Exclusively For Women Leading UX and Design Teams

Flux Convergence is back! 

On Wednesday October 15th join us at The Barbican in London to spend a day with fellow women in UX & Design Leadership. 

If you're new to Flux, you can find out more about us here.

We are delighted to have UserTesting as our Headline Sponsor for the second year in a row. 

If you are a UserTesting customer, you may be able to get a free ticket. Please enquire with your UserTesting account representative to enquire. 

We are also sponsored by &Us, the innovation and transformation practice based in London. 

*Please check the Attendance Criteria section at the bottom of the page before purchasing your ticket, as this is exclusively for Women Leaders in UX & Design.  

What is Flux Convergence? 

Flux Convergence is designed for Women in UX & Design Leadership to come together, build new connections and learn from one another. 

It is not a 'trade show' or large scale industry event - it's an intimate curation for Women in UX & Design, by Women in UX & Design. 

You will hear directly from these women and learn how they are navigating UX & Design leadership. You will hear how they are tackling challenges, the lessons they've learned and some of the insights they want to share with you. 

Flux Convergence is open to members and non-members, but please ensure to check the attendance criteria below before purchasing a ticket. 

You can learn about 2024's event here and you can also read a recap here that was written by one of our attendees. 

AGENDA

09.00  [45 min] : 
Morning workshop | Leading with Focus & Intention

(Sign up sheet shared with attendees)

Leadership demands an honest recognition that time and energy are limited. This session will help you focus on what truly matters, uncover overlooked priorities and define a more meaningful path forward. Through reflection and practical tools like energy tracking and chat partnerships, you’ll learn how to build systems and routines that support sustainable growth. You’ll also shape a clear, personal vision of leadership; what success means to you and how it can positively influence those around you. The aim is to help you sharpen your focus, reduce stress and lead with greater clarity and impact.

This workshop is limited in space and sign up form is sent to event attendees to register. 

Presented by Chantal Lailvaux, Flux Member & Research Manager at Financial Times.

09.30 [30 min] :  
BREAKFAST 

10.15 [10 min] :  
WELCOME
Flux Co-Founders : Amy Kelly & Danielle Macdonald

10.25 [20 min] :
Riding The Rollercoaster Of UX & Design Leadership In The 2020s

Where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going. From restructures to relearning, the recap of the UX & Design landscape, the effect on leadership and all of the lessons.  

Presented by MARY MACPHERSON, GROUP DIRECTOR, CUSTOMER | BANK OF IRELAND

10.45 [40 min] :
[PANEL] The Power of UX & Design: How To Showcase ROI As A Leader
In a world where layoffs are rife, communicating the value of UX is essential. In this panel we'll be discussing how to speak to leadership within your organisation about the value and impact of UX & Design that is meaningful and positively develops your reputation as a leader in your business.

Panellists:

- ALICE HAYES, HEAD OF UX RESEARCH, BANK OF IRELAND

- SOPHIE MITCHELL, HEAD OF DESIGN, DEXT

- NAVDEEP ATHWAL, PhD, HEAD OF UX, CITIBANK

Facilitated by Danielle Macdonald, Flux Co-Founder & Research Leader at Google

11.25 [15 min] :
From Skeptics to Pioneers: Your Roadmap to Building an AI Strategy 

Get a proven approach from a regulated environment (banking) that works for technical teams dealing with compliance, ethics concerns, and leadership pressure for AI strategy.

In this session you’ll learn:
• How to find AI opportunities in your existing workflows
• Dual-track approach to experiment with unapproved tools while staying compliant
• Team buy-in tactics to turn resistance into collaborative experimentation
• Action plan you can start using this week

Presented by: LINH NGUYEN SLATER , HEAD OF RESEARCH, NATWEST

11.40 [10 min] :
COFFEE BREAK

11.50  [45 min] :

[CHOOSE YOUR BREAKOUT SESSION]:   

AI & Design   OR   AI & Research 
 

• UX Design:
  How AI is changing design workflows, demonstrating value beyond tool output, and the enduring importance of human interaction design foundations in the world of MCPs   
  Hosted by:  CHARMAINE WYLAND, HEAD OF PRODUCT DESIGN AND RESEARCH, GUMTREE

• UX Research:
  Leveraging AI for synthesis, ethical considerations, and the non-negotiable skills of a researcher that AI cannot replace. Also, knowledge gaps UXRers need to fill in order to respond to the growth of agent to agent solutions  
  Hosted by:  LORISA DUBUC, DIRECTOR OF USER RESEARCH, JP MORGAN
  
  

[12.35pm - 45 min]   LUNCH BREAK

1.20pm [20 min]  

VISIBLE, HIGH-IMPACT, PROMOTABLE WORK

Spotting invisible work and redirecting your contributions to impact that is visible, measurable, and rewarded.

Research shows women are far more likely to take on non-promotable, often invisible work - the kind that supports teams but doesn’t advance careers. This talk explores why that happens and offers tactics to help you recognise it, reduce it, and redirect your contributions toward impact that tangibly advances both your career and your organisation.

Presented by:  ZANIA BARNUM, DESIGN LEADER, META

1.40pm [30 min] 
[Fireside]  BALANCE - DOES SUCH A THING EXIST? 

From fighting the corner of your customers to leading your teams through difficult change - and not forgetting about our lives outside of work - sometimes the word 'balance' can feel like a fictional existence we can only dream of.

