A year of strong foundations, particularly in setting up our digital future.
The Institute of Leadership AGM 2026: Key updates & appointments
The Institute of Leadership Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026 brought our membership community together to reflect on a year of progress and look ahead to the future. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the decisions that will shape the future of The Institute.
Key updates and new appointments from AGM 2026
Strategic updates
A major focus for the previous year was the digital transformation project, a significant undertaking to ensure The Institute of Leadership remains relevant and forward-looking. This project involved an overhaul of systems, both internally and externally, to improve operations, efficiency and the member experience. This year-long initiative required upfront investment and a sustained effort from the entire IoL Team, and the positive effects and impact of these changes are now beginning to emerge, laying a stronger foundation for the future.
In 2025, we also acquired ABE, the not-for-profit skills development specialist and Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation, forming part of the broader strategic changes taking place, with benefits for both The Institute and ABE beginning to take shape.
Emrys Green, IoL, Chair of the Board
Key achievements
2025 saw the revamp of The Institute of Leadership’s quarterly leadership journal, EDGE, and the launch of EDGE Online, improving accessibility of this invaluable leadership insight resource, available to all members, anytime, anywhere.
The Institute’s annual conference, Leadership Live 2025, brought together members for a day filled with learning, energy and thought-provoking discussion. The conference was a resounding success, welcoming both members and non-members from the leadership community and offering expert-led talks and interactive workshops to attendees.
What is the role of the Board of The Institute of Leadership?
The Board is responsible for The Institute's strategic direction, ensuring that business is conducted in accordance with our charitable aims, and monitoring our operations and overall performance. This matters to our members because the Board plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of The Institute, ensuring we continue to deliver relevant, high-quality support, resources and opportunities that meet the evolving needs of our leadership community.
Welcoming our new board members
We extend a very warm welcome to our newest trustees who join the Board for the upcoming term: Hannah Mitchell and Oliver Rendell. Their expertise and commitment will strengthen The Institute of Leadership as we continue to support and inspire the leadership community.
Hannah Mitchell
IoL, Board Member
Oliver Rendell
IoL, Board Member
Hannah brings financial leadership, strategic insight and a track record of improving performance and effectiveness. As well as being a champion for digital innovation, Hannah helps the Institute deliver real value for every member, caring deeply about developing people and teams.
As a Fellow, Advocate of the Year and active contributor to Institute events, Oliver cares deeply about our members and mission. With experience as a charity Chair, he brings strong governance, sound judgement and a collaborative approach to help the Institute grow, innovate and inspire leadership everywhere.
Hannah Mitchell
IoL, Board Member
Hannah brings financial leadership, strategic insight and a track record of improving performance and effectiveness. As well as being a champion for digital innovation, Hannah helps the Institute deliver real value for every member, caring deeply about developing people and teams.
Oliver Rendell
IoL, Board Member
As a Fellow, Advocate of the Year and active contributor to Institute events, Oliver cares deeply about our members and mission. With experience as a charity Chair, he brings strong governance, sound judgement and a collaborative approach to help the Institute grow, innovate and inspire leadership everywhere.
We also say a fond farewell to Lyn Paxman, who has served as a trustee for the past two years. Lyn has been deeply involved in The Institute’s development during her tenure, and we wish her all the best.
Looking ahead - what’s next for The Institute of Leadership
This year, we will continue to multiply our efforts, from evolving our trustee induction process to strengthening our focus on sustainability across the organisation.
Impact on our members and the wider leadership community remains at the heart of everything we do at The Institute of Leadership, with many exciting developments in the pipeline.
Continued commitment to our members
International Leadership Week 2026 brought to life our theme for the coming year: engagement with our community. We will be providing more opportunities for members to meet one another in person, and empowering members around the country and beyond to participate and, if they want to, host these events.
As the heart of our community, we want members to feel involved, informed, and connected to everything we do. With this in mind, we’ll also be directly sharing more about our activities, including the important partnerships that contribute to our mission.
It is your Institute.
John Mark Williams, CEO
We are also refreshing the content we share with you, including white papers, leadership reports and newsletters, to ensure members always have access to the most relevant and useful insights. Leadership Live and The Leadership Awards will be combined into a single, streamlined, high-impact event.
Supporting the wider leadership community
At The Institute of Leadership, our external impact on the future of leadership is just as important as the support we provide to our members. A key challenge facing the leadership community is the number of individuals early in their careers who are stepping into leadership roles without the support they need. Through our outreach and partnerships, we aim to equip these emerging leaders with the skills and confidence to navigate the demands of leadership and succeed in their roles.
Our Leadership Grant Fund will go live for 2026. In previous years, we have awarded ten grants of £5,000. This year, we are proud to announce that we will be offering five grants of £10,000, enabling larger-scale interventions with deeper and longer-lasting impact.
Thank you to our community
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our members, Board, and team for their continued efforts and contributions to The Institute of Leadership. Your engagement, insight and commitment are what makes our community so strong.
Together, we are building a connected and human-focused leadership community, and we are grateful to everyone who plays a part in shaping The Institute’s future.
As we move forward, we remain committed to supporting and inspiring great leadership everywhere. With new voices joining our Board and a strong community of passionate leaders behind us, the future is full of opportunity.