The New Now: Peace & Security | Radical Collaboration and Positive Disruption in an Age of Insecurity
In a world of accelerating crises and widening inequalities, it has never been more important to find a way to work effectively across sectors, and crucially, across generations. Whether it is addressing injustice, reimagining the role of business in society, or protecting the planet, we need to find bold solutions that positively disrupt entrenched systems and unlock transformative change.
We stand at a critical juncture – and the choices we make today will shape the future for generations to come. This is our chance to rebuild something better: a fairer, more effective, and truly inclusive system of global cooperation.
This panel session will unite voices across generations, from emerging leaders to seasoned changemakers, to explore how systems thinking, shared leadership, and radical collaboration across generations can help us build a safer, more prosperous and sustainable future.
Speakers
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Sheetal VyasManaging Director, Virgin UniteSheetal Vyas
Counsellor
Managing Director, Virgin Unite
Sheetal Vyas is Managing Director at Virgin Unite, the independent non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group. She has held director roles focused on strategy, innovation, and investment, including as the founding Executive Director of the International Fund for Public Interest Media and a Director at the Larry Ellison Foundation. Sheetal began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she spent over 20 years working in its private and public sector practices advising clients on: innovation-led strategy; managing public-private partnerships; delivering entrepreneurship programmes; and working in venture capital with technology start-ups. Now based in the UK, Sheetal has lived and worked in India and Zimbabwe and has delivered projects across 25 countries in Asia and Africa.
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Lord Michael HastingsMember of the House of Lords, United KingdomLord Michael Hastings
Counsellor
Member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom
Lord Dr Michael Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE is an Independent Peer in the House of Lords. He is the Chairman of SOAS University, London and the recent Chancellor of Regent's University London; he is the Professor of Leadership at the Stephen R Covey Institute at the Huntsman Business School, USA; a Non-Executive Director at Saxton Bampfylde, the Executive Search firm and also a NED at Cornerstone VC Fund and Chairman of the Pathway Fund – a Dormant Assets affiliate. Lord Hastings was the Global Head of Citizenship for KPMG International from 2006 to 2019 and before that, the BBC’s Head of Public Affairs & then Head of Corporate Responsibility from 1996 to 2006. Lord Hastings was the longest serving Commissioner on the Commission for Racial Equality from 1991 to 2000 and was the founding Chairman of the Black British Initiative now running a hugely successful MBA programme at SOAS University. Lord Hastings has been involved with ONE YOUNG WORLD since its inception – and is now a trustee and member of the Advisory Board. He is also a Vice President of UNICEF and President of the UKCommunity Foundations network. He was conferred with a CBE for his services to crime reduction in 2003 as the Founder and Chair of Crime Concern ( from 1988 to 2009 and subsequently the founder of Catch22 and its VP since 2009) ; an Independent Peerage from HM The Queen in 2005; The UNICEF Global Award in 2005 for his tireless work developing effective positive solutions for Africa’s children; a Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Kent, Canterbury in 2014 in recognition for his leadership at KPMG, the BBC and for his work in international development and corporate responsibility and in 2019 he was the first ever recipient of the Stephen R Covey Leadership Award for a life built on principles and values. Lord Hastings is the co-founder of a unique prisons and prisoner intervention network called MyBrothersKeeper, a cause most dear to his heart.