CMS HR Gathering: Mental health in the workplace

Rob Stephenson is an international keynote speaker and mental health campaigner who is on a mission to help create happier, healthier and higher performing workplaces. Rob grounds his talks in his personal story of living and working with bipolar disorder and is the founder of The InsideOut LeaderBoard, a charity with the mission of smashing the stigma of mental ill-health in the workplace by showcasing senior leader role models with lived experiences of mental ill-health. As a consultant, Rob works with Boards and senior leadership teams on the design and implementation of an integrated well-being strategy. In addition, Rob is the CEO of FormScore, a revolutionary technology start-up helping employees become more intentional about their well-being and helping employers with real-time wellbeing analytics, as well as the co-founder of the InsideOut Awards, an annual celebration of those championing workplace mental health and wellbeing. In his keynote talks, Rob inspires audiences to think differently about mental health and well-being.
Rob Stephenson TEDx and Keynote Speaker, Global Mental Health Campaigner, Founder & CEO of FormScore, Founder of the InsideOut LeaderBoard

Vanessa Whitman is a Partner in the Finance Disputes team in London. Vanessa qualified with CMS in 2008 and works primarily on contentious matters for banks and insolvency professionals, advising clients on various aspects of contentious banking and insolvency law. She has a growing practice specialising in FinTech and Crypto disputes. Vanessa also has significant experience advising clients on how to deal with Serious Fraud Office cases and other fraud-related matters, having advised on Britain’s largest mortgage fraud. She is also the firm’s Mental Health Champion, a trained Mental Health First Aider and Wellbeing Ambassador and is trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST). Vanessa also chairs CMS CMNO’s employee network for Mental Health and Well-being, one of the firm’s inclusion networks. Outside of the office, Vanessa is also an ambassador for the charity, ‘Suicide & Co’, which supports those bereaved by suicide.
Vanessa Whitman, Partner Solicitor Advocate

Richard Martin is a former employment law firm partner in London. In 2011 he experienced serious mental illness and now works exclusively in the field of mental health in the workplace. Through leading workplace consultancy Byrne Dean, he provides training to organisations around the world and is an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer and qualified executive coach. He leads the Mindful Business Charter, a cross-sector business initiative to reduce the stress we experience at work so as to create healthier and more effective ways of working. He also co-chairs the steering committee of a Lord Mayor of London initiative called This is Me which uses the power of storytelling to break down the stigma around mental illness. This was the inspiration for him to publish his own memoir of his illness and recovery – This Too Will Pass, Anxiety in a professional world.
Richard Martin, Executive Officer Mindful Business Charter

Raquel Sampaio is a Co-founder of Direito Mental and a member of its Board of Directors. She has been a lawyer for over 16 years, holds an LL.M from the University of Nottingham and is completing a Master in Innovation at Nova SBE. She is a regulatory specialist, primarily in the areas of Energy and Environment. She has extensive international experience having worked in Timor-Leste, NYC and Mozambique. More recently, she has dedicated herself to the areas of Social Impact, Sustainability, and Diversity and Inclusion. She is known for her skills in the areas of communication and organisational transformation and is now one of the driving forces behind this organisation that wants to promote debate and concrete solutions to the issues of mental health in the organisation.
Raquel Sampaio, Co-founder Direito Mental

Michael Heron is the founder of Avanlight, a consultancy boutique focused exclusively on the legal sector. He holds a degree in European Studies with Modern Languages from Royal Holloway, the University of London, and has over 20 years of experience in international business development, marketing and communication. Michael has worked for the European Parliament in Brussels, Bloomberg L.P. in London, Iberian Lawyer in Madrid, and Miranda & Associados in Lisbon. Michael is the interim Editor of Iberian Lawyer and the Latin American Lawyer publications. Michael is passionate about mental health, as throughout his career, whether it be in the public sector, media, finance or legal, he has witnessed this issue in the workplace. Michael sees the importance of there being a duty of care to avoid Burnout and a toxic work culture and in order to make the world a better place. He has seen this benefit companies when they take the mental health of employees seriously, especially in the legal sector.
Michael Heron, Founder at Avanlight and Editor at Iberian Lawyer and Latin American Lawyer

Susana Afonso is the Head of the Employment and Pensions practice at CMS Portugal. She has over 25 years of experience advising multinational companies with a wide range of employment matters in relation to establishing operations in Portugal or harmonising their staff conditions in line with international organisational schemes, including in relation to remuneration and benefits policies, working hours and other aspects. In recent years, she has participated in and coordinated some of the most important reorganisation processes in Portugal. She has been recognized as an expert in her field by the Portuguese Bar Association. Moreover, she is recognised as band 1 and a Leading Individual, in the Hall of Fame for Employment by Chambers Europe 2022 and Legal 500. Susana recognises the important role that well-being and work-life balance play in protecting the mental health of employees. She champions awareness of mental health in the workplace by promoting and organising events around the subject, and taking a key role in driving internal initiatives.
Susana Afonso, Head of the Employment and Pensions practice at CMS Portugal

César Navarro is the Head of the Employment and Pensions department at CMS Spain. He specialises in labour law and social security and is an expert in labour implications derived from mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring processes, as well as outsourcing, top management, modification of working conditions, negotiation of collective agreements, collective dismissals and legal defence in judicial proceedings before the labour courts. He has been recognised in the Employment practice by the main and most prestigious legal directories such as Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. In 2020, César’s team was recognised as the law firm of the year in restructuring and reorganisations by Iberian Lawyer. César embraces the promotion of well-being in the workplace and regularly participates in Mental Health initiatives.
César Navarro, Head of the Employment and Pensions department at CMS Spain

Pedro Afonso is the CEO of Vinci Energies Portugal. With 20 years’ experience in leadership and company transformation, he is a regular speaker at conferences bringing to light a unique and progressive view on Future, People and Technology. Pedro is an experienced Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in all kinds of management contexts: start-ups, growing, restructuring, developing international business and M&A. Skilled in Management, Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Team Leadership, and Business Intelligence. Strong business development professional graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Pedro Afonso, CEO of Vinci Energies Portugal

Psychologist specialised in organizational and clinical psychology. President of the specialty committee in organizational psychology - Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. More than 3 decades of experience in human resources consultancy - training, executive search, executive and team management coaching, occupational health programs.
Jaime Ferreira da Silva, President of the Specialty Committee in Organizational Psychology at the Portuguese Psychologists Association

Occupational Health Clinical Director – Altice Portugal since 2011; Post-graduation in Health Units Management - Catholic University Lisbon 2004; Specialist in Occupational Medicine since 2000; Specialist in Family Medicine since 1994; Vice President of Preventive Medicine and Environment Committee, Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) 2004-2005; Vice President of European Union of General Practitioners and Family Doctors (UEMO) 2004-2007; President of European Union of General Practitioners and Family Doctors (UEMO) 2007-2010;
Isabel Caixeiro, Occupational Health Clinical Director Altice Portugal