Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE

What Vanessa delivers

Keynotes
Leadership workshops
Panel hosting and facilitation
Executive roundtables
Strategic advisory
Leadership Programmes aimed at retaining and progressing female talent
Coaching and Mentoring

Why Vanessa?

25+ years of corporate and C-suite experience
Built two of the UK’s largest communities for women in business and tech
Combines research, lived experience and practical strategy
Co-author of the Lovelace Report
Author of two career development books, most recently 404: Women Not Found
Known for honest conversations, not corporate clichés
Delivers practical action, not just inspiration
Brings both grassroots community insight and executive-level perspective

Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE is one of the UK’s most influential voices on gender equity, career progression and leadership.

With over 25 years of experience in corporate and more than a decade building global communities for women, Vanessa brings a rare combination of lived experience, research and straight-talking insight to every stage she steps onto.

She has over 15 years of experience on the global speaking circuit and has delivered keynotes for more than 600 organisations, inspiring over 50,000 women worldwide. Known for highly engaging and interactive sessions that go far beyond inspiration, Vanessa challenges thinking, sparks honest conversation and leaves audiences with practical, actionable insight they can immediately apply to their careers and leadership journeys.

Alongside her speaking, Vanessa advises government bodies and global organisations on how to attract, retain and progress female talent, helping them move from intention to meaningful, lasting change. Her work helps organisations strengthen retention, progression and leadership pipelines, while creating cultures where women can genuinely thrive.

Vanessa’s work sits at the intersection of leadership, retention, visibility and the future of women in business and technology, helping organisations navigate one of the biggest talent and progression challenges facing industry today.

In 2018, Vanessa was awarded an OBE for her services to women and the economy, and in 2024, she received an honorary Doctor of Science from Warwick University in recognition of her impact.

However, despite her success, life started very differently.

Vanessa grew up in a socially and economically disadvantaged part of East London, raised by a single mother who worked four jobs to keep food on the table and the family afloat. From an early age, she learned that if you want something in life, you have to work for it. She also discovered that when you come from a disadvantaged background, the path to opportunity is rarely straightforward. Networks can be difficult to access, opportunities can seem out of reach, and confidence is often something you have to build for yourself. Those early experiences shaped the resilience, determination and perspective that would go on to define both her career and the inclusive communities she later created.

She left school at 16 with a handful of GCSEs and no clear career plan, stepping into the City young, ambitious and without the connections or corporate know-how that many of her peers had. It didn’t take long to realise that hard work alone wasn’t enough. Career progression was also shaped by visibility, access to networks and the confidence to put yourself forward.

Over the years, Vanessa built a successful career across nine banks, ultimately reaching Chief Operating Officer level. Those experiences became the foundation for what came next. Recognising that talent alone isn’t always enough to succeed, she founded WeAreTheCity and WeAreTechWomen to help others navigate their careers, build meaningful connections and access opportunities on their own terms.

Given her own background, Vanessa is deeply passionate about social mobility and ensuring that talent, not circumstance, determines opportunity. She is committed to creating more inclusive workplaces and helping people from all backgrounds build successful, fulfilling careers. Through WeAreTheCity and WeAreTechWomen, she continues to champion equity, inclusion and access to opportunity, helping thousands of professionals every year to develop their careers, expand their networks and reach their potential.