Women Leading in Business September 2026

Looking to make new connections and speak with other inspiring and aspiring business people?

Looking to make new connections and speak with other inspiring and aspiring business people? At this event you can speak to like-minded business women, discuss your ideas, share your knowledge and expertise. Come along either in-person or online to make new connections in an informal setting.

Rebecca Oliver-Mooney

Rebecca Oliver-Mooney, known as ROM, is the founder of Raising the Glass, an initiative driving inclusivity for women and allies in the drinks industry.

Since 2024 she has built it from a networking idea into a movement of more than 2,500 members, with two podcasts, mentoring programmes, an incubator for women-founded brands, and a challenger trade show that opens doors usually kept closed to smaller, under-represented businesses. She is also the founder of Rewrite the Story, a commercial storytelling and category strategy consultancy serving founders and challenger brands.

Raising the Glass was named Most Empowering Drinks Industry Inclusion Network UK 2025 by LUXLife. ROM was named Agent of Change at the Northern Power Women Awards 2026, and won both Woman of the Year and D&I Champion at the Women in Food and Drink Awards 2026. She is also ranked at number 40 in Drinks Retailing's Top 100 Most Influential in the business list.

Alongside this work, ROM is co-founder of Hey Dan, a universal mental wellbeing movement she built with Matt Bowler-Jones following the loss of his brother Dan in October 2025. Hey Dan exists to normalise checking in on brothers, fathers, uncles, friends and yourself.

A quiet hey can break the loudest silence. Former England and Manchester City footballer David White and former Manchester City Footballer Paul Lake are the movement's ambassadors, and ROM speaks regularly on why women's and men's wellbeing belong in the same conversation, not separate ones.

She sits as a Non-Executive Director of Exchange for Change, the body delivering the UK Deposit Return Scheme, and as Strategy and Insights Director at Hip Pop. Before going independent in January 2026, ROM spent 25 years in FMCG, across Mars, Nestle, Kellogg’s Muller, Biotiful Dairy and most recently as Commercial Director at the Co-op, where she founded the Apiary, an incubator for under-represented and purpose-led challenger brands.

This event will be hosted by MBA alumna Claire-Marie Boggiano, Lurig Change & Development.

Important: photography and videography will be taking place during this event. By registering for and attending the event, you grant Alliance Manchester Business School permission to capture and use photos and videos of your likeness for promotional purposes. If you prefer not to have your image used in any promotional materials, please inform a member of staff upon your arrival.