Business summit launched for female leaders and entrepreneurs in Solihull

Business Growth West Midlands, in partnership with Solihull Chamber of Commerce, Solihull MBC, and Birmingham City Council have launched the Solihull BusinessWomen’s Summit- Shaping the Future.

Taking place on Wednesday, 25 September at Cranmore Park Conference Centre in Shirley, Solihull, the event is aimed at female business owners, entrepreneurs, leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs in Solihull who want to enhance their leadership skills and empower female voices in the workplace.

The summit will cover the unique challenges faced by female leaders and entrepreneurs in Solihull, explore the support systems needed to help women in business, and discuss how future female leaders can be supported through listening and collaboration.

Guest speaker Katey Martin (pictured), a Hostage & Crisis Negotiator with the Metropolitan Police, will share her experiences and talk about how best to ensure women’s voices are heard in the workplace and beyond.  

Katey has been a police officer with the Metropolitan Police for 29 years. She began her career on the front line in Brixton, South London, and went on to specialise in a variety of areas including Intelligence, Public Order, Covert Policing, and Counter Terrorism.

For the last nine years Katey has been a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator in London and a Specialist Police Negotiator on the UK’s Counter Terrorism Negotiation Team.

UK & FBI trained, Katey teaches negotiation nationally and internationally. She is the director of the UK Counter Terrorism Negotiation Course and specialises in training high pressure negotiation with change resistant, extremist mindsets.

She represents the UK in Europe for Counter Terrorism negotiation, sitting as subject matter expert on the EU Negotiation Steering Committee.

She is a Mediator and a Suicide First Aid Tutor, delivering lifesaving suicide intervention training across the public and private sector.

She lives in London with her husband and three children and when she isn’t on-call, she loves relaxing at home with a glass of wine in her garden, catching up with friends and travelling.

The event is free to attend and will take place from 10am to 2pm.

Eileen Schofield, president of Solihull Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for women business leaders and emerging leaders to collaborate in an open forum. Katey Martin our keynote speaker is exceptional, she is highly skilled at crisis management and hugely inspirational. 

“This inaugural event is the first in a series of women in business events in collaboration with Birmingham and Solihull Growth Hub supporting women in business. As a business owner I know first-hand how important it is to have a strong network of female business leaders to support, collaborate and applaud our successes. 

“We very much look forward to seeing you on the 25 September.”

You can book your free ticket for the summit HERE.