In her role as COO Sarb is responsible for driving forward the Banijay UK strategy alongside CEO and Executive Chairman, Patrick Holland. As well as managing collaborations across the wider Banijay group, Sarb plays a vital role in future investment opportunities, whether through M&A or start-ups via the recently announced Banijay UK Growth Fund.

Sarb is highly commercial with extensive experience within large corporates of supporting the development of long-term financial strategy and target setting for creative and commercial organisations. She has extensive knowledge of content funding models across both unscripted and scripted genres and ad sales deal negotiations, and a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry through holding a variety of senior finance roles at Channel 5, Viacom, Channel 4 and the BBC.

Debbie Ramsay is Editor of 5 News - the hour-long news bulletin produced by ITN, which airs weeknights on 5. She became the first Black Editor of a national TV news programme in the UK when she joined ITN from Channel 4 in late 2023.

 At a time when most TV viewing is declining the 5 News audience grew in Debbie’s in first year in the role achieving its highest viewing figures in 2024 in six years. She has also been instrumental in pushing forward with 5 News’s strategy to grow its digital footprint and audience.

Previous to the 5 News editorship, Debbie worked at​ Channel 4 as a Commissioning Editor for News and Current Affairs and launch Editor for C4’s digital youth documentary strand UNTOLD aimed at 16-34-year-olds. Prior to that, she worked at the BBC for 16 years as an Executive Editor at BBC News in charge of commissioning multi-platform original journalism across the UK.

Sreya Biswas oversees a slate of outstanding commissioned titles including Blue Planet III, Big Cats 24/7 and ambitious doc series Matriarch. Sreya also leads on development and digital for the NHU, where she is developing an ambitious portfolio of new innovative programmes and content, for global clients across a variety of platforms.  

Prior to the Natural History Unit, Sreya was the BBC’s Head of Commissioning for Natural History, overseeing a number of major landmark series including Asia, Kingdom, Planet Earth III and Blue Planet III, as well as a broad range of Natural History content including Big Cats 24/7, Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles and An Hour on Earth. Feature docs include; multi award-winning Silverback and Orphan and environmental thriller On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace. 

Before commissioning, Sreya was an Executive Producer at Naked Television. Living and working in the US, Sreya oversaw and self-shot the Emmy Award Winning series The Day I Picked My Parents for A&E. 

Lisa is the Managing Director of Ubisoft Reflections, a triple-A videogame studio that is in production with a new IP and co-developing several major Ubisoft titles with multiple partners around the world.

Part of the wider Ubisoft group, with 20,000 team members working across more than 30 countries worldwide, the studios are bound by a common mission to enrich players’ lives with original and memorable gaming experiences.

Lisa was previously Managing Director of Production at BBC Studios. She helped lead the division into the commercial market and oversaw a raft of titles including Planet Earth 2, Doctor Who, Trying, Strictly Come Dancing, and Good Omens, among many more.

Alongside her unique cross-industry experience, Lisa brings a passion for innovation, plus a commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can be their authentic self.

Emily’s career started as a researcher studying social policy and reform, on a number of prestigious documentaries around social welfare such as Cutting  Edge, Panorama, Dispatches, Black Box and Class Action before moving into the world of TV drama and feature film production. From 2003, she worked her way up the production ladder to a freelance Production Manager/Line producer, working for 20 years across an array of features and TV productions for filmmakers such as Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer and Kenneth Branagh. Her credits include Pearl Harbour, Pirates  of the Caribbean, X-Men, Kingdom of Heaven, Sherlock Holmes, Angus Thongs and Shackleton.  

Emily joined The Production Guild in 2009 where she was appointed CEO. During her five-year tenure she developed training programmes for the industry, campaigned to expand the UK tax incentive to include high-end  TV drama, consulted on media related government policies and represented the interests of senior production talent in job creation and skills development. 

Emily joined Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden at its inception in 2012 . Now, as Senior Vice President, Emily is  responsible for Business Development, Marketing and Operations for Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, working to attract all types of productions, from high-end TV drama, US feature films and Independent films. Emily was instrumental in leading the studio facilities through the covid pandemic  and creating a secure environment for films to return to production.

Ria is a television presenter, the Founder /CEO of Wonder Women CIC and founder of production company Carpe Diem Media Productions. Passionate about telling stories that celebrate diversity, champion women and inspire the next generation Ria founded community interest company Wonder Women TV, which is an inspirational women's network that elevates diverse women who work in Television and the Creative Industries in 2017.

