One of our flagship events in the year, our annual International Women's Day celebration will take place on Tuesday 10 March, held in the lovely Shaw Library from 14:00-16:00. 

The IWD theme this year is “Give to Gain”, and we warmly invite you to join us for afternoon tea with nibbles and sweet treats, to share ideas, experiences, and support — and to explore how giving our voices, generosity, and even our vulnerabilities can help us all gain something positive, both personally and professionally.

The event will have a keynote delivered by Alice Chilver, Founder & CEO of WHEN Equality (Women's Higher Education Network), and an interactive session by Professor Connson Locke, Professor (Education) in the LSE Department of Management.

Alice Chilver

Alice is the Founder and CEO of WHEN Equality. Its award-winning 100 Black Women Professors Now programme has delivered a step change in gender and racial equity across UK higher education by turning intent into action.

Operating nationally as an organisational change leader and leadership development specialist, Alice works with institutions, governing bodies, and senior leaders to redesign career pathways, promotion systems, and leadership pipelines. Her work combines best-in-class private-sector leadership development with deep expertise in the structural realities of higher education.

Alice previously led people and organisational development at the University of Oxford and University College London. She leads a growing team at WHEN and was named Business Leader of the Year in 2025 for her values-led, high-rigour approach to systemic change.

In her keynote, Alice will speak openly about stepping into leadership at a difficult moment for WHEN and the challenges of rebuilding the organisation around its core values. She will reflect on giving generosity, resilience, care, and integrity during times of uncertainty, and how these enable her to gain meaningful change for both individuals and organisations.

Professor Connson Locke: Resilience and the Challenges of Giving

The International Women’s Day theme ‘Give to Gain’ highlights the importance of service and giving to others. Society benefits when individuals think about the group, not just themselves. But how does this affect the individual? 

In this talk, Professor Connson Locke will discuss the challenges of giving and the need to develop resilience. She will provide practical tips on how to manage yourself, your energy, and your attitude so that giving becomes an energizing, rather than draining, part of your life.

About the speaker:

Professor Connson Locke joined the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2008 where she teaches Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, and Negotiation and Decision Making. Connson has over 30 years’ experience as an educator, coach, and consultant working in Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Australia. Prior to entering academia, she served as Regional Training and Development Manager for the Boston Consulting Group where she was responsible for the learning and development of consulting staff in 10 offices across Asia Pacific. Connson holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Business Administration (Organizational Behaviour) from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University where she graduated with honours. Her book, Making Your Voice Heard, uses the research on power and influence to help people speak up to those who have more power than they do. https://connsonlocke.com/

She is a psychologist, author, and speaker with over 30 years’ experience working in nearly 20 countries across Europe and Asia Pacific as well as the United States and Australia. Her work focuses on power and influence, culture, gender, and organizational change.

Celebrating our REAL ROLE MODELS!

Now in its seventh year, this event will once again celebrate the fantastic women across LSE who inspire, motivate, and support others in meaningful ways — whether through their leadership, kindness, or the positive impact they bring to our community.

All nominations will be included in the LSE Power Real Role Models showcase and featured on the day of the celebration.

The event will also feature opportunities to network with other LSE Power members across the School.

Ensure to register for the event at the earliest - see you there!

LSE Power Steering Group