PRESS RELEASE
Risky Women Partners with SoftSkillingIt to deliver essential ‘Soft’ Skills training for the Emerging and Established Governance, Risk and Compliance Workforce
London 1 December 2025 – Risky Women, the global network dedicated to connecting, celebrating and championing women in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) today announced an affiliate partnership with SoftSkillingIt to deliver its online training programme to the emerging and established risk and compliance workforce.
This course is designed to address the growing need to equip individuals at all career stages with essential soft skills -aka human skills and professional skills – for personal development and professional growth.
In an era defined by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and automation, the demand for uniquely human attributes such as critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, adaptability, communication, and collaboration has surged.
In fact, the latest World Economic Forum “Future of Jobs Report 2025“ highlights a significant skills gap, with 63% of employers identifying it as a major barrier to business transformation, and LinkedIn’s 2024 Hiring Prioritization report on ‘Global Talent Trends’ found that 69% of senior executives will prioritize hiring candidates with soft skills.
This partnership between SoftskillingIt and Risky Women directly addresses this need, providing accessible and effective training tailored for all career stages.
Commenting on the partnership, Kimberely Cole, Founder of Risky Women said, “I am tremendously excited to launch this partnership between SoftSkillingIt and Risky Women. As AI and automation reshape our industries, the value of the workforce increasingly lies in uniquely human capabilities, making soft skills foundational for organisational success and employee growth.”
This collaboration is a vital step in ensuring that ambitious professionals, particularly female leaders navigating complexity and risk, have the tools to master these critical competencies, thereby boosting their impact and credibility, both professionally and personally. We believe deeply in the transformative power of lifelong skills development, delivered via contemporary online training methods and through partnerships like this, we are enabling more people to invest in their adaptability and unlock their full potential.”
Julia Streets, MBE, Founder of SoftSkillingIt and CEO of Streets Consulting, said: “This is such an important collaboration. From our work within the financial services and technology industry, we know that investing in these skills makes a huge difference. As individuals climb the career ladder and build high-performing teams, investment in these skills can really set you apart.
As industry practitioners working with startups, scaleups, global organisations and industry bodies, we deliver campaigns, content and coaching. The question of how best to teach professional skills comes up time and again, and we are really proud to have shaped an online course that blends training and coaching designed to add value at many stages of an employee’s career evolution. Our goal is to democratise access to these essential soft skills, ensuring this vital learning is accessible to everyone, not just simply top executive talent.”
Starting in December 2025, Risky Women can benefit from a special discounted access to the online course from SoftSkillingIt, and Julia Streets MBE will be leading an exclusive “Rev Up” session with a deep dive into two key areas covered in the online course.
The SoftSkillingIt programme delivers a comprehensive set of modules focusing on:
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Emotional Intelligence
- Communication skills
- Adaptability & Resilience
- Collaboration & Teamwork
Ends
Contact:
Carmen Rey – carmen.rey@streetsconsulting.com
Kimberley Cole – kimberley.cole@riskywomen.org
Notes to editors
About Risky Women
Risky Women® is a global network founded in 2014. We are dedicated to connecting, celebrating, and championing women in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC). Formed to address underrepresentation of women in these fields, they have grown into a vibrant network that fosters collaboration, mentorship, and advocacy. Through their events, training and programs, Risky Women empowers women, shares insights, and promotes best practices, becoming a pivotal force for diversity and inclusion in the industry.
About SoftSkillingIt
At SoftSkillingIt, we combine research-backed tools with practical coaching techniques to help professionals build deep self-awareness, confidence, and lasting personal growth. Our accessible, engaging course suits all career stages, from early-career professionals to experienced leaders, and brings soft skills to life through real-world examples and interactive exercises.
You’ll develop essential skills that boost performance, support wellbeing, and unlock your potential, both professionally and personally. Whether you’re looking to enhance communication, strengthen leadership, or grow your influence, SoftSkillingIt offers practical strategies that stick.
We believe development should be inclusive, so we offer flexible, pay-what-you-can pricing: £25, £50 or £75 — you choose, and receive full course access regardless of the tier.
Plus, 10% of your course fee goes to Street Child (street-child.org), helping children in some of the world’s toughest places access education and safety.
About Julia Streets MBE
Julia Streets MBE is a champion of capital markets fintech and entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, advisor, senior leadership coach, host and investor she is called on to speak around the world offering a wealth of commercial and leadership insight.
In 2007, she incorporated her business Streets Consulting, the business development, marketing and communications consultancy. She and her team advise a wide range of international firms in the field of financial services and technology. Her successful business advises a wide range of domestic and international startups, scaleups, global organisations, and industry associations, helping them grow, transform and bring their innovative technologies to market.
Prior to this, she served on the executive committee of the technology business of NYSE Euronext (the NY stock exchange group) as global head of communication, was head of business development at a global brokerage firm and head of eCommerce during the dotcom boom.
In 2007, Julia founded and hosted the first DE&I podcast in financial services: DivercityPodcast.com. With listeners in 50+ countries, Divercity Podcast was rated one of the world’s leading DE&I podcasts and Julia received many accolades including being twice listed as one of 20 diversity champions in the Global Diversity List.
In 2025, Julia was awarded an MBE in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours list for services to diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship, particularly in the financial services and technology sectors.
From her work as an C-suite executive coach and advising many scaleup businesses, Julia is called upon to speak and lead workshops and Streets Consulting is the professional skills partner for The Investment Association. Julia is fast becoming a leading authority on these all-important professional skills deemed ever more essential in the age of AI.
She is called upon to chair many of the world’s leading conferences, awards ceremonies, closed session discussions and podcasts, drawing not only on her industry experience, but also her skills as a speaker, host and a former sell-out stand up comedian.