School celebrates women's campaigner with Honorary Doctorate

A trailblazer in helping women progress in their careers, who has worked closely with Warwick Business School, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Warwick today.

Vanessa Vallely OBE founded WeAreTheCity in 2008 as a vehicle to help women achieve their full potential in the workplace.

Now, the organisation she started at the height of a successful career in financial services, along with its sister organisation WeAreTechWomen, boasts a membership of 80,000 professional women globally, and helps more than 100 companies to retain and develop their female talent.

It is also behind the annual Rising Star awards, a scheme supported by Warwick Business School that focuses on the achievements of women below senior management and director level.

“I am truly delighted to receive an Honorary Degree from the University of Warwick,” said Vanessa, who upholds a family tradition as the Pearly Queen of The City of London.

“This recognition is not just a personal honour but a testament to the collective efforts of all who strive for greater equity and inclusion in our society.

“It underscores the importance of our shared mission to create opportunities, break down barriers, and uplift voices that have long been unheard.”

Vanessa, who is a visiting lecturer at WBS, will receive the honorary degree as part of a week of graduation ceremonies that saw three WBS alumni return to give speeches.

Wednesday featured Jessica Rasmussen, who graduated with a BSc Management Sciences in 1989, and is Co-Founder and CEO of Two Magnolias Venture Capital, which invests in sustainability and human health solutions start-ups while backing women and ethnically diverse founders.

And on the same day BSc Management graduate Nathan Moore, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Live Tech Games, a mobile gaming start-up that was acquired in 2023 and saw him win Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Midlands Start-Up Awards, also gave a speech at the ceremony at Butterworth Hall in the Warwick Arts Centre.

Meanwhile, Kate Davidson, CEO at funeral services firm Dignity, who studied for an Executive MBA at WBS and was awarded an MBE for leading on 50,000 funeral services during the height of the pandemic, will give a speech to graduates today.

With a career spanning 25 years in banking and finance, Vanessa ‘gave up the day job’ to devote all of her time to empowering women worldwide.

In 2010, she founded Gender Networks, uniting diversity leaders from various sectors to exchange best practices, following this up five years later with WeAreTechWomen to help women working in technology increase their numbers and chances to upskill.

Now running a number of award schemes such as Rising Stars and TechWomen100 plus conferences, Vanessa’s organisations have helped to upskill more than 50,000 women globally.

“Our initiatives are driven by a belief in the transformative power of diversity and the critical need for inclusive leadership,” said Vanessa. “We have witnessed the profound impact of our programmes - from networking events to educational workshops - in fostering a community where women can thrive.

“Our work is far from complete. The challenges that women face are complex and deeply rooted across society. However, every success story and every step forward fuels our resolve.

“We will continue to advocate for gender parity, develop resources that enhance career progression, and create platforms for women to share their stories and expertise.”

Vanessa’s own story started in East London where she grew up on a council estate and left school at 16 before later entering the C-suite. The story is told in a book – Heels of Steel: Surviving and Thriving in the Corporate World – penned by Vanessa in 2013.

In 2018 she was awarded an OBE for services to women and the economy, and has served on several boards, including Prostate UK and Cancer Research UK. Currently, Vanessa holds the role of trustee at MS Together, a charity supporting young adults diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Andy Lockett, Dean of WBS and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, said: “This is well deserved recognition for Vanessa, she has been a tireless campaigner for gender equality and is someone that encapsulates the business school's Change Maker values.

“Vanessa has provided keynote speeches on career-related topics for more than 500 companies worldwide and is one of the most prominent figures in gender equality, regularly consulting with the UK Government and corporate organisations seeking to attract, develop and retain female talent.

“She has accumulated a host of industry awards, including Women in Banking & Finance’s Champion for Women, being named in GQ UK’s Top 100 Connected Women and the Evening Standard’s 1000 Most Influential Londoners.

“We are proud to work with Vanessa on gender equality and welcome her to the Warwick family with this honorary degree.”