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
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 challenged part of East London, raised by a single mum who worked four jobs to keep food on the table and everything afloat. From an early age, she learned that if you want something in life, you have to work for it. She also learned that when you come from a social mobility background, the path is rarely straightforward, opportunities can feel further away, networks harder to access and confidence something you often have to build for yourself. Those humble beginnings shaped her resilience, determination and outlook on life, values that would later define both her career and the inclusive communities she went on to build.

She left school at 16 with a handful of GCSEs and no clear plan, stepping into the city young, ambitious and completely unpolished. It quickly became clear that working hard was only part of the story, progression was just as much about visibility, networks and confidence.

Over time, she built her career across nine different banks, eventually reaching COO. That experience shaped everything that followed, and ultimately led her to build WeAreTheCity and WeAreTechWomen, platforms designed to help others to navigate their careers, their way!