WACL NED Committee presents… How to get your first NED – Members only event

You want to be a NED.  Where do you start?  What do you need to do to secure your first NED role?

Whether you are interested in listed, unlisted, or not for profit organisations, there are some critical steps you should take  – and pieces of advice that you may need – to help you ensure you have a strong plan of action to achieve success.

The members of the WACL NED Committee are coming together during this session to give you their tried and tested, and highly effective, tips and advice to help you optimise every step you take in your journey to your first NED appointment.

Topics the WACL NED Committee will cover include:

• Transitioning from an Executive to a NED career
• Having a NED CV
• Networking with a NED Purpose and “working it” on LinkedIn
• Ascertaining whether this is the right board for you: identifying that elusive “chemistry”
• Starting small and growing from there

Your expert WACL NED Committee speakers will be Sara Bennison, Roisin Donnelly, Francesca Ecsery, Jennelle Tilling, and Zoe Howorth.

The discussion will be chaired by Non-Executive Chair, Kerry Glazer.

This is a virtual ‘not to be missed’ members only Lunch time event starting at 12:15 until 13:30 on Monday the 13 December 2025for all aspiring and brand new NEDS . Please let us know at [email protected] if you would like to attend.

Speaker Biographies

Sara Bennison

Sara’s executive career split into two chapters. The first was with global advertising agencies, working in London and SE Asia on a host of famous brands. The second was in the very different environment of regulated industries first at BT, then Barclays and finally Nationwide, serving on the ExCos of the latter two. Her final role was as Chief Product and Marketing Officer of Nationwide and CEO of The Mortgage Works subsidiary. She is one of the leading brand and marketing experts of her generation, winning a number of prestigious industry awards.

Sara is now well into career chapter three, focussing on Board and advisory work. She has been a Non-Executive Director of the Lawn Tennis Association since 2018, is Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Committee of Management for Wimbledon. She joined the Boards of The West Brom Building Society, DUAL UK and The Openwork Partnership in 2023. In 2024 she also joined the Board of Equifax UK where she Chairs the Risk and Audit Committees.

She runs her own brand, marketing, mentoring and training consultancy offering discreet advice and acting as the overflow brain for a number of CMOs and advertising agencies. (Find her at sarabennison.com)

Roisin Donnelly

Roisin Donnelly is a Non Executive Director of NatWest, Premier Foods and Sage and a former Non Executive Director of Homeserve, Just Eat, Bourne Leisure and Holland &amp Barrett. She has served on Advisory Boards for Coca Cola European Partners and the John Lewis Partnership. Roisin is the former Brand Director for Procter &amp Gamble Northern Europe and led P&amp G’s “Thank You, Mum” campaign for P&amp G’s sponsorship of the Olympic Games. Her previous roles include Brand Director for P&amp G Fine Fragrances in North and South America and Brand Director for Cosmetics and Fragrances for Europe, Middle East and Africa. She has also led P&amp G’s Western European hair care business. She is a former council member of the Advertising Standards Authority. She led Diversity and inclusion for P&amp G UK. Roisin is passionate about coaching, developing and mentoring in the industry. She  is a former President of WACL, a former Chair of Cosmetic Executive Women and a Fellow and Former President of the Marketing Society, Roisin was born and educated in Glasgow and is married with 3 daughters. She loves travel and the theatre.

Francesca Ecsery

WACL member since 1996 and Digital Officer on the WACL Executive Committee between 2002 to 2016, Francesca is currently Chairs the NED programme at WACL and is working as a Portfolio Non-Executive Director with expertise in Marketing and 30+ years’ experience in directing in both blue chip companies and start-ups in the Digital / Retail / FMCG / Leisure Travel industries. Currently, Francesca is a Non-Executive Director on 5 boards, Air France, Henderson High Income Trust plc., Haffner Energy, CT Automotive and the AIC ( Association of Investment Companies). She also chairs the remunerations committee on the last 3 companies and she works as a Mentor as well as Commercial Coach to several entrepreneurs.

Prior to going plural, Francesca worked as Global Business Development Director and UK General Manager at Cheapflights Media for 4 years. She has extensive experience encompassing consultancy with McKinsey and Co, marketing with PepsiCo, general management in a range of blue-chip travel companies including STA Travel, ThornEMI, Thomas Cook and Going Places, through to entrepreneurial activity working with VCs to set up, establish and exit internet-based travel businesses such as IfYouTravel.com. A graduate of Geneva University in Political Science and International Relations, Francesca also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She speaks 6 languages: French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarian fluently and Italian conversational.She lives in London and Provence with her husband Tim.

Jennelle Tilling 

An experienced and award-winning marketing executive with a career spanning over 25 years, Jennelle Tilling most recently served as the Global Chief Marketing Officer for KFC. She was responsible for the company’s brand marketing, communications, innovation, digital presence, and brand reputation in over 125 countries around the world. Jennelle has a long track record of driving results within YUM!, having served in leadership roles for KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Prior to her global role, Jennelle served as Vice President of Marketing for KFC. Her work earned her an IPA Advertising Effectiveness Gold Award in 2008 and a Silver Award in 2010, a British Arrow for Digital Creativity in 2013, and the 2007 Marketing Society Award for brand revitalization. In 2016, she was awarded one of Business Insiders most innovative global CMOs An active contributor to the marketing industry in the UK, Jennelle is a Fellow of The Marketing Society, a member of MGGB, and was proudly WACL President in 2013/14. Jennelle is the Founder and Chief Brand Strategist at Marketing with Insight a London based brand consultancy specializing in Retail, Food and Beverage strategy. She also sits on the Board of Camelot, Shaftesbury PLC, Yorkshire Building Society and is a Trustee at The Guide Dogs for The Blind.

Zoe Howarth

Zoe spent most of executive career at the Coca-Cola Company culminating in her role as Marketing Director for the UK business, after beginning her marketing career at Procter & Gamble.

Zoe transitioned to a board career in 2017 and now sits on the board of 4 growth-centric businesses, including 2 FTSE 250 companies; AG Barr PLC and Paragon Banking Group PLC and a private equity global education business ‘International Schools partnership’.

Zoe brings brand building, digital and ESG experience to her boards, and is a passionate advocate of supporting businesses to address the climate agenda and is a Fellow of Chapter Zero (the Board director’s network for Climate transition)

Kerry Glazer

Kerry has been a member of WACL since 2001, is a Past President of WACL (2017-18) and was named one of the eight Honorary Members of WACL in July 2021.
She has worked in the communications agency business for more than three decades, including roles at JWT, WCRS, Limbo/BBH and Kendall Tarrant (now The Talent Business) during that period.
Kerry joined AAR – the leading management consultancy in marketing agency ecosystems helping UK, international and global brands to design, build, and drive the performance of their partnerships with agencies – in 1999, initially as Commercial Director.
She was promoted to Managing Director in 2000 and Chief Executive in 2006, finally moving to the role of Non-Executive Chair of the company in 2019.
Kerry is also Non-Executive Chair of Untold Studios, an independent creative studio that produces all forms of original and culturally relevant content, including advertising, music, and entertainment, and delivers premium VFX for advertising, TV and film.
Kerry is a Past President of NABS (2018 – 2020), and past Chair of the of the Steering Committee for timeTo, the initiative to end sexual harassment in the advertising and marketing industry, and a role she held for five years.
Kerry was named as one of the IAA UK 21 Women of 2021 for Women who Empower, and is one of 30 people on the IPA’s iList 2022, which celebrates those who champion diversity and inclusivity, driving initiatives that make our industry a better place.