Raising & Rising Leadership Retreat

A one-day leadership career retreat for high-performing professional women with children (0-18) who are on succession plans for Head of Department, Director, Managing Director, or Partner roles in law, finance, tech, media and professional services. The day - plus two follow-up sessions - is designed to provide the protected headspace, peer support and strategies that ambitious women need to confidently navigate the next step in their careers without sacrificing family life or personal wellbeing.

The first Raising & Rising took place in February 2026 with a group of women from businesses who sponsored their places, including Stantec, ITV, BNP Paribas, Liontrust, TT International and Jupiter Asset Management. This first cohort gave Raising & Rising a net promoter score of +95.

Raising & Rising overview (pdf).

Why do women value Raising & Rising so highly?

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The Experience

Monday 12th October 2026 9am - 5pm with follow-up sessions via Zoom on 2nd and 27th November 2026.

A spacious, catered retreat in central London combining reflective exercises, analytical frameworks, facilitated group coaching, and practical strategies delivered by chartered psychologist and executive coach, Jessica Chivers, and parenting expert, coach and author, Anita Cleare.

Expect:

• Space away from daily pressures to think deeply about your next move.
• Guided exploration of personal and professional blockers to progression.
• Practical tools for managing ambition alongside parenting demands.
• Strategies for building influence, confidence, and resilience in leadership.
• Inspiration and support from two leading experts and a cohort of peers.

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Three further hours of group coaching:

• Follow-Up Session 2nd November 2026 - 90 minute group session to consolidate insights and track progress against goals.
• Follow-Up Session 27th November 2026 - 90 minute group session to sustain momentum, provide accountability and plan next steps.

Event Outcomes

For organisations

• Retain and accelerate your top female talent at a critical career juncture.
• Equip future leaders to step into senior roles with clarity, energy, and conviction.
• Support diversity, equality and inclusion strategies by investing in women leaders with children.
• Demonstrate a tangible commitment to employee wellbeing and sustainable career progression.

For participants

• Gain protected headspace to reflect on what career progression really means to you.
• Honestly explore the barriers (internal and external) holding you back and how to overcome them.
• Discover practical, research-based strategies for thriving in both your professional and family roles.
• Leave energised with a clear career decision and concrete action plan.
• Connect with a select group of women who understand your challenges and aspirations.

Business ROI

• Retention of high-value talent at a point when many women hesitate or exit.
• Accelerated leadership pipeline, ensuring readiness for Director/MD/Partner roles.
• Strengthened diversity in senior leadership, aligning with DEI and ESG commitments.
• Sustained performance and wellbeing, reducing burnout and attrition risk.
• Employer brand enhancement, demonstrating tangible investment in women leaders with families.

Candid feedback to HR, Talent & LD from past participants

• “Programmes like Raising & Rising don’t just support well-being; they protect leadership continuity and prevent avoidable attrition or burnout. It also sends a powerful signal about the kind of organisation we want to be: one that understands that sustainable leadership and life don’t sit in opposition to each other. From a people strategy perspective, that’s not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a competitive advantage.”
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• "R&R provided a clear, credible space to work on areas of my development that I don't think could have been done in-house."
  
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• “Raising & Rising has had a meaningful impact on me, professionally and personally. It gave me the space to step back and reflect, while learning from experts about some of the traits that can hold women back and how to address these in my own leadership. I now feel more confident that I can continue to progress in my career while raising my children. It’s already influenced how I lead and make decisions day to day."
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• "From an organisational perspective, it’s a valuable investment, building more confident leaders, supporting retention, and enabling people to progress through key life stages."

A taste of our previous venue, L'Oscar

L'Oscar is a top-rated boutique hotel close to Covent Garden with a team who truly know how to take care of guests. It's an architectural marvel with a warm, luxurious feel which we felt was is perfect for the work we did with our first Raising & Rising cohort. We had a large room where we spent the morning and afternoon and moved to the restaurant for a change of scene and delicious lunch. We are currently working with our wonderful event manager colleague, Milly, to explore a few possible alternative venues. We may be back at L'oscar or moving to a new, central and equally wonderful space - we'll update this page when we have made the decision.

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Who is this event for?

• Senior professional working mothers who have been identified in succession plans as future leaders.
• Ambitious, high-performing women with children who are questioning whether, when, or how to make the next career step.
  
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Who should NOT attend?

• Women who feel satisfied continuing to work at their current level for the next 2-3 years.
• Women who are completely clear on their next career steps, have a fully planned pathway and are free from doubt about how to make it work with family life.
  
  

Payment

If you are unable to pay by card and need us to invoice your organisation, please e-mail jc@talentkeepers.co.uk. Payment must be received by Sunday 21st June  to access the super early bird offer and by Friday 17th July for the early bird offer . Tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend we may be able to welcome one of your colleagues in your place. 

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Questions?

Be in touch with Jessica jc@talentkeepers.co.uk or Anita anita@positiveparentingproject.co.uk.