Crowne Plaza, Winnersh nr Reading
Thursday 24th – Friday 25th September
approx finish 12.30 pm
Don’t miss this opportunity to boost your career with expert-led sessions and networking opportunities.
Two free places per organisation
What better way to end the first day of Empower than by extending summer just a little longer?
This year’s gala dinner has a glorious 70s feel.
Think Mamma Mia, think sunshine and sequins, think an era when the music was irresistible and the good times rolled. Our guests from across the FISCAL community will come together in the Buckingham Suite for an evening of celebration, great food, and live entertainment we think you’ll absolutely love.
Throughout the evening, we’ll be presenting our Customer Awards, a wonderful way to punctuate dinner with proud moments that recognise the people and achievements that have made this year truly stand out.
And to close the night? Our sensational ABBA tribute band takes to the stage. Enjoy every anthem from the comfort of your table, and if you feel the urge to sing along, we absolutely encourage it.
If you’ve got a pair of flares gathering dust at the back of the wardrobe, a sequinned top, or anything that screams 1970s, now is absolutely the time to dust them off. Going full 70s is entirely optional, but very much encouraged, and guaranteed to raise a smile. And with a prize up for grabs for the best dressed guest of the evening, who knows, those flares might just be your winning ticket. Come as you are or come as Agnetha or Bjorn. Either way, you’ll fit right in.
Pete Ashcroft is a senior learning strategist, facilitator, and presenter with 17 years of experience designing and delivering programmes that change how people think, decide, and lead.
Pete has worked with some of the world’s most demanding organisations. His client portfolio spans financial services, energy, retail, professional services, and consumer goods, including HSBC, Barclays, PwC, Centrica and Tesco.
Uncertainty Experts facilitation
Pete is one of the lead facilitators on Uncertainty Experts a leadership programme built on the science of uncertainty tolerance. He has presented and facilitated the programme for senior cohorts across global organisations. His sessions move between keynote delivery, live cohort facilitation, and Leadership Lab workshops – translating complex behavioural science into practical tools leaders can use the same day. His facilitation approach is grounded in the programme’s core science but adapted to feel immediate, human, and relevant to the room.
Pete works across a wide range of subject areas. He is equally at home facilitating a compliance roleplay simulation for 40 global directors as he is leading a session on DEI, culture change, or leadership communication. He has designed and overseen actor-led experiential learning events for organisations including Barclays, run manager capability programmes for Royal Mail around some of the toughest workplace conversations and built change leadership content for audiences navigating large-scale organisational transformation.
His style is direct, warm, and intellectually curious. He does not lecture. He creates conditions where people think differently, challenge their assumptions, and leave with a clear sense of what to do next
