Name: Sponsorship: How to Gain, How to Pay it Forward
Start: 2026-04-23T08:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-04-23T09:00:00+01:00

Sponsorship: How to Gain, How to Pay it Forward

At senior level, results are expected. Progression depends on who is willing to back you and how deliberately you use your influence to back others.

Progression rarely stalls because of capability. It stalls when advocacy is absent.

Sponsorship is not mentorship. It is the deliberate use of influence when succession and enterprise responsibility are being decided. It determines whose potential sparks opportunity and whose career remains static despite strong performance.

Inside global organizations, advocacy is intentional. Senior leaders choose whom to back and when to spend reputational capital. As responsibility increases, sponsorship becomes part of how leadership itself is evaluated.

In this session, Dawn Jones, retired Vice President of Social Impact and former Chief Diversity Officer at Intel, shares what sponsorship looks like inside a global enterprise. Drawing on extensive executive experience, she reflects on how sponsorship is earned, how advocacy decisions are made behind closed doors, and why well-meaning support often fails when stakes are high.

Hosted by Emma Hicks, SVP, Product and Learning at WeQual, this conversation positions sponsorship as both access and accountability — shaping succession quality, bench strength, and enterprise resilience.

This is not networking. It is earning advocacy support at pivotal moments and using influence responsibly.

Dawn Jones – is the retired Vice President of Social Impact and former President of the Intel Foundation, where she led global initiatives in corporate responsibility, ESG, and community engagement. Over her 28-year career at Intel, she advanced from administrative assistant to senior executive, exemplifying leadership from any seat. Dawn is recognized for building inclusive teams and strategic partnerships that drive lasting organizational and social impact.

Takeaways

After this session, you will be clearer on:

How sponsorship decisions are actually made
Whether you are genuinely backed
What earns senior advocacy at pivotal moments
How to sponsor others with sound judgment that benefits the enterprise

Dawn Jones

Retired Vice President of Social Impact; Retired President, Intel Foundation; Former Chief Diversity Officer, Intel Corporation

Dawn led Intel’s global social impact agenda, spanning corporate social responsibility, public affairs, government affairs, community engagement, corporate philanthropy, and the implementation of environmental, social, and governance strategies. She united cross-functional teams to identify and develop innovative solutions to address social challenges while advancing Intel’s business priorities. Dawn built strong partnerships with employees, customers, governments, and communities, strengthening organizational culture, deepening employee experience, and achieving long-term, sustainable impact. Her 28-year Intel career – from administrative assistant to senior executive – reflects her belief that leadership is defined by contribution, not title. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Communications Management from Syracuse University.

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.