Who we are.
WITSEND was founded in 2016 by nine women in leadership (tech, specifically): Claire Davenport, alongside co-founders Celia Francis, Ariane Gorin, Tamara Lohan, Alex Mahon, Maria Raga, Lisa Rodwell, Rikke Rosenlund and Elaine Safier.
Our story.
Before launching WITSEND, our group had been meeting informally for a while, and had found those sessions to be immensely productive, although they weren't necessarily designed to be. Being able to pick the brains of women in similar roles, on matters of work and life, was a joy and a relief. So we set up WITSEND - Women In Tech, Execs and Non-exec Directors - to grow our network of women in leadership: and empower more women to become them.
What is WITSEND?
WITSEND is a not-for-profit organisation for women in leadership. We provide resources, contacts, inspiration and advice to remove all barriers to success, and the key thing we do is to connect.
For senior leaders, especially women, your peer group shrinks as you rise. For women to succeed — to rise to the top, and keep going - sharing knowledge and support is vital.
We have a thriving network of over 300 leaders, including more than 80 founders and CEOs. We meet through events, retreats, and hugely active WhatsApp groups dedicated to particular themes and specialisms - from AI to book club.
We understand that often what's going on after work can affect our ability to lead as much as what's going on at work. So there are groups for aspects of family life and culture as well as business. For many of our members, WITSEND is what makes a C-suite life possible.
Our members.
Although we have a lot of leaders from the tech world, we have C-suite women from broadcasting, hospitality, health tech, retail and more; and we also have founders, exec and non-exec board members, academics, and entrepreneurs.
All applicants are personally screened by one of our nine founders - to ensure that our community retains a strong sense of understanding and a shared purpose.