International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Whilst 8 March is the official date, Shannon Chamber is hosting this special event on 5 March to enable our members to come together to ‘Give to Gain’ – the theme of International Women’s Day 2026.
Join us on 5 March to mark International Women’s Day, as we come together under the theme “Women Captains of Industry: Leading with Heart” – an event that invites us to step into a more human, connected way of leading.
The day will be moderated by Marie Power, Head of Leadership Development at Uppercut, a high-performance consultancy focused on supporting and coaching leaders, teams and organisations to achieve the extraordinary. Marie will share her personal journey with self-doubt, and how reframing it through a continuous improvement lens became a powerful catalyst for growth. Drawing on her transition from a 20-year industry career into consultancy, she will reflect on the courage required to embrace uncertainty, back yourself, and lead with intention challenging traditional narratives around confidence and redefining leadership as something shaped through vulnerability, values, resilience, and sustained high performance.
At the heart of the event is a remarkable panel of women CEOs, offering a rare opportunity to hear directly from women who have made it to the very top of their organisations. Through open and honest conversation, they will share candid reflections and hard-won wisdom from behind the scenes of leadership speaking to courage, identity, balance, and decision-making under pressure. Their insights, shaped by lived experience at the highest levels, offer inspiration, perspective, and learning that cannot be found in textbooks only through the realities of leading at the top.
Through bringing together senior leaders, talented professionals, and students from local schools, this event will create the space for women to discuss the real-life challenges they are currently facing, and learn from one another and from the industry leaders in the room.
The programme will also feature an Emerging Leaders Panel, where rising talent will share fresh perspectives and leadership aspirations. Speaking candidly about opportunity, ambition, and self-belief, they will offer insight into the evolving expectations of leadership and what it means to lead with purpose in a rapidly changing world.
By attending ‘Women Captains of Industry: Leading with Heart’, you will:
- Reframe self-doubt as a driver of growth
- Gain insight into leadership at the highest level
- Understand how vulnerability, values, and resilience strengthen leadership
- Explore future leadership expectations
- Develop greater clarity and confidence in your own leadership journey
- Build meaningful professional connections
Panel 1
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Marie Clifford, MD, ATC
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Caroline Dunlea, CEO, Core Optimisation
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Denise Mangan Fahy, CEO, SES
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Marianne Checkley, CEO, Kinia
Panel 2 will be announced shortly……
This event, offering mentoring, brainstorming and meaningful exchange, is ‘free of charge’.
Spaces will be limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
Registration from 8:30am
