In our last Lean In Food For Thought event of the year, we’re really excited to have Ann Francke OBE, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Management, talking to us. Ann is passionate about driving change at leadership level in organisations as well as getting more women leaders and ethnic minorities into the boardroom.
Better managers can really make a difference in people’s lives. When we have great bosses they nurture us, challenge us and support us.
Equally, it’s difficult for female leaders to thrive in an environment that’s unbalanced. So creating a gender-balanced workplace is key to develop and nurture good leadership and ultimately create a thriving workforce. Can you relate to the phrase "accidental manager"?
"The principles of management are stunningly simple, yet so few get it right,” says Ann “Being a good manager is about training and practice. A natural runner may have a talent for running, but they won’t win a race or complete a marathon without practice and training. The same is true for a good manager.”
Join us on Thursday with Ann where in her talk, Ann will give us practical steps that we can take to develop a more diverse workplace and nurture better leadership. She will touch on accidental managers and what to do if you have one, or feel you could be one amongst other tangible tips and takeaways!
If you’re an existing or aspiring leader, this is one not to miss!
About Ann
Ann Francke OBE is Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute the UK’s leading professional body for management and leadership with a global member community of over 160k. She started her career at Procter & Gamble and has held senior executive positions at Mars, Boots, Yell, and BSI. In 2020, Ann was awarded an OBE for services to workplace equality.
Ann is an expert on gender balance in the workplace and speaks frequently in the media and conferences on this and other management topics. Her book on gender balance - Create a Gender-balanced Workplace, published in September 2019. Ann also authored the ‘Financial Times Guide to Management and has been named in the top 100 women to watch in the 2015 Female FTSE Cranfield report. She was awarded the MemCom award for outstanding leadership of a UK professional body in 2016.
Ann has five Honorary Doctorates for her work in management and leadership Managementand is an advisory board member for the Work Foundation & Nottingham Business School, sits on the Advisory Council of the Chancellors Help to Grow: Management initiative, is an Engineering Council Board member, chairing their diversity & inclusion working group and chairs the WACL working group on workplace equality. She has also previously served on commercial boards - Grant Thornton and Tongal.
Ann and her husband live in West London; she has one daughter