Leadership Summit 2024

Delegate arrival and check-in

As leaders, our job is to think well beyond the day-to-day and be the driving force towards a brighter future. As he welcomes gathered leaders back to Sopwell House, Jon Mew will encourage a longer-term frame of mind and set the scene for two days of insight, inspiration and provocation.

As IAB UK’s new Chief Digital Cheerleader, Joy’s role is to help advertisers rediscover the joy of digital. In her inaugural speech to Leadership Summit, Joy reveals how she’s been taking her message to marketers, starring in her own digital ad campaign, penning Campaign columns and chairing the Joy of Digital Awards. 

Recent data shows that the UK public is more optimistic about 2024 than they were in 2023. Drawing on Ipsos insight, Kelly Beaver gives her take on the mood of the nation, exploring public attitudes towards the economy, technology and society, and what that all means for advertising and business. 

Drawing from his own experience and research, Dr Dale Whelehan encourages leaders to embark on a journey that spans centuries, connecting the wisdom of the past with the challenges of today. Dale presents a compelling revelation: that time, and the affluence of it, leads to ultimate happiness in and of itself. 

In the world’s biggest ever year for democracy, and as the UK prepares for a general election, Sophy Ridge shares her perspective on the key moments to look out for in 2024, explores what we can expect from an election campaign, and what a change of government might mean for business and industry. 

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In conversation with Joni Morriss, agency C-suite leaders share their priorities, challenges and opportunities – and reveal how leaders in the room can best support their clients. Expect provocation and insight to help supercharge your relationship with the people making the big calls on budgets and planning. 

2024 marks a pivotal moment, when the future of the web will depend on what the industry is willing to do to secure it. Dyana Najdi sets the scene on marketing’s moment of opportunity, shedding light on future-facing measurement solutions and the steps advertisers must take to unlock growth in an era of AI-powered marketing. 

Media headlines so far in 2024 have positioned DEI as a ‘political advocacy movement,’ ‘dangerous ideology,’ and even a ‘cult of diversity’. Drawing on years of experience and research, Asad Dhunna explores whether leaders are committed to DEI and what influence this is having on culture and communications. 

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Drawing on years of experience making businesses more environmentally sustainable, Joanna Yarrow shares the trends, stories and advice any company and leader can draw on to take both small steps and bigger, more impactful leaps when it comes to reducing the carbon impact of business. 

As brands grow, media opportunities expand and data unlocks more knowledge about consumers than ever before, it’s tempting to ignore the external factors affecting advertising’s effectiveness. In this talk, economist Dr Grace Kite explores the underestimated relevance of the outside world on marketing, and how innovation, AI and media might be just part of the story we need to be aware of. 

In a live episode of the podcast everyone’s talking about, ‘How I Became’, co-hosts Ashley and Charles interview GroupM CEO Josh Krichefski. Following his initial appearance on the podcast in 2023, Josh will rejoin Ashley and Charles for a personal and insightful journey into how he became the leader he is today.

Returning to Leadership Summit, Dr Daniel Knapp shares his outlook for the UK’s ad industry, drawing on economic analysis and societal shifts to explore growth opportunities, unexpected game-changers and major market trends that will impact business and leadership over the coming months and years. 

New data shows that 84% of AI decision-makers say their executives are ready to adopt generative AI. But can we move forward from the hype to implement more focused strategies that increase productivity and build brand value? Ravleen Beeston leverages insights from Copilot’s earliest users to unpack the benefits of GAI across digital advertising. 

Changes to the ways that advertisers can reach their audiences present publishers with an opportunity to capitalise on their unique offering of quality content and trusted environments. Partnering for this talk, leaders from The Telegraph and Immediate Media give their perspectives on the ways in which news and magazine brands can thrive in a new world of targeting, measurement, trust and innovation. 

In April 2024, Zaid Al-Qassab will leave his role as Chief Marketing Officer of Channel 4, where he leads the marketing and digital teams, and 4creative, Channel 4’s award-winning in-house creative agency, to become Group CEO of M&C Saatchi. In this conversation with IAB UK's Non-Executive Director, Roisin Donnelly, Zaid reflects on his career so far, shares his insights on how marketers are feeling about digital advertising, and looks forward to his new role agency-side. 

When Maggie Alphonsi retired from rugby in 2014, she was England’s most successful rugby player of all time and had built an exceptional legacy for other women within rugby to build on. To close  Leadership Summit 2024, Alphonsi shares her own story as a woman in a sport dominated by males, reveals tips for overcoming adversity and explores what it takes for teams to thrive at peak performance.