Name: Peer Coaching: Sponsorship in Action (EMEA)
Start: 2026-04-21T11:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-04-21T12:00:00+01:00

EMEA

Peer Coaching: Sponsorship in Action

Sponsorship is not theoretical. It is shaped in real decisions and visible moments of leadership.

This session is where you pressure-test your approach, alongside leaders who understand what advocacy truly requires.

This Global Community session brings Rising Leaders and WeQual Executives together for a focused working forum on sponsorship in action.

You’ve explored how sponsorship shapes opportunity. Now the question is: how deliberately are you building it?

Many leaders understand relationships conceptually but hesitate when navigating organizational dynamics. Where should you invest? When should you signal ambition? How do you move from connection to creating credible advocacy? This session addresses those questions directly.

In structured, facilitated small groups, Rising Leaders will bring real challenges and receive direct input from peers and Executives with lived experience of sponsoring talent at senior levels. Aligned to C for Connection within WeQual’s Inclusive Leadership Framework, the emphasis is practical and outcome focused.

It is also a rare cross-level forum, where Executives share candid insight into what earns advocacy, and Rising Leaders refine their positioning in real time.

Come prepared to contribute, challenge your thinking, and leave with a clear next move.

Open to all WeQual Executives and Rising Leaders.

Takeaways

Pressure-test your sponsorship strategy with senior insight
Gain candid executive perspective on what earns advocacy
Refine how you position ambition and visibility
Identify one concrete sponsorship action
Strengthen meaningful cross-level relationships within the WeQual Global Community

Emma Hicks

WeQual

SVP, Product & Learning

Emma is an experienced strategic leader specializing in professional development at
C-suite and senior management levels. With over 20 years’ experience across global sectors, she brings deep expertise in leadership education and a genuine passion for continuous professional growth.

A Fellow and Advisory Board Member of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), Emma also holds certifications from the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and previously served on the Education Committee of the European Confederation of Directors Associations (ecoDa).

Before joining WeQual, Emma spent nearly a decade with the IoD, shaping the strategic direction of its global executive programs, including the prestigious Chartered Director qualification. She later joined HR technology company Connectr, first as interim COO and then as Chief Commercial Officer, leading its mission to build more inclusive leadership pipelines.

Earlier in her career, Emma held senior roles with Reed Learning, designing and delivering internationally recognized qualifications for more than 100 corporate and academic partners.

At WeQual, Emma leads the global membership and program function. Creating communities where senior leaders connect, reflect, and develop through shared experience. Her work aligns with her core purpose: Helping individuals achieve their career goals and enabling organizations to succeed through inclusive, effective leadership.

Outside of work, Emma has a young family — Joshua (10), Jasmine (7), and Monty the cockapoo (3) — who keep her active, grounded, and grateful.