Meet the panellists 

Yasmin Qureshi MP
Yasmin Qureshi is the MP for Bolton Southeast and Shadow Women and Equalities Minister. Yasmin was elected to Parliament in 2010, during that time she has served as Shadow International Development Minister where she oversaw scrutiny of the UK Government’s agenda in South Asia, on gender equality and good governance.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
Computer scientist and STEM pioneer Anne-Marie was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level computing, and was just 20 when she received her Masters Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford.

It is this wealth of experience and pioneering spirit that led her to co-found the Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors.

Eoghan O'Lionaird
Eoghan O’Lionaird joined the UK’s leading family-owned building, development and property services company, Wates Group, as Chief Executive in February 2023, and sits on the Group’s Board and Executive Committee. He was previously Chief Executive of FTSE-listed marine services company James Fisher and Sons plc and has held executive roles at Spectris plc, Danaher Corporation, Philips and Mitsui Kinzoku. Eoghan is fluent in Irish and Japanese, and has Bachelor and Masters degrees in engineering  as well as an MBA. As Chief Executive, he is committed to increasing diversity both within Wates, and the built environment sector, and to creating an inclusive environment for a better, more sustainable, and more successful business.

Alesha De-Freitas (Moderator)
Alesha is Fawcett’s Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy. Working on ground-breaking research and developing evidence-based policies that truly centre the voices and experiences concerning women today.

Alesha's background is in economic, regulatory and trade policy. Prior to joining Fawcett, she worked in the Civil Service for 15 years, most recently in the Department for Business as Deputy Director for Competition Policy. In 2017, Alesha was awarded an MBE for services to the digital single market.