SSF UK wrapped up its 2025 Leadership Series today with a powerful final event hosted by member organisation Freshfields. The day brought together leaders from across our shared services community to explore how to lead teams more sustainably, with a focus on meaningful conversations, leadership development, and organisational resilience.
The event opened with an introduction to Freshfields and their longstanding commitment to sustainability. As the first international law firm to become a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, Freshfields continues to embed sustainability into its strategy, engaging its people, clients, and the communities it serves. Environment Manager Mikey Bloxham shared key initiatives that are driving the firm’s sustainability agenda, offering valuable insights into how environmental responsibility is being actioned across the organisation.
Next on the agenda was an interactive workshop led by Jason Kingston, Founder of Cube Thinking. Jason’s session demystified sustainable leadership, equipping leaders with a practical toolkit for 2025 and beyond. Through real-world case studies and hands-on exercises, participants gained a deeper understanding of how to lead with agility, purpose, and impact.
Following a delicious networking lunch, Claire Cockcroft, Head of People, Talent & Development at BDO UK, shared BDO’s strategic and inclusive wellbeing journey. Claire highlighted how the organisation’s wellbeing proposition is both centrally driven and locally delivered, ensuring emotional and physical wellbeing are embedded across all levels of the business.
The day concluded with a compelling session from David Horrocks, Director of Research & Development at Peak4, who explored how high-performance cultures are built through data-driven decision-making, personalised coaching, and continuous improvement. His insights into recovery, mental fitness, and resilience drew parallels between elite sports science and workplace wellbeing.
We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all guest speakers and SSF UK Leaders for making the final Leaders Event of 2025 a resounding success. Special thanks to Freshfields for their generous hospitality and for sharing their inspiring sustainability journey.
We look forward to continuing the conversation's at the annual conference this November and cant wait to start planning our SSF UK Leadership series for 2026!!
