Post by Active International UK

This week, we left the polished version at the door, and it made for the best kind of afternoon. We co-hosted the latest Women Who Lead: Connections & Conversations lunch with Avenir Network at The Ivy, West Street. A small room by design, with senior women from business, media, marketing, technology and the creative industries, talking honestly about visibility, legacy and using your influence well. Hosted by Ruth Cartwright and Dinah Williams, Founder of Avenir Network and Avenir Pathways CIC, the lunch brought together women from very different backgrounds who all understood the value of proper relationships. Not forced networking, but the kind that helps you think differently, opens a door and gives you a bit more confidence to back yourself. Alexandra Beeden, our Client & Operations Director, was "still buzzing from how lucky I feel to have added so many wonderful women to my network." Jane Putley, our Commercial Partnerships Director, called it "a delight to be in a room of such brilliant women." A WhatsApp group was requested before the plates were cleared, usually a sign of a good room. The afternoon also gave Dinah the chance to share Future Reset®, a new Avenir Pathways CIC initiative supporting mid-level professionals navigating redundancy and finding their way back into meaningful work. We believe strong relationships remove barriers. Women Who Lead was a reminder that leadership presence doesn't have to be loud or over-rehearsed. Sometimes it's just showing up honestly, listening properly, and making room for someone else to take their next step. A huge thank you to Dinah and Ruth for hosting, to Kelly Davies for organising it all so brilliantly, and to everyone who joined us. Women Who Lead will now run quarterly, with the next gathering in September. The lunch is over, but the group is already asking what’s next, which feels like exactly the right place to leave it.