, Sally Addis added: “It’s been a privilege to support the important work undertaken by Math4Girls. The charity play an important role in inspiring the next generation to both excel in maths beyond GCSE and explore amazing career opportunities available through STEM subjects.”

Jennifer Sewell, Partner and the Head of Business Services team at Critchleys said: “We’re delighted to have been a part of Gardner Leader’s International Women’s Day 2024 Inspire Inclusion event. Together, we’ve spent the day celebrating amazing achievements through the lens of science, innovation, and technology in a supportive and cohesive space.” 

Katherine Wilkes, chartered accountant and Audit Partner at Critchleys added: “Today’s event has showcased the plethora of talent, knowledge, and expertise on offer in Oxfordshire as well as the inspirational work women are doing across the region and UK.”

The Gardner Leader team has been at the heart of the communities they serve for over 125 years, with offices in Oxford, as well as Newbury, Thatcham, Maidenhead, London, Windsor, and Swindon. Its highly experienced team of legal professionals work across nine specialist teams each dedicated to providing specific services to individuals and to businesses. Gardner Leader’s expert team also advises companies of all sizes working in the life sciences sector, from global pharmaceutical companies to university spin outs, supporting companies, shareholders, and investors on all aspects of commercial and corporate law, including intellectual property, data protection, corporate governance, restructuring, buying, selling or investing, employment, real estate, dispute resolution law, and general commercial advice.