Forum tackles women's route to top

The business performance conference has attracted companies from across the UK to the event, which takes place on September 23 at Harewood House, near Leeds.

The conference will address the under-representation of women in the UK's boardrooms and has attracted support from major corporates from around the country.

Heather Jackson, founder of the Women's Business Forum, said: "This event is not about gender or diversity, it's about business performance. It is not an event that will encourage positive discrimination as we believe that women should be promoted because of their ability and skills rather than by gender."

The event features speakers including Andy Hornby, group chief executive of Alliance Boots, Kate Bostock, chief executive and executive director of clothing for Marks & Spencer, Collette Dunkley, global head of marketing and communications for Barclays Wealth, Ruth Sealy from Cranfield School of Management, Asda chief financial officer Judith Mckenna and former MP Virginia Bottomley, who is currently director of executive search firm Odgers Berndtson.

For more details, visit www.thewomensbusinessforum.co.uk. or call 0845 6048183.