Chancellor Karen Blackett CBE, invites you to "Minor Setback, Major Comeback - The Art of Resilience".

Karen Blackett CBE, Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, personally invites you to "Minor Setback, Major Comeback - The Art of Resilience" an event you won't want to miss!

Join us on Thursday 26th February in Portland Building LT1.74 for an inspiring session on bouncing back from setbacks and turning them into triumphs.

Hear from Adrian Green, Jamie Gill, Belinda Brown, Rhamon Agbaje and Maatin Adewunmi- People of the Global Majority (PGM), and experts in their chosen fields. Learn from real-life stories of overcoming obstacles and building resilience.

Whether you're facing challenges or just want to be inspired, this event is for you.

Karen Blackett OBE

Karen Blackett CBE Karen is a proven turnaround CEO with a 30-year track record in value creation, energising teams, creating vibrant cultures and consistently delivering business growth and success. She is the former UK President for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, where she was directly responsible for driving growth in WPP’s second largest market of 13,000 people, and managing revenue of $2 billion. Karen has extensive multinational experience having previously served as EMEA Chief Operating Officer, with key priority markets being Russia, Turkey, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa and Israel.

In 2014, Karen topped The Power List, being the first businesswoman to come in at number 1.

As a long-term champion of the Creative Industry sector, Karen was a Non-Executive Director for Creative UK, a position she held from 2016-2025. Karen was appointed Chancellor of The University of Portsmouth in 2017, the first Alumna to become Chancellor, and was a former Non-Executive Director of The UK Government Cabinet Office.

In 2018, Karen was appointed Race Equality Champion for business by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Karen founded The Black Equity Organisation in 2021, alongside David Lammy MP, David Olusoga OBE, Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, Ric Lewis and Dame Vivian Hunt. BEO is an independent, national Black civil rights organisation created to dismantle systemic racism in Britain, drive generational change and deliver better lived experiences for Black people across the country.

In June 2022, Karen was appointed a Non-Executive Director for Diageo (a FTSE Top 10 company)

Karen has been awarded honorary doctorates from The University of Portsmouth, Southbank University, Reading University, Ravensbourne University and is a Fellow of Kings College London.

In April 2024, Karen was awarded Freedom of the City of London and received a CBE for Services to Advertising and The Creative Industries in the January 2025 King’s New Years honours.

In May 2025, Karen joined The Board of The British Fashion Council, and in June 2025 was appointed Non-Executive Director at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Our special guests

Adrian Green - Our Keynote Speaker

Adrian Green MCGI, MAC Adrian Green is the founder and CEO of pressurepoint and an international leadership coach, facilitator, trainer, and organisational culture consultant (Master COF Certified), with over 20 years’ experience. A former international athlete and advertising executive, he works with clients ranging from founder-led businesses to global brands to enhance leadership, culture, teamwork (including pitch winning teams), and personal performance through raised emotional intelligence and mental toughness.

Adrian’s experience spans entertainment, media and advertising, consumer products, manufacturing, and fintech/RTP. A founder member of the Association for Coaching, he has served on the AC UK Leadership Team and as a secondary school governor. In 2024, Adrian was awarded the Diploma of Membership (MCGI) of the City & Guilds of London Institute for his impactful work with JCB, developing and delivering the world-class sales leadership programme CornerStone, centred on mental toughness. The programme received the Princess Royal Training Award in 2022 and again in 2025.

Belinda Brown

Belinda Brown is a senior business leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping strategy, performance and governance across global organisations.  A Chartered Global Management Accountant, she has held leadership roles at Deloitte, L’Oréal and Diageo, and most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Sephora UK, part of the LVMH Group.

Belinda combines commercial acumen with strategic clarity, having held senior roles spanning finance, risk, ESG and high-stakes stakeholder engagement.  At Diageo, she advised Boards and Executive Committees globally in her positions as Global Audit & Risk Director and Global Investor Relations Director, strengthening governance, controls and corporate narrative.  During her tenure as CFO of Sephora UK, she led financial strategy for a rapidly expanding omnichannel business, enhanced forecasting and decision-making processes, and built high-performing teams to support sustainable growth.

Belinda is widely recognised for her commitment to inclusive leadership and social mobility.  She co-founded Diageo’s REACH network for ethnically diverse colleagues and served as Executive Sponsor for LEAD UK, LVMH’s ERG for ethnically diverse employees.  She has mentored underrepresented talent through organisations such as The Open Private School, Graduate Mentor, Psalt and 100 Allies, championing pathways for individuals from non-traditional backgrounds.

Her contributions have been widely celebrated.  She was recognised by Queen’s University Belfast as an 18-45 Leader, celebrating alumni who drive change in business and society.  She was also named the Number 1 Executive Role Model in the 2025 INvolve Empower Role Model List and ranked among the Top 5 HERoes Executive Role Models 2025.  In addition, she is a 2025 Black British Business Awards finalist, was recognised as a Top 10 Future Leader in the 2020 Ethnicity Awards and was included in the 2019 Timewise Power 50 list, recognising senior leaders succeeding while working flexibly.

Jamie Gill   Rhamon Agbaje

Jamie began his career in architecture before pivoting to finance at Deloitte, where he advised luxury brands and real estate clients. Inspired by LGBTQ+ leaders, he came out during this time. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found a luxury apparel start-up in India, giving him hands-on experience in design and business. Returning to London, Jamie joined a family office investing in British luxury brands and mentored emerging designers through the British Fashion Council. At just 30, he became CEO of ROKSANDA, driving global collaborations and business growth. Today, as an Executive Board member of the British Fashion Council, Jamie champions innovation and mentorship in fashion.

 Rhamon Agbaje

Rahmon is a multi-award winning digital entrepreneur recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30, Campaign Magazine & Hearst Media Week’s 30 Under 30 and Cannes Lions. A KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, he is the co-founder of Loud Parade, an industry leading creative and music production agency pioneering new approaches at the intersection of culture, technology, and advertising for brands.

Maatin Adewunmi

Maatin is a multi award-winning entrepreneur recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 & Cannes Lions. A co-founder of Loud Parade, he creates award winning bespoke compositions for brands with clients including: Samsung, Nike, Lego and JBL.