AFPA Trust IWD Lunch champions women, confidence and community

The AFPA Trust International Women’s Day Lunch returned yesterday to the elegant surroundings of the Royal Overseas League, bringing together professionals from across the asset finance community to celebrate the achievements of women in the sector while raising funds for charity.

Hosted in support of Teens Unite Fighting Cancer, the event combined inspiring speakers, thoughtful conversation and a specially curated menu by Irini Tzortzoglou, winner of MasterChef. A raffle held during the lunch raised £3,200 for the charity, with the draw conducted by returning guest and long-time AFPA Trust supporter Denise Nurse.

The afternoon opened with a welcome from Aysha Ellis-Aziz, Deputy Chair of the AFPA Trust, alongside AFPA Trust Trustee Jane Bird, who encouraged those attending to embrace the spirit of the day.

Jane Bird told the room: “Let this year be the year we stop shrinking and find our voice.”

Aysha Ellis-Aziz reflected on the importance of community within the sector, saying: “Events like the AFPA Trust IWD lunch remind us of the strength of the community we’ve built within asset finance. It’s a unique opportunity to pause and recognise the incredible contributions women make to this sector every day. By bringing us all together for such a great cause, AFPA Trust ensures that as our industry grows, so does our commitment to supporting and inspiring one another.”

Finding confidence and using your voice

The first keynote address came from Tamsin Napier-Munn, founder of Raw Talks Academy, whose talk focused on confidence, self-belief and activating one’s voice.

Drawing on her own experiences of struggling with confidence since childhood, Napier-Munn explained that confidence is rarely something we inherit – it is something we build.

Her message centred on closing the confidence gap and encouraging women to “activate who you are” rather than trying to change themselves.

She urged the audience to become catalysts in their own careers, encouraging them to remove the “handbrake” that often holds women back professionally.

Napier-Munn also highlighted the connection between body language and mindset, explaining how positivity, energy and physical presence can influence confidence. She encouraged attendees to speak with certainty, trust their instincts and challenge the negative “what if” thinking that can limit ambition.

Among the practical tools she shared was the idea of pressing the “Sod It Button” – a three-step activation process of awareness, activation and action designed to help people move beyond hesitation and take opportunities when they arise.

Her closing message to the room was clear:

Change the way you look at things
Flip the script
Remove the armour and trust yourself
Use your voice and leave nothing important unsaid
Back yourself and take risks

“You are one ‘sod-it’ button away from a completely different life,” she told the audience.

*Left to right: Jane Bird, Aysha Ellis-Aziz, Tamsin Napier-Munn, Roxanne Lawrance, Karen Millen, Julie Warren.*

An entrepreneurial journey in fashion

The second conversation of the afternoon featured renowned fashion designer Karen Millen OBE, interviewed by AFPA Trust Deputy Chair Julie Warren.

Millen spoke candidly about building her globally recognised fashion brand from humble beginnings. Growing up in a working-class family, she discovered her creativity early and began sewing clothes herself after being inspired by her impeccably dressed headmistress and encouraged by teachers to pursue a fashion apprenticeship.

Starting with a £100 loan to buy white cotton fabric, she and her then-partner created a small shirt collection, selling pieces through informal clothes parties before opening their first shop in Maidstone. Without a formal business plan, the brand grew organically as they learned along the way.

Within a decade, the business had expanded significantly, eventually reaching 130 stores worldwide after Millen sold her remaining stake in 2004. She later received an OBE in 2007 for services to the fashion industry – an honour she initially felt she had not earned alone, emphasising that success had been the result of a strong team.

Millen also spoke about the importance of resilience, balance and self-care, particularly while building a business and raising three children. Today she remains active in creative projects, including working on a new venture with her daughter that brings her back to her roots in fashion design.

Alongside her career, Millen is also a co-founder of Teens Unite Fighting Cancer, the chosen charity for the IWD lunch and a charity she has supported for nearly two decades.

Food, community and giving back

Guests were treated to a menu curated by Irini Tzortzoglou, whose cooking philosophy celebrates the idea that “good food gives you good confidence.”

Her Mediterranean-inspired dishes helped create a relaxed atmosphere for networking and reflection.

The event also highlighted the broader work of the AFPA Trust, which supported 45 charities during 2025 raising a total £160,398 (including the annual Christmas Lunch at The IOD where AFPA Trust supports the main organiser IAA Advisory), reinforcing its commitment to giving back alongside championing diversity and inclusion across the asset finance industry.

AFPA Trust Chair Robert Taylor reflected on the significance of the event:

“The International Women’s Day Lunch has become one of the most inspiring moments in the AFPA Trust calendar. It brings together people from across the asset finance community to inclusively celebrate the achievements of women in our industry while supporting charities that make a real difference to society. The energy in the room shows just how powerful this community can be when we come together with a shared purpose.”

Looking ahead, the 2027 AFPA Trust International Women’s Day Lunch will return to the Royal Overseas League on 4 March 2027, continuing what has become a flagship celebration of leadership, confidence and community within the sector.

If you are not an AFPA Trust Charity Partner, please reach out to Robert Taylor or any of the AFPA Trustees to be able to secure your place at this and other AFPA Trust events in 2026 and 2027.