Tell us a little bit about your network
Fractio Vitri, which is known as FV, was founded in the summer of 2015 by Keily Blair and Claudia Buffini to encourage young women to be ambitious about their careers and to develop positive responses to the challenges they may face in the workplace. Following Harriet Sassoon joining the team in October 2015, FV launched its first event. As the network grew, Laura Salisbury-Jones was invited to join the FV executive committee in January 2016.
FV is focused on junior and middle management women, from undergraduates to women under 35 working or, hoping to work, in the City. We have over 500 members from a variety of sectors ranging from large corporates to professional services, marketing, consulting, energy, defence, STEM industries and the public and voluntary sectors.
What is your network’s prime objective?
Our prime objectives are to build and sustain the female talent pipeline and to address the issue of attrition of women working in the City.
How is your network helping women to progress in the workplace?
We achieve our objectives by:
- Hosting networking events to encourage a sense of unity and support across a range of industries.
- Providing interactive skills seminars focused on empowering young women to enhance their skills and career prospects.
- Creating an online community and presence to enable the sharing of commentary, ideas and thought leadership.
Tell us about your events?
We host quarterly events on a variety of topics from personal impact to networking skills, from building charisma to maximizing your performance review. Our speakers are inspirational women and men, who have achieved great things in their own right and are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with our members.
Our events are generally free of charge and open to all, save for where we need to cover the costs of materials.
What should we expect if we join?
Expect to have your thinking challenged. We enjoy new ideas and our speakers are people who have achieved great success while maintaining their sense of self in the workplace. We will aim to help you to be the best “you” that you can be.
You should also expect to make real connections. Most of our members have attended more than one event and participation on our website, blog. LinkedIn group and twitter feed is encouraged.
How do our members join your network, is there a fee?
Our network is free to join and industry agnostic. You can join our mailing list by filling out the contact page on our website www.fractiovitri.com. We also have a presence on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and we would love you to get involved and join the conversation.
What advice would you give to anyone who is joining a network for the first time?
Do your research; there are a lot of good networks out there and you need to find the right network for you. Join a network that can provide you with support in your current role and will encourage you to stretch yourself.
Any top tips for new networkers? Why is building your network important?
Business is relational; commit to one or two networks and cultivate your contacts through those networks. If you spread yourself too thin, it will be harder to have an impact and to build meaningful relationships and contacts.
Finally, what’s next for your network?
We will stay true to our mission statement and continue to host events which challenge conventional thinking and support women in their careers in the City. We look forward to hosting a two part event on Resilience and Bravery in the workplace this autumn and a speed networking event with City Women Network early next year. We will continue to engage talented women in the conversation about how to be ambitious in the workplace and to provide peer support to enable women to learn, grown and create meaningful business relationships.
