Navigating Change: A Free Webinar Series for Women Facing Workplace Uncertainty
Are you feeling the weight of organizational resizing and turbulence at work? It is perhaps an understatement to say that those who work in universities will be experiencing the full brunt of a financially challenged sector.
For many, these changes bring uncertainty, tough decisions, and also new opportunities. Whether you're facing job loss, leading a restructure, supporting colleagues through transitions, or questioning what’s next, you don’t have to go through it alone.
This free webinar series is designed to provide expert guidance, practical tools, and a supportive community to help you move forward with confidence. Please come along. We are here for you.
Upcoming Sessions
Thriving Amid Change: Strategies for Women in Turbulent Times
Thursday 3 April 2025, 12:30-13:30 BST
A special panel event
Join us for an inspiring conversation dedicated to navigating uncertainty and embracing change with confidence. Women-Space is excited to bring together a remarkable panel of women leaders, each with unique insights into the future of higher education careers, the evolving university job market, and the power of diversity and inclusion.
In this exclusive panel discussion, we'll share real experiences, practical strategies, and heartfelt advice to help you thrive in these turbulent times. Together, we’ll unpack current challenges and explore how to turn uncertainty into opportunity.
What you’ll gain:
Expert Insights: Understand the future of work in higher education and the current job market..
Empowering Strategies: Learn how to navigate uncertainty with resilience and confidence.
Personalized Guidance: Get your questions answered and concerns addressed by specialists.
A Renewed Sense of Purpose: Leave with the knowledge and tools to confidently shape your future.
We look forward to welcoming you to this warm and engaging event—your voice and perspective are an essential part of the conversation. Let’s thrive together!
Our Panellists
Chaired by Professor Christina Hughes, Founder and CEO of Women-Space Leadership Limited, our panel comprises:
Emma Johnson, Associate Director of Marketing, Warwick Employment Group, University of Warwick
Emma is the Associate Director of Marketing at Warwick Employment Group, based at the University of Warwick. As a Chartered Marketer, she brings over 20 years of expertise in driving strategic marketing initiatives that fuel growth, elevate brand presence, and create meaningful impact.
With a wealth of experience in higher education marketing, Emma has worked to enhance marketing, communications, student recruitment and admissions strategies. In recent years, her focus has expanded to recruitment, where she leads the marketing team at Warwick Employment Group. Through her work with jobs.ac.uk, the largest job board in UK higher education, Emma has an extensive knowledge of recruitment trends and challenges within the sector.
Passionate about the value of higher education, Emma will share her unique insights into the evolving recruitment market, emerging trends, and strategies for success in an ever-shifting landscape. She believes that challenges often carry hidden opportunities and will offer valuable perspectives on how to navigate this rapidly changing environment while accessing essential support for personal growth.
Professor Camille Kandiko Howson, Imperial College London
Camille is Professor of Higher Education in the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship (CHERS) at Imperial College London, UK. She is an international expert in higher education research with a focus on learning gain; equity and social justice; quality, performance and accountability; and learning analytics and the use of AI in higher education. She is passionate about making higher education more equitable and fair, supporting women and those underrepresented to access, succeed and work in academia.
Camille will share insights from recent research about the exiting phenomenon and the causes—and consequences—of restructuring regimes in academia. Bringing together research, policy and individual experiences, she will shed light on restructuring processes and provide insights to navigate your way through.
Dr. Monika Nangia, Academic Registrar, University of Durham
Monika is currently performing the role of Academic Registrar and Director of Student & Academic Services at Durham University. With over two decades of dedicated service to higher education, Dr Nangia is a seasoned and trusted senior leader with an ability to drive transformative impact on university operations. Her commitment to inclusivity and support for learners from diverse backgrounds, particularly those facing disadvantages, has been instrumental in broadening access to higher education.
