Owning & operating a Franchise - My Journey with Shafali Shown-Keen and Ian Stephenson

Ever wanted to run your own business with the support of a Global Brand? Join two of our Franchisees in conversation, Shafali Shown-Keen and Ian Stephenson.

Shafali is a McDonald’s Franchisee in training. She started her career in an investment bank as an Executive Analyst before progressing to be the youngest member on the Executive team. Ian started working at McDonald's as a wide-eyed 16-year-old who was just trying to get through his studies. But 25 years later, he now operates nine restaurants across Croydon, Greater London.

Shafali and Ian will be sharing their journeys to owning and operating restaurants with McDonald's from their different career paths to the experiences that have led them to where they are today.

Welcome address

Host Welcome & Interactive Session

The Evolution of Career Masterclass

Introductory talk: The jobs and business of tomorrow and the people who lead them

It is an understatement to say the world of work has changed and there is a seismic shift in ways of working. What does this shift mean for the jobs and businesses of tomorrow and what kind of leaders will be needed in the future? Hear from Leadership Guru, Rene as he takes us on an inspirational journey that will help position us to take on and build the businesses and jobs of the future.

Senior Round Table with Live Q&A

Career Track

Hear from senior industry leaders from Kwikfit, HSBC & Booking.com on this roundtable as they share the highs and lows of building a successful career and practical tips on how to progress your career in uncertain times.

Becoming an MVP: How to add value to your organisation

Career Track

In the world of sports, athletes are often recognised as The Most Valuable Players commonly referred to as MVP. The top athletes win this accolade repeatedly.

In the world of work, every team, department and organisation have MVPs. They are the ones who are indispensable, sought after and whose views and contributions are coveted.

Join Ovo as he breaks down what MVP attributes are, how you can cultivate them, how to use them to succeed within your organisation and how to be a valuable contributor to your organisation's growth starting from your team/department. 

​Fireside Chat

Entrepreneur  Track

Join us for an exciting conversation with Fara and David, co-founders of Okra who are disrupting the African Fintech space. They are building the industry’s “super-connector” by creating a secure portal and process to exchange financial information between customer, applications, and banks. We will be talking to them on their recent successful pre-seed fundraising round which was oversubscribed and discussing any advice for early-stage founders who wish to raise a funding round.

Money Talks: Planning for a future post 9-5

Career Track

Pensions, investments, savings, bonds... As career professionals, conventional knowledge suggests we should be actively planning for a future when we are no longer earning and it is never too early to start planning for that future. However, with so many options and conflicting information, it is sometimes difficult to know where to start. Ken attained financial freedom through careful planning and consistent execution of his plans. In this session, he will candidly share how he achieved financial freedom, the building blocks of putting together a solid financial plan and things to consider when investing.

*Disclaimer: This session does not constitute investment advice. Please speak to a registered financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments

Fireside Chat with Live Q&A

Leadership Track

McDonalds is one of the world's most prominent brands and this business has survived tough and challenging economic periods. Innovation is an intrinsic feature of the business proposition and in this session, we will have a conversation with the UK & Ireland CEO on what it is like to lead a super brand and well-known company. Paul will also be sharing his best leadership advice and how he utilises leadership tools such as delegation to optimise business productivity.

The specialist vs generalist: key considerations

Career Track

Is it better to be a specialist or a generalist? Join us on what promises to be a lively debate with our seasoned professionals as they examine the pros and cons of each path. They will discuss the differences between generalist and specialist career paths and discuss their experiences of the two choices. This will be especially useful if you are at the start of your career, and are pondering which route you should take. You might even be well into your career, but have suddenly begun wondering whether you’ve made the right choice. You will leave the session with a clearer understanding of which route is more suitable for you and with practical tips to help you prepare for career success in your chosen path. 

Building a legacy: Achieving significance

Leadership Track

For senior leaders, there comes a time when the material markers of success are no longer enough and a yearning for significance sets in. It is not too early to start thinking about a leadership legacy and what sustainable success means. Using stories from her leadership journey, the speaker will share what a leadership legacy is and how attendees can start to develop strategies for significance and success beyond monetary measures.

How to pitch to corporate organisations

Entrepreneur Track

Building long term funding and commercial partnerships with corporate organisations is a strategy savvy businesses adopt. How do you identify these corporate partners and how do you pitch them your idea and product? In his role at Accenture Ventures, Ladi listens to hundreds of pitches and he will be sharing his top tips for a successful pitch to corporate organisations.

Leadership lessons: The good, the bad and the ugly

Leadership Track 

Every leader has stories to tell and that is because while it is an exciting journey, leadership is challenging and all great leaders have some battle scars to show. Melissa will be sharing very openly in this session some of the leadership lessons she has learned, warts and all. Using her personal story, she will discuss how all of those lessons have contributed to her journey and shaped the leader she is today.

Branding: Building a customer centric brand

Entrepreneur Track

Starting her career in 1996, Kubi has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world including Nike, L'Oreal, Blackberry, MTV, Rio Ferdinand, Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Rolls Royce Motor Cars and Aston Martin. in this session, she will share the modern rules of brand building, breaking down the traditional notions of how modern brands look, feel, and behave. Covering a few case studies and tactical applications, she will outline the best practices for driving obsession from day one while also building a foundation for long term growth.

C-suite readiness: How to prepare for the boardroom

Leadership Track

C-suite executives and positions are highly coveted roles. Many people at various levels in their careers aspire to be executive leaders, whether now or some distant day in the future. If you are hoping to reach the C-suite level, what abilities and qualities do you need to get there? What should you do to cultivate these qualities and show your company's leadership team that you are up to the task of joining their ranks? The speaker will share what it means to be a chief officer at a company, what qualities top leaders should possess, and some steps you should take if becoming a high-level leader is your dream.
 

How to leverage media and press for start-up success

Entrepreneur Track

Running an amazing business is not enough, your target customers need to be aware of your existence and the problems you are solving. In his role at Tech Crunch, Ned was at the forefront of using digital media to elevate and amplify the reach of technology startups. Hear from him as he shares how brands and businesses can leverage the power of the media and press in building successful ventures. He will be sharing time tested tips that work and don't break the bank!

Closing Keynote - Positioning yourself for opportunities of the future

Woven into the story of every success story is a journey of swimming against the tide, soldiering on against all odds. Join us as the powerhouse that is Tom delivers a powerful and inspirational closing keynote address that will leave you poised to position yourself for that next opportunity. You will leave inspired and motivated to stretch to the next level!

Closing Address