Dynamic Leaders event hosted by BDO at Murray Edwards College
A Dynamic Female Leaders event hosted by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP at Murray Edwards College brought together some inspirational women.
The event, which took place ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, featured founders, CXOs (titles such as CEO, CFO, COO), investors and non-executive directors (NEDs), to discuss leadership and advancing the equity agenda.
The event was led by cofinitive founder Faye Holland. She was joined by a panel consisting of Rebecca Godfrey, COO at Expression Edits, Charlotte Guzzo, COO and co-founder at Sano Genetics, Vanessa Colomar, co-founder of Invoke Capital, and Anne Dobrée, investor director at Parkwalk Advisors.
Rather than focusing on gender disparities, the event showcased how women’s distinctive leadership traits are shaping businesses and driving innovation across industries, including in governance, strategy, and growth dynamics.
Damjana Nurkovic, BDO’s marketing and business development co-ordinator for life sciences and technology, said: “Around 50 people attended. It was a cabaret-style event with round tables. Faye [Holland] hosted the panel superbly.
“The focus was not exclusively on International Women’s Day but what they have done successfully in their lives as leaders – takeaways of their careers and life stories.
“It was very authentic – for instance how to deal with burnout as a leader. After the panel discussion, Faye asked the guests on each table to have a discussion and one person from the table stood up and said what they’d discussed – it was really about what a successful leader should be.
“We were particularly excited about the unique venue, Murray Edwards College, known for being one of the last all-female colleges in Cambridge. It offered a fitting backdrop for a conversation about women in leadership and entrepreneurship.”
The BDO global network provides business advisory services in 166 countries and territories, with more than 119,000 people working out of 1,800 offices worldwide. It has revenues of $15bn.
In the UK, BDO operates 18 offices, employing 8,000 people: it has UK revenues of £1bn, and provides audit, tax, deals, and consulting, risk and outsourcing services predominantly to mid-sized, entrepreneurially-spirited, high-growth businesses driving growth in the UK economy.
Paul Hughes, organiser and managing director at BDO in Cambridge, said: “What a fantastic event, bringing together an amazing group of female leaders for what was a thought-provoking and challenging discussion on what differentiates leaders beyond their gender.
“It brought a fresh perspective on leadership and opened up impactful conversations that explored leadership excellence and innovation that transcend gender.
“As one of the last remaining female colleges, Murray Edwards College also served as the perfect backdrop for an event dedicated to celebrating and advancing the role of women in leadership.”