As alumnus of Goldsmiths University of London, Monika earned her PhD in Inclusive Education, a testament to her lifelong dedication to creating equitable learning environments. Her extensive experience spans both Russell Group and Post-92 institutions, where she has consistently advocated for progressive change. Beyond her role at Durham, Monika contributes her expertise as a member of a governing body at another university and a prominent independent school in the country. She is a member of the Academic Registrars Council and is the Lead Consultant at the Association of Higher Education Professionals.
She is a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in leadership roles within higher education and actively champions the need for promoting greater diversity among higher education leaders, particularly for individuals from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. As prolific writer and a sought-after speaker, Monika’s influence resonates through the numerous conferences where she shares her insights. Her career began in the classroom, where she laid the foundation for her passion for education. Today, she continues to inspire through her work, mentoring aspiring leaders from minoritised ethnicities, and nurturing the next generation of educators and professionals.
Monika will explore how, in times of crisis and transformation, diverse leadership is more important than ever. Women of colour bring invaluable perspectives, challenge traditional thinking, and drive innovation—yet remain underrepresented in senior roles. As a leader in higher education, Monika has seen firsthand how diversity of thought strengthens decision-making, enriches institutional culture, and creates more equitable opportunities for students and staff alike. Now more than ever, she notes how we must ensure that leadership in universities reflects the communities we serve. With a passion for mentoring aspiring leaders and championing greater diversity in higher education leadership, Monika is looking forward to sharing practical insights on how we can turn uncertainty into opportunity and thrive amid change.
Dr Julie Scanlon, Consultant, Trainer, Facilitator, Coach, Specialist in Diversity and Inclusion
Julie is an executive coach and a consultant and trainer in diversity and inclusion. She works with clients across the public, private and VCSE sectors. She had a previous career as an academic, publishing and teaching in the fields of gender, sexual orientation and culture. She liberated herself from that world in 2017 to establish her own business, Julie Scanlon Consultancy. She hosted the ‘Coaching Women’ podcast series for Association for Coaching (2023). She often finds herself coaching women academics (and others) pondering a career change or exploring ways to make academia work better for them. Website: https://juliescanlon.co.uk. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julie-scanlon
Julie advocates that purposeful reflection on options and priorities is essential in times of uncertainty. She will consider some practical tools for gaining clarity and moving forward.
💬 Too busy? Not in your time zone?
No worries—this webinar will be recorded so you can watch at your convenience.
Additional Sessions to Support Your Journey
We have also created a series of warm, engaging webinars designed especially for you. Each session focuses on key areas of concern. We will guide you step-by-step through essential strategies—including how to craft a CV and LinkedIn profile that enables you to stand out, as well as how to set yourself up as a successful consultant should you decide to take voluntary redundancy and transition into a new role. We also focus on how you can reclaim your balance and renew your energy amidst the challenges you're facing. We’re here to support you in unlocking your inner strength so that you can confidently navigate your career and future.
Our plan is that you will leave each webinar feeling energised, with the tools and confidence you need to navigate the stressors and uncertainty that is life in universities just now.
Join us to discover practical insights and a compassionate community that empowers you to thrive, no matter what lies ahead.
What You’ll Gain
✅ Practical strategies to manage career transitions and the turbulence that often goes with them with confidence
✅ Expert insights from professionals who really get where you are coming from
✅ A supportive community of like-minded women facing similar changes
Tuesday 1 April 2025, 12:30-13:30 BST
Beat Burnout, Conquer Overwhelm, and Rediscover Your Purpose
🎙 Anna Schaffner, Coach and Writer
Many of us are affected by the psychological repercussions of uncertainty, overwork, lack of appreciation, and loss of motivation in academia. Together, we will look at the latest burnout science and core reasons for burnout in the HE sector. You will learn its key causes and how to spot its symptoms in yourself and others. We will also explore some strategies for using your time and energy more wisely – both at work and at home.
Anna Katharina Schaffner is a burnout and exhaustion coach and a writer. She used to be a Professor of Cultural History at the University of Kent. She is the author of Exhausted: An A-Z for the Weary (Profile, 2024), Exhaustion: A History (Columbia University Press, 2016) and The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths (Yale University Press, 2021).
