The co-owner and chair of Port Vale Football Club, Carol Shanahan OBE, is set to headline this year’s Women in Business Day at the Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Festival.
The event, taking place on Thursday, 19 March, at St Giles’ Church, forms part of the free five-day festival which runs from 16 to 20 March.
Carol will open the day with a keynote address reflecting on the realities of football club ownership and the impact of the club’s charitable arm, the Port Vale Foundation.
She said: “I’m delighted to have been invited to speak at this year’s business festival. Life as a football club owner is certainly never dull, and we’ve seen first-hand over the last six years how a football club can be a force for good, supporting health, education and inclusion right across Staffordshire.”
Also speaking during the Women in Business programme are Hannah Ault, chief executive of Valentine Clays, and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce deputy president Ramona Hirschi of Belvoir Stoke-on Trent, while Josie Vujcic, of community interest company Nelly’s Nest, will share insights into the neurodiverse community.
The day will be hosted by Sonya Farrall of BabaBaboon, and a number of female-led SMEs will be exhibiting at the venue.
The Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Festival was launched in March 2025 through a partnership between Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and PH Productions. Backed by funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the festival brings together businesses, speakers and organisations for a week of networking events, workshops and panel discussions across venues in and around the town.
For 2026, organisers have introduced a dedicated mobile app, enabling attendees to book sessions and browse the full programme.
Pete Herbert, of PH Productions, said: “We are really excited for what is going to be a jam-packed week of business networking, collaborations and inspirational speakers.
“There will also be a whole host of workshops taking place throughout the week and with thanks to support from the Borough Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund each day is free for businesses to attend.”
The festival opens on Monday, 16 March, with Dr James Bannerman delivering a keynote on creative thinking. Other speakers include David Beech, CEO of Knights; Steve Timmis of Sempar; and Alistair Machin of Chaffinch and Ravenscliffe Workspaces.
Peter the Speaker, of Dragons’ Den fame, will present on Business & Networking Day, while the closing Creative & Digital Industries Day will feature Clare Wood of the British Ceramics Biennial and creative consultant and cultural adviser Sud Basu as part of a panel exploring culture and the economy.
The event is free but registration is required for workshops and business events. The Shaping the Future Festival app can be downloaded from Apple and Google Play.
