Meet the speaker
Karen Blackett is a proven business leader with a track record in creating vibrant cultures, energising teams, and consistently delivering business growth and success.
She is currently UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people. Former GroupM UK CEO, Karen was selected to turnaround the business over 2.5 years at a critical time, during the COVID global pandemic and the subsequent impact of the killing of George Floyd.
In June 2014, Karen Blackett received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday honours and topped the Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1.
In November 2022, Karen received Power List’s Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her continued exceptional achievements. In June 2023, Karen was appointed a NED for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company), and was a former NED of The Cabinet Office.
In October 2023, Karen was honoured by INvolve – The Inclusion People’s List and came in at #1 for the Top 100 Women Executives.
Read on to hear more about what you can expect from Karen's talk at the Hackney Headteachers' conference.
Q&A with Karen Blackett
Q: What can we look forward to from your speech at the Headteachers' Conference?
My talk will give a view on how to lead in a VUCA world, where VUCA is a military term now applied to the world of business, where V stands for Volatility, U stands for Uncertainty, C is Complexity and A is ambiguity. The global pandemic has led to a shift in values that people hold dear, and a change in how and where we work.
The talk will focus on how to build trust, and role model inclusive and adaptive leadership, ensuring that people can feel part of a dynamic team and bring their whole selves to work.
Q: How has your extensive experience in the marketing communications industry influenced your approach to dynamic leadership?
Understanding people is key to my role in marketing communications. I have always seen diversity of thought as the solution to growth and creativity. Hence, within all of my roles, I have tried to build an Avengers Assemble of talent in the organisation that I lead. People being able to be their authentic selves, and not feel the need to cover is key.
Q: How do you think the content of your presentation would have impacted you while you were at school?
My presentation would have helped when I was at school by ensuring that I felt that I belonged and could celebrate my differences, especially as an ethnic minority, and as a woman. Knowing that when you learn something new, your performance naturally dips as you get to grips with the new agenda. Fear is normal and manageable.
Want to hear more from Karen?
Learn more about Karen's work at our Hackney Headteachers’ Conference on 22 March 2024.