Women in Power Insights | July 2026
At our inaugural Women in Power Supper Club, a group of senior female leaders gathered at The Ivy, Tower Bridge for an evening of conversation, connection, and debate.
Around the table were CEOs, Chief People Officers, founders, strategists, marketers, and operational leaders. There were no presentations, no keynote speakers, and no formal networking.
Just a room full of experienced leaders exploring the questions shaping modern leadership, from AI and DEI to career transitions, organisational change, and the future of work. No one came to persuade. Everyone came to contribute.
The result wasn’t consensus. It was something far more valuable: honest debate, fresh perspectives and meaningful connections.
Table of Contents
Why We Created the Women in Power Supper Club
Women in Power is Career Moves Group’s leadership community for female leaders. Created to foster meaningful connections and conversations, it brings together experienced leaders from across industries to share ideas, challenge perspectives and learn from one another.
The Supper Club is the latest evolution of that vision. The concept was born from a conversation with our co-host, Jodi Cartwright, Board Advisor at Tint Financial and former CCO of Simply Business, who recognised the value of creating an intimate space where senior women from different disciplines could come together for the kind of honest, peer-to-peer conversations that rarely happen in day-to-day leadership life.
In a world where so much professional interaction takes place in meetings, on LinkedIn or at large networking events, the Supper Club offers something different: an intimate setting where experienced leaders can explore ideas, challenge assumptions and discuss the opportunities and complexities shaping the future of work.
The real value wasn’t found in everyone agreeing. It came from the diversity of perspectives around the table. Leaders from different functions, sectors and backgrounds brought very different views on the opportunities and challenges facing organisations today.
AI: Is It Reducing Bias or Reinforcing It?
Artificial intelligence quickly became one of the evening’s most debated topics amongst the female leaders gathered around the table.
The discussion around recruitment and talent assessment proved particularly compelling. Several attendees shared examples of organisations using AI tools to review CVs and identify candidates, with some suggesting that AI could potentially assess candidates more objectively than humans in certain situations.
But that immediately raised a more complex question.
Can AI ever truly be unbiased if it is trained on historical data that reflects existing human prejudice?
The room was divided. While some saw AI as an opportunity to reduce unconscious bias in hiring decisions, others questioned whether technology could simply automate and scale the biases that already exist within systems and organisations.
The conversation also touched on the wider impact AI is having on the workforce. The discussion also touched on the growing phenomenon of “job hugging”: where employees become increasingly reluctant to move roles amid uncertainty about how AI may reshape jobs and organisational structures.
There was broad agreement on one point: leaders have a responsibility to ensure AI is implemented thoughtfully, rather than assuming technology alone will solve complex human challenges.
Rather than reaching a conclusion, the discussion highlighted something more important: organisations need leaders who understand both the opportunities and the limitations of AI.
Is LinkedIn Losing Its Authenticity?
From AI, the conversation naturally turned to LinkedIn.
Several attendees reflected on how dramatically the platform has changed in recent years. What was once viewed as a place for genuine professional networking and thought leadership is increasingly being perceived as an echo chamber dominated by algorithm-driven content.
The group discussed how LinkedIn’s algorithm appears to reward content similar to what users themselves post, rather than content aligned to their interests. Others spoke about AI-generated content and comments flooding feeds, creating what one attendee described as a cycle of “AI feeding AI.”
For many around the table, there was a sense that some of the authenticity that characterised the platform before and during the pandemic has diminished.
Ironically, this discussion reinforced the purpose of the Supper Club itself. In a world of increasing digital noise, meaningful relationships are still built through genuine human conversation.
Has DEI Reached a Turning Point?
Perhaps the most powerful and emotional discussion of the evening centred on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Many leaders acknowledged concerns that DEI has moved from being a strategic priority to becoming an increasingly polarised topic. Several attendees questioned whether organisations are retreating from commitments made just a few years ago.
What brought the conversation into sharp focus was the willingness of attendees to share their lived experiences. As the discussion unfolded, several reflected on the very real impact organisational culture can have on people’s careers, wellbeing, and sense of belonging.
The discussion served as a reminder that culture is tested not by corporate values statements, but by the everyday decisions organisations make and the behaviours they choose to challenge or overlook.
As the conversation unfolded, leaders reflected on their own responsibility to create environments where diverse talent can thrive and where difficult conversations are not avoided.
The discussion reinforced that while the DEI landscape may be shifting, the business case for diversity of thought, experience and perspective remains compelling.
The Rise of Portfolio Careers and NED Ambitions
Alongside discussions about organisational change, many of the Women in Power attendees were also thinking about their own next chapter.
Increasingly, senior leaders are exploring career paths beyond traditional executive roles. Conversations focused on portfolio careers, fractional leadership positions and the route into Non-Executive Director appointments.
For some, the question was practical: what should they be doing today to prepare for future opportunities?
For others, it was about learning from women who had already navigated those transitions.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the evening was the willingness of attendees to share honest advice and real-world experiences. Leaders who were further along the journey openly discussed what they had learned, helping others think more strategically about their own future ambitions.
The Power of the Room: Why Peer-to-Peer Conversations Still Matter
Despite the breadth of topics discussed, one theme consistently emerged: the value of women supporting women.
Several attendees commented on the energy in the room and the quality of the conversations. One shared how she introduced two women who could help each other tackle a current leadership challenge. Others described leaving with fresh perspectives, new connections and practical advice they could immediately apply.
For one founder who had transitioned from corporate leadership into business ownership, the opportunity to learn from women who had already travelled that path was particularly valuable.
In her words, the evening reinforced the belief that we are “better together.”
At a time when leadership can often feel isolating, the simple act of bringing experienced women together to share experiences remains incredibly powerful.
What We’re Taking into the Next Women in Power Supper Club
The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. The enthusiasm for the inaugural Women in Power Supper Club confirmed something we’d long suspected. Senior leaders don’t always need another conference, keynote, or networking event.
Sometimes they simply need the time and space to think out loud, challenge one another’s perspectives and learn from people who understand the complexities of leadership.
That’s what we’ll continue to build.
Around the Table: Questions We’re Still Asking
Some conversations don’t end when dessert is served. These were some of the questions that stayed with us…
- Can AI ever be truly objective, or does it simply inherit the biases of the data it’s trained on?
- Has LinkedIn become an echo chamber, and what does that mean for authentic professional relationships?
- How should leaders respond as DEI becomes an increasingly polarised topic?
- What does a successful leadership career look like when it no longer follows a traditional executive path?
- What are the leadership skills organisations will value most over the next five years?
- How do we create workplaces where people (and not just technology) can thrive through change?
We’ll continue exploring these questions through future Women in Power gatherings and future editions of Women in Power Insights.
Because if our inaugural Women in Power Supper Club proved anything, it’s this: some conversations are better had around a dinner table.
Women in Power Supper Club
Because some conversations are better had around a dinner table.
