WICT UK & Ireland at The WICT Network Leadership Conference 2025

Photo by L. Busacca & Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for The WICT Network.

Leading with Purpose and connection

Board members from all WICT chapters attended this year’s The WICT Network Leadership Conference in New York, a flagship global event bringing together women leaders across media, entertainment, and technology for two days of learning, networking, and inspiration.

Representing our chapter were President Anne Nguyen, Vice President Iulia Furdean and Treasurer co-chairs Valentina Kovaluk and Caroline Hall, who joined peers from across the world to exchange ideas and explore the future of leadership in a rapidly evolving industry.

The conference explored how women can thrive and lead in industries transformed by technology and innovation, with sessions covering AI and responsible innovation, leadership through change, building resilient teams, and the power of optimism to drive engagement and creativity.

Our board members returned inspired and energised. As Caroline reflected:

“It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with inspiring leaders across the Media and Tech industries — and to gain valuable insights on leadership through change and harnessing optimism to drive results.”

Valentina shared:

“The WICT Leadership 2025 Conference offered thoughtful insights on resilience and equity - that women can run their own race, provided we help them reach the start line. And when challenges arise, to always learn to dance with adversity."

And one takeaway by Fran Drescher resonated with Iulia, capturing the essence of the event beautifully:

“We do not need to emulate manpower to lead. We can lead with intellect, empathy, and kindness, as long as we build a group designed with union, passion, and desire.” 

Across all sessions, a clear message emerged: leadership today is as much about connection and community as it is about influence.

The WICT Leadership Conference was a powerful reminder of what our network stands for — inspiring women, connecting communities, and growing together.

We are proud to have had such strong representation from WICT UK & Ireland and look forward to bringing the ideas and energy from New York back to our local community.