WACL NED Talk – If I could Tell you one NED thing – 17 March 2025 @ 12:30

Whether you are interested in listed, unlisted or not for profit organisations, there is nothing more valuable than hearing some top tips from experienced and successful NEDs to help you develop a strong action plan to land the right NED role for you.

We are extremely fortunate to have many WACL members in the Club who are highly accomplished NEDS with a wide breadth of experience across many different boards.

At this ever-popular ‘If I could tell you one (NED) thing..’ session, a panel of our expert fellow WACLers will provide hands-on practical advice on what you need to consider on your journey to a NED appointment, helping you optimise every step to success. This talk will be taking place virtually on the 17th of March at 12:15 and will be chaired by Jennelle Tilling

Speakers:  Rita Clifton , Sarah Jenkins, Sophie Neary, Gill Whitehead and Andria Vidler

Please contact Francesca at [email protected]  if you want to reserve your slot. This is a member only event

Speaker Biographies

Sophie Neary

Managing Director, Retail & FMCG – Google

Sophie is a highly respected executive within the retail and technology industries. As Managing Director, Retail and Consumer Goods at Google, she brings over 30 years of executive leadership experience from giants including Asda, Tesco, Boots and Meta. A digital pioneer since 1995, Sophie was instrumental in driving Boots’ online transformation where, as a member of the Executive Committee, she led their critical digital response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond her commercial acumen, she’s a multi-award winning, lifelong feminist, and a clear voice advocating and championing women in the workplace. Her highly regarded podcast “Courage is Contagious,” and status as a LinkedIn “Top Voice” on Gender Equity cement her reputation.
Sophie speaks English (mother tongue), French and Spanish and has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and the USA.

Rita Clifton

Portfolio Chairman and non-executive director

Rita has been called ‘Brand guru’ by the Financial Times and ‘The doyenne of branding’ by Campaign magazine. She graduated from Cambridge University and started her career in advertising, where she became Vice Chairman and strategy director at Saatchi and Saatchi. She then joined Interbrand, the leading global brand consultancy, as London CEO and then Chairman for a ten year term. She now has a portfolio of chairing and non-executive director roles, including the John Lewis Partnership and Ascential plc (owner of Cannes Lions and Retail Week). Previous boards have included ASOS, Nationwide, Bupa, Dixons Retail plc and Populus, the opinion pollster and research company. She also co-founded BrandCap, the brand consultancy for the boardroom, which she later sold on to the management group. She speaks around the world on all aspects of brands, branding and business leadership, and is a regular commentator in all the major TV, news and social channels. Her writing has included the best selling book ‘The Future of Brands’, and The Economist book ‘Brands and Branding’. Her most recent book is ‘Love Your Imposter’, which highlights the need for new types of very human leadership. Her pro bono roles have included the boards of WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature), the thinktank ‘Green Alliance’, the Henley Festival and as Chair of the leading practical sustainability organisation TCV. She has also been on the Government’s Sustainable Development Commission, and the Advisory Board for BP’s carbon offset programme ‘targetneutral’. Her most recent non-profit role is as Chair of the global sustainability partnership Forum for the Future. In the 2014 New Year’s Honours List, Rita was awarded a CBE for services to the advertising industry. For more information, go to http://www.ritaclifton.com

Gill Whitehead

CEO & NED

Gill was appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive of the UK’s Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum in November 2021. Prior to this she spent two years at the Oxford Internet Institute completing a Masters and conducting academic research in her interest areas of data markets and data access.
Gill spent four years as Google UK’s Senior Director of Client Solutions & Analytics, leading teams in data analysis, measurement, user experience, consumer segmentation, having previously led their Market Insights across EMEA. Gill previously worked at Channel Four and BBC Worldwide in a variety of strategy leadership and technology-driven roles, beginning her career at the Bank of England and Deloitte Consulting.
Gill is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. She is a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair of Informa plc and the British Olympic Association.

Andria Vidler

CEO EMEA – Tag

Andria Vidler joined Tag, the global leader in marketing production, as EMEA CEO in January 2020. Working with global businesses and agencies Tag helps brands standout and sell more, by amplifying content, reducing complexity and optimising effectiveness.
Andria spent the previous six years as CEO of Centaur Media PLC, which she transformed into a business intelligence, data and event group primarily focused on the legal and marketing sectors.
Prior to Centaur, Andria spent four years as CEO for EMI Music UK & Ireland and has held senior roles at Bauer Media and at the BBC. She is a non-executive for Gamesys PLC where she Chairs the ESG committee, is a Trustee for the Media Trust and previously served as a Trustee for the Roundhouse from 2010-2016 and as Chairman of the Marketing Group of Great Britain in 2014/15.

Sarah Jenkins

Chief Operating Officer  – Saatchi & Saatchi

Sarah joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 2019 and works alongside the Leadership team, to shape the strategic direction of the agency, architect its operating system and deliver its commercial goals. Sarah has worked in both global network agencies and start ups and across organisations as diverse as The John Lewis Partnership, The British Heart Foundation, Mars, Virgin Media, Subway and the Home Office.

A staunch believer in the need for greater diversity of talent at all levels across advertising, Sarah has been a driving force behind multiple industry wide initiatives. She is the architect of Upriser, a national school’s platform, partnering with the UK’s most progressive companies and engineered to work alongside the curriculum to power up the next generation of creative thinkers, makers and creators. Sarah is a member of the Advertising Association’s Front Foot Board and a Fellow of the IPA.

Since 2019 she has also been a Trustee for the Historic Royal Palaces, a £100m charity that looks after five incredible royal palaces including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Hillsborough Castle in Ireland. Chairing the People Committee and providing leadership focus on marketing, tech and data.