21ST JANUARY 2026

09:00 - 16:30

Cardiff City Football Stadium

21ST JANUARY 2026

09:00 - 16:30

Cardiff City Football Stadium

Book Event Today

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Team Leader Cnect offers Team Leaders and all your people managers an extraordinary opportunity to develop their leadership skills and enhance team performance. This inspirational event is packed with engaging activities designed to help your leaders excel.

Whats in store?

  • Inspirational Speakers: Learn from industry leaders who understand the challenges faced by team leaders and how to overcome them

  • Interactive Workshops: Address real-world issues in lively, practical sessions tailored to daily challenges your leaders encounter

  • Motivational Activities: Engage in creative exercises that boost confidence, resilience, and performance.ain actionable strategies and learn how leading companies are navigating challenges and seizing opportunities

Why Attend?

  • Develop Leadership Skills: Build confidence, resilience, and in-depth leadership knowledge

  • Unlock Potential: Discover pathways for career growth and professional development

  • Have Impactful Conversations: Foster valued communication within the teams to drive productivty
  • Plan for the Future: Gain insights into succession planning and managing change effectively
  • Boost Team Engagement: Understand how engagement impacts productivity and how to empower teams to innovate and challenge processes.

Meet the Speakers and Panelists:

Andrew Ashby

Joanne Lockwood – Inclusive Culture Expert, See Change Happen

Joanne Lockwood, founder of SEE Change Happen, is an acclaimed Inclusive Culture Expert and International Keynote Speaker. Her journey as a transgender woman underpins her work in transforming Equity, Diversity & Inclusion practices. Joanne collaborates with HR and Learning & Development leaders, driving conscious inclusion and Positive People Experiences. A Fellow and Chair at the Professional Speaking Association UK&I, she also hosts the ‘Inclusion Bites’ podcast. Her impact on diversity and inclusion, fueled by empathy and respect, inspires organisational change worldwide. Joanne’s mantra, “Smile | Engage | Educate”, embodies her approach to fostering inclusive workplaces.

Andrew Ashby

Andrew Ashby – Coach, Speaker and Trainer, Ribbon of Life

Andrew Ashby, an experienced leadership facilitator, coach and programme designer who works with organisations across the UK to help leaders and teams communicate with impact, build resilience and perform at their best. Andrew is the creator of the Ribbon of Life methodolgy – a powerful reflective framework that encourages people to recconect with their values, ofcus on what truly matters, and make every moment count. Today, he’ll guide us through the Ribbon of Life – Resilience, Perspective and Making Every Moment Count. 

Andrew Ashby

Carol Roberts – Director of Operations Shared Services, Starling

Carol Roberts is Director of Customer Operations for Starling Bank. She’s held leadership roles in customer service, contact centres and operations for over 20 years and has a passion for driving innovation, delivering exceptional customer service and an outstanding colleague experience.

Craig Goold

Louise Phillips- Vice President Customer Centres, Virgin Atlantic

Louise has spent three decades in customer service, including 15 years leading within the contact centre industry. Throughout her contact centre career, she has held roles from team leader to Vice President, driving transformation, championing colleague engagement, and delivering outstanding customer experiences. Louise is passionate about innovation and people, by shaping strategies that inspire teams and strengthen Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to exceptional service.

Craig Goold

Marco Ndrecaj- Director of Contact Centre Services, SSCL

Marco is the Director of Contact Centre Services for SSCL, the largest provider of support services for the Government, Police, and Defence. He has an impressive track record of transforming contact centres, taking them from good to industry-leading and outcome-based operations. A multi-award winning senior leader driven by a genuine passion for our amazing industry, the fantastic people that work in it and the exciting technological innovation and transformational journey we are all currently on.

Agenda:
Wednesday 21st January 2025

  • 09:30 – 10:00 – Registration, Networking & Refreshments
  • 10:00 – 10:10 – Sandra Busby, Cnect Wales – Welcome and Objectives

  • 10:10 – 11:00 – Joanne Lockwood, See Change Happen

    Over the past year, organisations across the UK have faced growing uncertainty about how to manage transgender inclusion at work and in customer-facing services. This has been driven by a major Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act, intense media coverage, and increased external and internal scrutiny.

    For many leaders, this has created hesitation, mixed messages, and inconsistent decision-making—especially in people management and frontline environments such as contact centres.

    This 15-minute session explains, in clear and practical terms, what has changed, why it has affected organisational behaviour, and what leaders need to do now to stabilise policy, support managers, and reduce risk. The focus is not on ideology or debate, but on making confident, defensible people decisions in a complex environment.

  • 11:00 – 11:20 – Comfort Break
  • 11:20 – 11:30 – Welcome Back
  • 11:30 – 12:15 – Ideas Exchange

    Please see the questions on your table and discuss, choose one person to present the discussion back to the room

  • 11:30 – 12:15 – Reflection

    Each table will present back to the room

  • 13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch
  • 14:00 – 15:50 – Andrew Ashby, The Ribbon of Life – Resilience, Perspective and Making Every Moment Count

    A powerful and reflective session that blends the Ribbon of Life methodology with practical resilience strategies. Delegates explore lessons from the past, priorities for the future, and the importance of being present in the moments that matter most. Through guided self-reflection and simple resilience tools, participants leave with greater clarity, perspective, and one meaningful action to help them protect their energy and make every moment count.

  • 15:00 – 15:15 – Comfort break

  • 15:15 – 16:15 – Q&A Leadership Panel -Your chance to ask the panel anything about the industry and your career

    • Louise Phillips – Virgin Atlantic
    • Carol Roberts – Starling
    • Marco Ndrecaj – SSCL
  • 16:15 – 16:30 – Sandra Busby – Close

Event Highlights:

  • A full day of inspiring talks and interative sessions

  • Networking opportunities with peers from other contact centres

  • Practical strategies to bring back to your teams

This event is designed for team leaders and first-line managers who are eager to elevate their performance and make a lasting impact in their roles.

Team Leader Cnect is a popular event with limited spaces available. Secure your spot now to ensure your leaders don’t miss out! Don’t miss this opportunity to supercharge your leaders’ potential.

Booking

  • Date: 21ST JANUARY 2026
  • Venue: Cardiff City Football Stadium
  • Cost: £199+VAT per person or book 5+ people at £179+VAT
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Looking for further information on Team Leader Cnect or our other events?
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