Festival Of Happiness – Shaping the future of agencies and keeping culture at the heart in the new normal
Though the festival is free we ask for you to donate via our Just Giving page. All donations will be split between two fantastic charities – Nabs and Born Equal
Session Overview
A lot has changed over the past year especially with the way we interact and communicate with others. This session will explore how the past year has affected the culture of agencies and the way we communicate, and what we can do to ensure we maintain open communication lines as we move forward into 2022 and beyond.
In this session we will discuss the ways businesses can take to ensure their employees are at the heart of what their culture looks like – from mental health, to L&D, to workload – and how an open line of communication is at the heart of what the culture of our agency looks like.
Our Panel
Sarah Neblett-Lindo | Global HR Director of Croud
Sarah Neblett-Lindo is Global HR Director of Croud, having joined the business in mid-2020. Prior to joining Croud, Sarah worked within HR for a number of large corporations including G4S and Marsh & McLennan. Since joining Croud, Sarah has made significant contributions to the business, including putting a spotlight on how the business promotes gender and racial equality. In early September, Sarah pioneered the launch of Croud’s Diversity & Inclusion charter, which included the formation of a D&I steering committee. Sarah has also bolstered several internal well-being initiatives for Croud, including the implementation of medical care cover and an employee assistance programme – which provides on-demand anonymous, medically trained mental health support.
Ruth Kieran | CEO, Cirkle| Alliance People Pillar Chair
20+ years consumer and corporate reputation experience across public, private and third sector communications, Ruth is also an experienced crisis & issues expert. Ruth’s career began as a media buyer with McCann-Erickson in Sydney as well as working with Microsoft and IBM in Hong Kong.
Her client experience includes Miele, The National Lottery, Department for Transport, Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, Harley-Davidson, The Open University and Whitbread. A seasoned leader, previous roles include Managing Partner and Deputy Managing Director for both Kindred and Lexis. She currently sits on the MAAG’s Advisory Board and chairs its diversity group.
Grace French, Head of Culture, Stand
Grace French is Head of Culture at Stand. She is responsible for spearheading Stand’s own culture strategy and implementing tailored programmes that prevent stressors, celebrate successes, bond colleagues, and provide support through any challenges. Grace also leads Stand’s work in helping organisations build a strong purpose and work-based culture, ensuring it’s fit for purpose in the new world of work.