Women at Work Wales Conference

Shavanah Taj is the General Secretary of the Wales Trades Union Congress (TUC Cymru), a role she has held since February 2020. She is the first person of colour and the second woman to hold this position. With a background rooted in trade unionism and activism, Shavanah has a deep commitment to social justice, workers’ rights, and equality.

Before becoming General Secretary, Shavanah Taj served as the Wales Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), where she was a key figure in advocating for members within the civil service and other sectors.

Shavanah has been a vocal advocate for equality and inclusion, both within the trade union movement and broader society. Her leadership has focused on addressing issues such as pay inequality, workers’ rights in the gig economy, and the impacts of austerity on public services. She is also known for her work in promoting diversity within the workforce and has been a strong voice in the fight against racism and discrimination.

Under her leadership, TUC Cymru has continued to be a powerful force for workers’ rights, particularly during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where she played a critical role in ensuring that workers’ interests were represented in national policy discussions.

Kim is the Head of Production at Ffilm Cymru, the development agency for Welsh film. She works closely with the CEO to shape policy, funding and training activity to support a sustainable screen sector in Wales, inspired by close partnerships with small local organisations as well as leading screen companies across the world. Kim is the former Head of Acquisitions of Mercury Media and Journeyman Pictures and set up SVOD platforms for both companies, brokering relationships with The Guardian and The Independent. As an independent producer her credits include films such as ‘Claude Lanzmann’ which was Grierson, Cinema Eye Honors, IDA and Oscar-nominated. Kim aims to be a champion for working class filmmakers in particular and is passionate about improving the understanding of the intersectional way in which people are often disadvantaged in our industry.

Jane joined Carers Wales in August 2020 as Employers for Carers Wales Manager.  In her role, she works with organisations across Wales to help develop a carer friendly culture to support staff with unpaid caring responsibilities.  Jane also works on a programme to help unpaid carers rediscover their identity and set goals to have a life outside of caring, return to work or volunteer.  Jane has over 25 years of experience working within corporate organisations.  Having previously balanced work and care, Jane is passionate that the right support within the workplace can help unpaid carers stay healthy, well and remain in employment.

Lisa has worked in Local Government for 35 years, held several leadership roles across the organisation with interests in customer focus, wellbeing, culture building and wider organisational development. Has worked directly with the Chief Executive for several years on reformation programmes aimed at shaping a high trust, highly networked and high performing organisation; as well as playing a national role in Wales.  Been freed by her organisation continually reviewing research and contemporary practice on how colleagues can feel invigorated by and connected to their work and community. Is a black belt in kickboxing, a coach and a mentor, inspiring trust everywhere.

Sarah is a Partner who heads up the Employment and HR Team. Sarah has considerable experience in all Employment Law matters – both contentious and non-contentious. Sarah also holds a Master’s in Business Administration and has a vast amount of experience and expertise in working with CEOs, HR Directors, Finance Directors and their colleagues to deliver pragmatic, commercial solutions to their employment law and people-related challenges. Her clients range from senior executives of FTSE 100 listed companies, public sector organisations to PLCs.

Sarah is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and regularly speaks and provides training on a range of Employment Law topics.

Sarah is personally cited in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories.

Caitlin Rees is an Associate in the Employment & HR team at Berry Smith, having also trained with Berry Smith before qualifying.

On a daily basis, Caitlin advises and assists a range of clients (both employers and employees) on a variety of contentious and non-contentious employment issues.

Caitlin works with large companies, SMEs, public sector clients, clients in the third sector and senior executives.

In particular, Caitlin advises and assists with:

• Drafting and advising on settlement agreements;
• Drafting and reviewing employment contracts, employee staff handbooks and HR policies and procedures;
• Providing training and guidance for managers;
• Changes to terms of employment;
• Pre-termination negotiations;
• Redundancies and reorganisations;
• Handling disciplinary and grievance issues;
• Performance management and sickness absence management;
• TUPE transfers;
• General employment and HR queries;
• Bringing and defending Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal claims (including discrimination, unfair dismissal (including automatic unfair dismissal and constructive unfair dismissal), wrongful dismissal and whistleblowing matters);
• Employment data protection issues and subject access requests.

Sara Kirkpatrick is the CEO of Welsh Women’s Aid & she describes herself as an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) professional, specialising in work with perpetrators. She has contributed to several frontline, innovative projects including co-authoring and delivering the award-winning CARA conditional caution project, contributing to the development of DRIVE, early development on Welsh Women’s Aid’s Change that Lasts perpetrator strand and, most recently, the Home Office perpetrator standards.
In addition to her CEO role, Sara is also a Trustee with Youth Realities, and a visiting Lecturer at Winchester University in the social work department, where she continues to enjoy the opportunity to enable practitioners to address DVA safely and effectively.

Dr Louise Bright is Pro Vice Chancellor Enterprise, Engagement and Partnerships at the University of South Wales. While previously seconded to the Welsh Government Louise undertook a study on how the Government might work with Welsh Universities to increase the levels of Research Council income. The outcomes of the study formed the basis for a Ministerial approved report with policy implications. During her secondment she was also responsible for drafting a proposal to establish a National Science Academy for Wales. This was approved and Louise went on to work with Welsh Government on a consultancy basis including projects on the delivery of the National Science Academy and Welsh Government’s Innovation Policy. Louise was the Associate Director of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education with responsibility for Wales. This role built on her experience of developing research students and academics to become effective researchers. Louise is a member of the UK HR Excellence in Research Panel, Welsh Government’s Equity in STEM Board and was a member of the Chief Science Advisor for Wales Task and Finish Group which informed a report on women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine in Wales. Louise also leads the Wales Women in STEM Network.

Before moving into management, her research focused on freezing oocytes from patients whose fertility is threatened by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Following her PhD, she successfully established a new, externally funded group that explored the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Sarah is CEO of FinTech Wales, an independent membership association and champion of the FinTech and Financial Services industry in Wales. She is a fintech and insurtech specialist who has worked in the industry for over 10 years. With a track record of working with global organisations, scale-ups, and startups both within and outside the financial services industry, Sarah has collaborated with major banks, insurers, fintechs, insurtechs, e-commerce companies, healthtechs, and retailers. She previously worked at Founders Factory and 11:FS, and regularly contributes to Forbes online.

Shavanah Taj is the General Secretary of the Wales Trades Union Congress (TUC Cymru), a role she has held since February 2020. She is the first person of colour and the second woman to hold this position. With a background rooted in trade unionism and activism, Shavanah has a deep commitment to social justice, workers’ rights, and equality.

Before becoming General Secretary, Shavanah Taj served as the Wales Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), where she was a key figure in advocating for members within the civil service and other sectors.

Shavanah has been a vocal advocate for equality and inclusion, both within the trade union movement and broader society. Her leadership has focused on addressing issues such as pay inequality, workers’ rights in the gig economy, and the impacts of austerity on public services. She is also known for her work in promoting diversity within the workforce and has been a strong voice in the fight against racism and discrimination.

Under her leadership, TUC Cymru has continued to be a powerful force for workers’ rights, particularly during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where she played a critical role in ensuring that workers’ interests were represented in national policy discussions.