Her writing has appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, the LA Review of Books, Psychology Today, PositivePsychology, AEON and PSYCHE. Her research has been discussed in national and international media, including on BBC Radio 4 and WBUR, as well as in Vogue, the Atlantic, the Financial Times, National Geographic, Philosophie Magazine, Psychologies, the TLS and New Republic.
Tuesday 8 April 2025, 12:30-13:30 BST
Elevate and Update: Crafting a CV & LinkedIn Profile That Stands Out
🎙 Anne Wilson, Freelance Consultant
Did you know that some HE institutions have removed the requirement to complete an application form, placing more emphasis on the CV? So why not take the opportunity to update and strengthen yours? And whilst you are doing this why not improve and strengthen your LinkedIn profile?
Key questions to reflect on: What do you want others to know about you? How can you make the most of the platform to extend your connections and increase your visibility? We know that navigating change can be challenging and unsettling. Yet change creates an opportunity to consider your position. While some aspects of change may be beyond your control, you get to decide how to present yourself and how you manage your visibility.
This session will explore how to:
Create a strong CV that reflects your capabilities and potential.
Leverage LinkedIn to build a strong professional presence and network.
Anne Wilson, SFHEA is a freelance trainer and career coach with many years’ experience in leadership roles, most recently as Head of Careers at the University of Warwick. She is a qualified level 7 careers consultant and coach, a Strengths and MBTI practitioner, a freelance trainer for ‘Springboard’, the award-winning women’s development programme. She is also lead trainer for the AGCAS Leadership programme and in 2024 was awarded the President’s medal for her contribution as a trainer, mentor and for her blog. Anne created her Blog - The Career Catalyst to support staff working in Higher Education to explore career development and career change. You can sign up here for her weekly posts.
Tuesday 6 May 2025, 12:30-13:30 BST
Beyond the University: Building a Thriving Consultancy with Your Skills
🎙 Karen Heard-Laureote, Professional Mentoring and Consultant
Unlock the freedom of freelance consulting after your university career! Join us for an insightful webinar designed specifically for professionals transitioning from university roles to thriving independent consulting careers. Discover practical strategies to leverage your expertise, build a robust client base, and navigate the challenges of a freelance lifestyle. Whether you’re considering this transition or are already taking your first steps, this webinar will provide you with insight and experience to turn your experience into a fulfilling freelance career.
Karen Heard-Lauréote is a highly experienced higher education consultant, mentor, and academic leader with over 20 years in the sector. She specialises in strategic change, leadership development, and academic career transitions. As the founder of KHL Consulting Ltd Karen supports individuals and institutions working through complex challenges, helping them to build resilience and confidence in times of uncertainty. Having navigated an abrupt and unexpected career change herself, she understands the challenges firsthand and the power of community and support in rebuilding and thriving in new opportunities.
Tuesday 13 May 2025, 12:30-13:30 BST
From Fear to Freedom: Embracing the Unpredictable
🎙 Maria Kukhareva, Leadership & Culture Consultant and Coach
Even the most unsettling change can hold great potential for transformation. When the future feels uncertain, we are more likely to give into our feelings of fear, anxiety and disempowerment. Yet it's more important than ever to stay connected to your own resilient capacity, to get through a difficult time. We will explore tools and techniques that help navigate transitions and uncertainty, with ease and hope.
Dr Maria Kukhareva is an organisational change and culture consultant and executive coach. After a 20+ year long career in the UK Higher Education sector, Maria now works independently. Her area of expertise is in human resilience, psychological safety and belonging. As a certified Transitional Intelligence (TQ) coach, Maria helps women navigate career and personal transitions.
How to Join:
Simply click the links above to register to attend the sessions that resonate most with you. If you want further information contact Christina.
This is your chance to gain clarity, build resilience, and take proactive steps toward a future that feels right for you. You don’t have to navigate this alone—we’re here to support you.
Register now and take the first step toward a new future!