Nadia Wood

As AI continues to reshape industries, women still face uneven access to visibility, sponsorship, and leadership pathways. These challenges evolve across career stages, from establishing credibility early on to breaking through senior leadership barriers. This session explores how self-advocacy and strategic career navigation work together to accelerate progression. Participants will learn how to strengthen their presence, make bold career decisions, and build long-term influence in AI.

• Build visibility and credibility by strengthening how you communicate and advocate for your work in AI environments 

• Increase influence by developing strong networks and securing sponsorship that supports your progression 

• Navigate career stages by recognising when to pivot, specialise, or step into leadership roles 

• Overcome systemic barriers by adapting strategies as challenges shift across your career journey

As economic pressures intensify, organisations are under growing pressure to prove that AI investments deliver measurable business value. Yet many remain stuck in "pilot paralysis", running isolated experiments that never scale. Success requires more than great technology; it demands the right operating model, governance, data foundations, and ROI framework. In this panel discussion, we'll explore why AI initiatives stall and how organizations can build the capabilities needed to move from proof of concept to enterprise-wide impact.

• Achieve measurable AI ROI by aligning use cases with strategic business outcomes

• Move successful pilots into production by building the right governance and operating model

• Reduce the risk of fragmented AI adoption through stronger data and technology foundations