Ria produces all of Wonder Women’s live events and creative, in addition to spearheading the brand's strategic vision.

Ria is also a seasoned events host and moderator for film premieres and industry awards, working with companies including Cannes Lions, Disney, ScreenSkills, MIPCOM and PromaxUK.

Rita is the Commissioning Editor, Documentaries and factual entertainment at Channel 4 where she is responsible for
commissioning and delivering high impact titles for Channel 4 Streaming and the main channel peak schedule, including constructed formats; factual dramas (Consent, Partygate and upcoming 3-parter on the sewage dumping crisis) alongside feature docs.

In addition to nurturing and growing key returning, award-winning brands such as First Dates, Educating and 24 Hours In A&E; Rita has led the First Cut strand, identifying and developing emerging Directors by commissioning their first single films and giving them their directorial debut. She’s also helped launch director's careers, some of which have since become Grierson and BAFTA awardees.

Anna Higgs is a multi award-winning producer and columnist. Most recently, she executive produced the Channel 4 mini-series Beth, from writer-director Uzo Oleh, and is producer on Hassan Akkad’s debut BBC Film feature, following his successful short film Matar.

Previously, she has held a range of creative leadership roles, including Managing Director of Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, Director of Entertainment Partnerships at Meta, Creative Director at global video channel NOWNESS, Commissioning Executive at Film4, and she worked as an independent producer.

She has supported, produced, or executive-produced visionary work, including the Sundance-winning Nick Cave film 20,000 Days on Earth, the BAFTA-winning The End of the F*cking World, and Oscar-winner Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank. She has collaborated with filmmakers such as Ken Loach, Lisa Gunning, Ben Wheatley, Alice Lowe, Paul King, and Jenn Nkiru.

Anna is currently Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee and serves on the Board of Trustees. She is also a Non-Executive Director of the groundbreaking games company Interior/Night.

She has been named one of Creative Review’s 'Creative Leaders 50' and featured in Time Out’s inaugural 'Culture 100' — a celebration of the most original and influential figures in the UK’s creative and media industries. She was recognised alongside visionaries such as Danny Boyle, Stella McCartney, Grayson Perry, and Jonathan Ive.

At just sixteen years old, Zoe became the winning female contestant of ITV’s original series of Pop Idol (2002). Her video Get Happy went straight in at number one and she signed a record deal with Simon Fuller’s 19 Management. Zoe went on to perform to over 250,000 fans on two national sell out arena tours and sang five hits on the Pop Idol Big Band album which reached number one in the album chart, later achieving triple platinum. She has performed for The Royal Family on several occasions, including The Queen’s VE Day Celebration and a concert inside Buckingham Palace, as well as other high-profile events including at The Royal Albert Hall. 

Over the last 16 years she has established herself as an award-winning leading actress in London’s West End, where her stage work includes:  The title role of Tina Turner in TINA: The Tina Turner Musical (Aldwych Theatre); the world premiere of Roald Dahl’s The Witches at the National Theatre playing Pippa; comedy presenter Kim in The Great British Bake off Musical (Noel Coward Theatre); Arabia and Satine in the original cast of Moulin Rouge for which she won the award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical 2023 (Piccadilly Theatre); Rachel Marron - played by Whitney Houston in the film - in The Bodyguard Musical for which she was nominated for Best Actress; Diva in the original cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre); Acid Queen (Tina Turner) in The Who’s Tommy (Prince Edward Theatre); Female Lead in What A Feeling (London Palladium), Female Lead in Thriller Live (Lyric Theatre & International venues across the world including Brazil, South Africa and Europe); Female Lead in Respect La Diva (Garrick Theatre); Dion in Hair (West End & Munich); and Justice in Rock of Ages (UK Tour).

Remi is a Strategic Coach, Systemic Leadership Consultant, Mentor, Motivational Speaker and Social Entrepreneur. She navigated the world of Finance to rise to the top of her profession, leading the Equity Capital Markets Syndicate Desk at Goldman Sachs, and then as MD and Global Head of Equity Syndicate at Renaissance when she was 33 years old. She enjoyed an 11-year career in the City raising multiple billions in capital for companies globally.