In this fireside chat, we'll be discussing the truth about balance when it comes to being a leader in modern days of the UX & Design practice, from striving to succeed in your role, to doing what's right for your customers and everything in between and around.

ELSA PLUMLEY, Head of Research & Insight, Back Market
Facilitated by JO HAGAN, Senior Solutions Consultant, UserTesting 

2.10pm [40 min]:
[PANEL] How I Got Here: My Journey Up The Ladder

Hear from these leaders on how they got to their leadership position, the lessons they learned along the way - and what they would do different if they had to do it all again.

Panellists: 

- VEN WONG, HEAD OF UX, CHANNEL 4

- KATE BORDWELL, DESIGN RESEARCH LEAD, LLOYDS BANKING GROUP

- HAZEL HO, HEAD OF USER RESEARCH, ACCURX 

- AOIFE NI MHORAIN, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DESIGN, CHAMBERS & PARTNERS

Panel facilitated by EMILY DENT, Partner at &Us 

2.50pm [30 min] 
Q&A With All Speakers

3.20pm [10 min] 
QUICK BREAK

3.30pm [35 min]
The Secret of Brilliant Leadership: Emotional Intelligence

PRESENTED BY SANDRA THOMPSON
Empathy Expert | CEO & Founder of Ei Evolution - Customer & Employee Experience Consultancy 

4.05pm  [30 min] 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER : 

KIMBERLEY WILSON

Kimberley believes the way we think about mental health – as separate from physical health – is flawed. Her philosophy of Whole Body Mental Health is a comprehensive approach to mental health care; integrating evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle factors with psychological therapy with an emphasis on nutrition and the brain. Passionate about the power of psychology to transform lives, Kimberley is committed to demystifying the theories and putting the information into the hands of the people who need it through social media, podcasts, television appearances, live events and regular appearances on expert panels. Kimberley has written for BBC Science Focus and Psychologies Magazine, hosted the podcast Made of Stronger Stuff and the scientific segment of One Dish both on BBC Radio 4, appeared regularly on Lorraine ITV and been the featured mental health expert on several Channel 4 series and documentaries.

4.35pm [10 min] -  
ABOUT FLUX & THANK YOUs

4.45 [45 min] 
NETWORKING DRINKS & CANAPÉS

5.30pm
EVENT CLOSE

Details

Date:  Wednesday, 15th October

Time:  9.30am - 5.30pm

Location:  The Barbican | Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS | Google Maps

Ticket Price: £315

Flux members & founding members, you have a special discount code - please enquire with Amy / Danielle directly if you need it resent. 

The ticket price includes: 

- Access to all content (morning workshop has limited availability, but is included in price)
- Hot and cold drinks throughout the day
- Buffet breakfast
- Buffet lunch
- Sparkling wine / soft drink to toast at the end of the day  & canapés
- Swag

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Attendance Criteria

In order to join us at this event and to join our network, you must fall into the following criteria:

• You are a Senior Leader (Head of / Director / C-Level / Team Manager) in UX & Design at your organisation - IC or People Manager
• You work in-house for a brand (we are not currently open to agency professionals)
• You identify as a woman
• You're a good human being who wants to connect with this network in a genuine and authentic way

There are only 90 places for this event and so we recommend booking your ticket today to secure your space.

For those of you who will be seeking budget internally, we have some guidance to help you frame your request to your boss too. 

Access the guide here. 

If you have any questions, you can reach out to our founders, Amy Kelly or Danielle Macdonald, via email here: info@fluxmember.com 

We hope you can join us at Flux Convergence and become part of this exclusive network of UX and Design Leaders. 

Who Are The Flux Founding Members? 

Flux has 19 incredible founding members who help shape it into what it is today - a safe space for Women in UX & Design Leadership.

Alice Hayes, Head of UX Research at Bank of Ireland

Anne Stevens, Director of User Experience at AstraZeneca

Catherine Richards, Director of Product Design at Natwest Group

Chloë A, Director of UX Research

Gemma Daley, Director of Consumer Experience Design at Lloyds Banking Group

Kate Margolis, Head of Design at RDD Design

Liz Kessick, Lead User Researcher at Financial Times

Louise Herriot, Head of CX Design at Tesco Bank

Mary MacPherson, Group Director, Customer at Bank of Ireland

Michelle Bejian Lotia, Staff Experience Researcher at Asana

Naoil Sbai, Global Team Lead of UX Research at Just Eat

Ruth Gamble, Head of Experience at Deliveroo

Samantha Davies, Director of User Experience at Picsart

Liz Kessick, Lead User Researcher at Financial Times

Remya Ramesh, Design Leader, Meta

Sandra González, Product Design Director at Trustpilot and Founder at UX For Change

Sharan Gandhi, Head of User Research, EE (BT Group Consumer Division).

Sophie Mitchell, Head of Design, Dext

Venessa Bennett, Global Director of UX, Dye & Durham

ABOUT FLUX

Flux exists to proactively support women who are Leaders in UX and Design.

We aim to help them thrive in their professional and personal lives through connecting with community, investing time in personal development and sharing experiences and insights with other women facing the same challenges and opportunities.

We want to bring these incredible women together in meaningful ways, but also offer specific support that helps you become the best leader you can, for your teams, your impact and most importantly, for yourself.

We have an amazing group of members who have helped build Flux into the safe space it is today. 

Find out more at Fluxmember.com