Pan Macmillan hosts women's leadership breakfast with Angela Merkel

Pan Macmillan chief executive Joanna Prior hosted a women’s leadership breakfast with Angela Merkel on Wednesday (4th December) to mark the publication of her memoir, Freedom (Macmillan). During the dinner, the former chancellor of Germany spoke about self-belief and her journey to the chancellorship, as she became the first female chancellor in 2005, telling the guests: "A lot of people thought that I was an accident somehow".

She also reflected on her 16-year tenure at the top of German politics and emphasised the importance of learning step-by-step and fact-based decision making. She also acknowledged the gender disparity in top leadership positions globally, and noted how important networks that support women’s advancement and overcoming the needs to be liked are, adding: "If somebody senses you want to be liked, you let them participate in your emotions."

Merkel also spoke about how vital the arts are to civic culture, saying: "You can end a lot of solutions to problems by looking to art."

Merkel’s memoir was released on 26th November this year.

The event, which took place at the Lanesborough Hotel in London, was also attended by guests including: BBC Europe editor Katya Adler; BBC broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett; Professor Sarah Gilbert DBE, the co-developer of the Oxford AstraZeneca covid vaccine; 27th prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard; Jude Kelly, c.e.o. of the Women of the World (WOW) foundation; Afua Kyei, c.f.o. of the Bank of England; journalist and "The News Agents" co-presenter Emily Maitlis; Jenny Mollica, c.e.o. of ENO and London Coliseum; Alison Noble OBE, Technikos Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering; Juliet Stevenson CBE actor and narrator of Freedom in audiobook; and former first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.