Women in IP presents
Addressing Pay Inequality in the IP Profession
Tuesday 23 June 2026
12.30 – 1.30 pm, online
This event hosted by Women in IP will bring together professionals to explore the ongoing gender pay gap within the intellectual property sector. The session will feature Nicola Smith, Head of Employee Experience at the UK Intellectual Property Office, who will share insights from her work shaping the organisation’s EDI strategy. She will address structural barriers such as the underrepresentation of women in senior and STEM-focused roles, which continue to influence pay disparities. She will also outline initiatives aimed at improving progression, representation, and workplace culture across the IP profession. The event will conclude with a discussion encouraging attendees to take practical, collective action to close the gender pay gap in IP.
Meet the Speaker
Nicola Smith is the Head of Employee Experience at the UK Intellectual Property Office. She leads the organisation’s strategic approach to employee experience, inclusion and wellbeing, with a focus on understanding how workplace structures, culture and leadership practices shape outcomes for different groups.
Her work brings together organisational listening, people data and lived experience to identify the root causes of inequality and exclusion, including barriers to progression and representation. Nicola works closely with senior leaders and managers to strengthen inclusive leadership capability, embed psychologically safe ways of working, and ensure inclusion and wellbeing are treated as core drivers of organisational high performance rather than “nice to have” additions.
Nicola has extensive experience supporting staff networks and cross‑sector collaboration, and regularly contributes to conversations on gender equality, workplace culture and closing the gender pay gap within the public sector and the wider IP profession.
Who is it for?
IP inclusive events are open to everyone and aim to connect like-minded IP professionals, including marketing, HR, IT, paralegal, recruitment, accounting, patents, trade marks, and whatever level you are at from trainee to senior leader – *everyone* is welcome to attend.
Cost and registration
This event is free. So are all our resources. That said, we do need money to keep the show on the road, so please consider choosing a voluntary donation ticket or making a donation directly. For more information, visit the IP Inclusive fundraising page.
If you have any access requirements, please get in touch with us at [email protected] and we’ll do what we can to help.