In 2008 she was voted Top 100 Women in European Finance and Financial News’ 100 Rising Stars. In 2014, Remi was also selected to be part of the BBC’s BAME (Black & Asian Minority Ethnic) Expert Voices, an initiative seeking to expand the diversity of experts in the BBC’s broadcasting stable. Raised and schooled in London, she is the daughter of an Assamese (NE India) mother and a Nigerian father. She holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and Social Policy, and a Masters in Social Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Remi’s Strategic & Systemic Coaching supports female leaders of all ages to wisely and strategically navigate rising in their industries. She works with C-Suite Leaders, influencers, trailblazers and change makers across a range of sectors such as Finance, Fashion, Technology, Third Sector, TV and Law. She is passionate about female empowerment, conscious leadership, human potential and transformation, systemic work and the impact on business.

Lou Featherstone is a 50-something mum on a mission to help women of all ages unlock their potential and become as confident as they can be. Hence, the Self Love Revolution Tour! She’s the founding member of the Zero Fucks Club, a sex-positive movement that helps others grow old disgracefully! To do that, she’s touring the WORLD in her beloved vintage Bluebird bus, busting myths about midlife and menopause along the way.

The journey to this journey has been one of introspection and self-discovery. After emigrating from the UK to Portland, Oregon, Lou found herself extremely unhappy, like she had lost touch with her sexy self. Through small groups of AMAZING women in Portland, and her incredible Instagram community, Lou began to speak out more, and soon rediscovered her own voice.

She bought a vintage 1983 Bluebird Wanderlodge Motorhome, which she named Susie after her late mom. She took Susie on a tour across America, giving a voice to those that feel they don’t have one, allowing people to have sex freely with themselves and other people and giving them the right to choose! That proved to be so popular that she was approached by a sex-toy brand to become their ambassador, and Lou thought, what’s to lose? But that’s not all.

Sustainable fashion is another HUGE passion of hers, and her style is so wild that it’s the first thing most people notice about her. That’s due to her self-confessed addiction to fast fashion. There was a period where she was buying at least two or three new pieces of clothing a week. 

Then, one day, ten years ago, she decided to stop clothes shopping for a full year. In that time, she learned the pleasure of restyling existing clothes and forming whole new expressions, and that has become her mission ever since. Every day Lou wakes up more in love with herself. She love herself more today than she did yesterday, and tomorrow she’’ll love herself more than she does today.

Sophie is a broadcaster and producer, author, travel writer, artist and an advocate for Disability rights. Injured in a car crash when she was 18, she is now a T5 complete paraplegic and a full-time manual wheelchair. She began her career as a portrait painter and artist, but her life took an unexpected turn after appearing on BBC’s “Beyond Boundaries” in 2004, and the start of her journey into television began.

Today, as one of the World’s first visibly disabled female television hosts, she has broken multiple barriers. Sophie has anchored major coverage for networks including the NBC, BBC, Channel 4, and ITV, including global sporting events such as the Paralympic Games, travel shows, consumer programs and more. 

Last year, she fronted an investigative documentary called ‘Fight to Fly’ (Channel 4) on the state of accessibility in air travel, which sparked international debate.

She recently made history as the first disabled person to host a sporting event on a major network in the USA, and is the first woman to host the Paralympics in the UK and the US and - dedicated to smashing stereotypes and glass ceilings - she has also become the first paraplegic woman to go to….zero gravity!

Sophie was the RTA Nominated host of ‘Living Wild: How to Change Your Life’, a hit prime-time Channel 4 series where she embarked on transformative journeys with individuals redefining their lives through adventure and the great outdoors. She is also a Channel 4 News Dispatches reporter and a regular on prime time ITV Talk Show, ‘Loose Women’.

Emma is a BAFTA award-winning broadcast journalist, with over 25 years’ experience presenting for some of the UK’s leading newsroom including Sky News, ITV’s GMTV, Channel 5 News and CNBC. Alongside broadcasting, Emma is a conference host and moderator and regularly hosts for CNBC’s commercial arm Catalyst at world leading events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. With a specialism in business news, Emma first cut her teeth broadcasting out of London and New York for CNBC, and later was Sky News' business presenter during the 2008 banking crisis.

Laura is a leading advocate for inclusive advertising and co-founder of Zebedee Talent, an agency dedicated to authentic representation of disabled, visibly different, and trans and non-binary people in the media. Since launching Zebedee in 2017 with her sister-in-law Zoe Proctor, Laura has been at the forefront of transforming industry standards, ensuring that inclusivity is not just a trend but a fundamental aspect of creative storytelling.

