Debbie Blanchard - User Journey Mapping
In Debbie's session we'll be understanding how our user's current journey helps us to understand the variety of their experience, and to identify commonalities and pain points. Join for a whistle stop intro!

Debbie Blanchard has over 20 years experience as a Civil Servant, having worked in operations, change management, digital and leadership roles across the Department for Work and Pensions, Ofsted and the Cabinet Office. She currently works for the Department for Education, where she is the Head of Profession for Product Management. Debbie is an experienced strategic leader, digital transformation specialist, writer and community builder. She is a true champion and spokesperson for user centred design and change, with experience of developing and leading multi million pound delivery projects, managing agile multi-disciplinary teams, and working to deliver large scale projects and programs with tangible, deliverable outcomes. Debbie is an active community builder, currently running professional cross-government networking events monthly and quarterly; a monthly professional buddy scheme; and is a regular contributor to Lancashire Women in Digital. 

Linda Macaulay - Becoming a Mentor

People speak about the joy of mentoring and the delight of sharing professional knowledge and experience with others. In this talk I relay my first experience of becoming a mentor, the approach adopted and my self-doubts. Using extracts from the conversation between mentor and mentee I illustrate how we got started and seek to show that becoming a mentor may not be as difficult as it sounds.

Linda Macaulay B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD, FBCS is Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester. She has held a number of leadership roles including research centre director and head of department and published over a hundred learned articles and books. Her memoir ‘Hello Computer’ is the story of the realities of being a woman in tech and of a life empowered by computers. https://hellocomputer.uk

Hina Pandya - Unveiling wonders and magic of AI (in 10 mins)

Robots are terrible writers.

if you're going to use AI as your wing-man or even your assistant then better ensure you're using it for the right reasons, and getting the best from it.

In this mini session I'll discuss the need for AI in your evolution, its best uses, not the uses everyone encourages.

Hina Pandya has extensive experience and expertise of client communication goals sprinkled with a journalistic perspective.

She loves to develop networks and connect with like minded people. She attempts to add an element of fun and humour to the discussion and implementation of the digitally dynamic changes affecting everyone.

In the digital and media space Hina has always been as a proven thought-leader, steering health innovations with the NHS, founding initiative with Google News Lab and NUJ, producing long standing businesses and events.

Writing for publications on AI and work you can read her musings in Minding your own MEDIA business on Substack. https://mindingyourownmediabusiness.substack.com/

The remnants of the pandemic isolation clarified firmly for Hina to work on making a difference to improve all our lives, applying her skills to encourage others couldn't have more of an impact.

Hina regularly consults for a wide range of media needs in multiple markets working with the USA, UAE, Europe and most recently South Africa, and is currently working on investigations.

She has been a finalist for She Inspires, Women in Digital Award. 2022 and 2023.