With a background as a qualified social worker, Laura's commitment to social justice and advocacy for underrepresented communities deeply informs her approach to inclusive advertising. Under her leadership, Zebedee has partnered with global brands such as  Burberry, Marks & Spencer, and Primark, facilitating campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences and unlock the commercial potential of inclusive representation.

An established speaker and thought leader, Laura has shared her expertise on inclusive advertising at various industry events and publications, including SXSW, Cannes Lions, Vogue Business and the BBC.

Elina is a leadership expert who coaches influential leaders globally. She holds advanced degrees in psychology and law from Columbia University. A former attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, she then pivoted to organisational psychology and started her leadership advisory practice.

She dedicates herself to philanthropy, previously acting as global philanthropic advisor at the Allan & Gill Gray Foundation, where she supported strategic investing and social impact initiatives. She is currently on the Advisory Board of the Earth Law Center, championing new perspectives on environmental stewardship.

 Elina is a writer and advocate for the potential of psychedelic medicines to revolutionise mental health, redefine business leadership, and inspire bold solutions to today's most pressing challenges.

Elina lives in London with her husband and two children. Feminine Intelligence is her first book—a powerful call to action for leaders ready to reshape business with purpose and heart.

Ali is the Managing Director of Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company.  She oversees programme investment with the UK’s major commercial broadcasters, and partners with indies and production groups on shows of all genres.  Having started her TV career working at Avalon, she then moved into distribution, spending more than a decade at Target Entertainment in senior programming and acquisitions roles, working across drama, comedy, entertainment and factual.  After a year as DRG’s Head of Factual, she joined Motion Entertainment in 2014.

Charlotte Stavrou (née Williams) is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of SevenSix Agency, a leading influencer talent management agency. Charlotte has spent the past decade helping brands and creators build powerful, authentic identities. She is the creator of the highly acclaimed Influencer Pricing Report, a first-of-its-kind resource that has been featured in The Guardian, Forbes and Business Insider, and is credited with setting industry standards for influencers.

Named as one of Vogue Business's Top 100 Innovators and a Champion of Change, Charlotte is passionate about building an equitable creator economy. She regularly speaks at major events such as Cannes Lions, AD Week and Retail Week, and has served as a mentor, advisor and board member for initiatives supporting women and underrepresented entrepreneurs.

As a former GB Triple jumper and an Olympian for over 15 years, Michelle knows what it takes to ‘Reach the top.’ Beyond that, she knows what it’s like to experience life outside elite sport, as a successful businesswoman, wife and mother of three amazing children. 

Michelle draws on her own experiences to inspire and encourage others in her work as a Motivational Speaker, Lifestyle coach, Personal trainer, Mentor and Women’s health campaigner.

Michelle works tirelessly as an Ambassador for Women’s Aid, The Menopause Charity, Diabetes UK and L’OCCITANE and is a Patron of the Menopause Mandate and recently appointed Non Executive director for Mental Health UK. 

Over the last 20 years, Michelle’s passion for ‘unlocking the potential of her clients’ has seen her successfully work with many celebrities and corporate companies. She revels in creating a climate of change, to dream big and to achieve beyond your expectations. 

Michelle has regularly featured in Hello Magazine around the growing topic of menopause and lifestyle, wellbeing , and spoken several times in Parliament on Diversity and Menopause. In 2022 Michelle was involved in an ‘Abuse is not love’ campaign with Marie Claire, highlighting the red flags in relationships. 

In July 2023 Michelle was an ambassador on ‘Every Menopause Matters’ campaign for Holland & Barrett which highlighted the importance of the needs for women of colour in Menopause. It is evident to see Michelle’s zest for life and her passion when she delivers her motivational talks on resilience, confidence and life after sport. 

In her current role, Emma leads award-winning creative teams at WBD providing full creative services to support the Kids portfolio of linear & digital channels across EMEA, along with premium sports channel TNT Sport in the UK.

A graduate of Sussex University with a BA (First) in Media and English, she has always been interested in creative communication in its many forms. With over 25 years in the advertising and broadcast media industry, she is expert in creative & brand strategy and content promotion. She has worked with many UK broadcasters (BBC, Disney, NBCU) and broadcast design agencies (Red Bee, BDA), before joining WBD.

Passionate about the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Emma was one of the founders of the acclaimed Access series Black Britain Unspoken and is an active member of BRG ‘Being’ which promotes multiculturalism.

Nishma is a woman on a mission: to eradicate the dream gap, smash the sparkle ceiling, and make sure women’s stories aren’t just whispered - they’re broadcast, monetised, and celebrated on every stage possible.

With a 30-year career that spans the spectrum from analogue to AI, Nishma has always had one foot in the future. From scaling Google’s brand across the UK & Ireland to advising some of the world’s most inventive founders, she’s built a career by backing what’s next: be it bold talent, breakthrough tech, or cultural movements on the cusp.

Now, she’s building that future through Glittersphere -  a launchpad for visibility, reinvention, and personal brand power. Designed for creative, ambitious women ready to be seen, heard, and paid, Glittersphere offers courses, coaching, and community to help them step into the spotlight and scale their voice. Because in Nishma’s world, if you’ve got a story, it’s time the world not only hears it, but pays you for your brilliance.

Whether she’s speaking on stage, building brands, or dancing in sequins behind a podcast mic, Nishma is unapologetically herself: bold, strategic, and wildly human. From Google to government boards, from creative agencies to C-suites, she’s that rare blend of powerhouse and hype woman - known for turning ideas into movements and strategy into poetry.

In a world obsessed with Artificial Intelligence, Nishma champions The Other AI™: Authentic Intelligence - the kind that can’t be scraped, summarised, or replaced. Her message? Reinvention isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And visibility isn’t vanity, it’s value.
“F*ck It. And Go Sparkle.”

Lindsay Williams has been the series producer on Waterloo Road since its relaunch in 2023. During that time, she has been across seven series of the BBC one prime time show. Prior to that, she worked as the series producer on Jamie Johnson, and story producer on Coronation Street.

Lindsay has also worked as a writer and has written over a hundred episodes of television, including Eastenders, Emmerdale and Holby and many radio and stage plays. She still occasionally writes for the stage in between her role on Waterloo Road.

Jen Sobol has over 18 years of experience in the screen industries, with a career spanning training, production, film education, and film festival development. She is passionate about discovering new voices and talent, and ensuring content remains diverse and engaging. As Director of Programmes at Warner Bros. Discovery, Jen leads the company's pipeline initiatives in international markets, focused on creating opportunities and pathways for talent from historically underrepresented communities.

Before joining Warner Bros. Discovery, Jen spent a decade at the British Film Institute (BFI), where she played a key role in the development and expansion of the BFI Film Academy. In this capacity, she designed programs aimed at empowering young people from diverse backgrounds to acquire new skills and pursue careers in the screen industries. Jen's global experience includes providing grants and professional development training to film festivals across Africa, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific, marking the start of her career in film festival development.

Originally from Montreal, Jen has lived in London for over two decades with her partner and young son. Though cinema outings are now a rarer treat, she remains an avid film and TV viewer, as well as a dedicated runner and aspiring gardener. Jen holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and an MSc in International Development Studies from Birkbeck, University of London.

Jacqueline Shepherd is an accomplished Radio and TV presenter, podcast host and BAFTA winning producer. She has graced our screens over the last 10 years with an array of roles including as a One Show reporter and presenter for The Hundred.

Jacqueline can be heard on BBC Radio London as host of the London Nightlife programme on Wednesday nights, and on Friday nights, presenting the show that amplifies the voices of London's African Caribbean community. Jacqueline will be hosting the ‘How to Rise’ panel at the conference.

Mariayah Kaderbhai is a screen sector specialist. At BAFTA, head of programmes, overseeing industry events and initiatives across film, games and television. Her work includes research to ensure the screen industries become more inclusive on and off screen. She authored BAFTA’s social mobility resource Invisible Barriers, a guide to assist hirers in the screen industries to support individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds.

She completed her MA in Media and the Middle East at SOAS, University of London, with her thesis focused on the representation of Muslims on British television. Kaderbhai’s research fed into USC Annenberg’s 2021 study Missing & Maligned: The Reality of Muslims in Popular Global Movies. She has been invited to deliver talks and sit on panels across the world speaking to artistic programme curation, best practice and progression of individuals within the film and tv sectors.

She was a producer/journalist at Al Jazeera English in their programmes team on the flagship film program - The Fabulous Picture Show. Kaderbhai has interviewed screen greats such as Riz Ahmed, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Ryan Coogler, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Graham, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Meera Syal, Toby Jones, Daniel Kaluuya, Nicole Kidman, Spike Lee, Mira Nair, Ron Howard, Jodie Foster, Julianne Moore, Taika Waititi, and Penelope Cruz among many, many more.