2017 Top 100 Executives

Select List

Select Year

Select Location

Arnold Donald

President & CEO

Carnival Corporation & plc

With 120,000 employees from over 60 countries, diversity has always been fundamental to Carnival Corporation and their 10 global brands. Since joining the company, Arnold has focused on diversity and the competitive advantage that diversity of thought provides in fostering innovation. Not only have they appointed several diverse leaders to serve as presidents of cruise lines, the organisation has also launched multicultural, diversity and inclusion campaigns, announced diversity targets and goals, and have partnered with many diversity and inclusion organisations, including Executive Leadership Council, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and Leadership Education for Asian. Arnold was also the President & CEO of the Executive Leadership Council for two years and has been a speaker at various events promoting diversity in the workplace, including the African American Student Union's annual conference and Ethisphere's Global Ethics Summit. While in college, Arnold and his wife helped found the Society of Black Engineers to support other African-American students in engineering. Additionally, through Carnival Foundation, Arnold has led the drive to support United Negro College Fund, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami.

Karen Blackett

Chairwoman

MediaCom

During the five years she was CEO MediaCom's staff evolved from 11% to 20% people of colour - black, Asian and other ethnicities - and women make up 46% of the top two tiers of management. In 2012, Karen launched an Apprenticeship Scheme for 18-24 year olds at MediaCom. More recently, in 2015, Karen was appointed as one of four external advisors to help diversify the Civil Service, championing race with Permanent Secretary Richard Heath, and in March 2016 Karen became President of NABS, the advertising industry charity which focuses on health and wellbeing in the workplace and presents the business case for Diversity. Karen also speaks at numerous events and conferences to champion diversity, including BFI Black Star Symposium, Inspirational You at the House of Commons, The Economist Pride and Prejudice event and has been interviewed on Channel 4 News and BBC Breakfast News - all focusing on diversity in the workplace. Additionally Karen is an Advisory Board Member to Hyden Media, a recruitment consultancy who specialises in hiring talent from a BAME background into the Creative Industry and has been a judge for the Black British Business Awards since its conception.

Ron Kalifa

Vice Chairman

WorldPay

Under his sponsorship, Ron has overseen a host of welcoming and inclusive initiatives that have focused on diversity and inclusion, including directly participating in reverse mentoring opportunities with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds; regularly speaking at town hall meetings and internal colleague-led gatherings; and welcoming their newest graduates on their induction days. He has also worked closely on pioneering the world's first Masters programme in fintech which has brought together 72 colleagues from across 16 countries to share information and cultural experiences. Externally Ron regularly speaks at events aimed at encouraging inclusivity in the workplace including the All Party Parliamentary Group looking at cross-faith diversity. For two consecutive years, he has engaged FTSE100 and FTSE250 Chairmen during private events in the House of Lords and he also mentors many by providing advice and support for those who are often looking to change and develop their careers. Additionally, this year he was a Judge at the Asian Women of Achievement awards and has himself twice been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise and the Payment Industry Personality of the Year in 2011 and 2016.

Manjit Wolstenholme

Chair

Provident Financial plc

Manjit has worked on establishing Provident Financial Group as a leader in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion. The starting point for this work revolved around ensuring that the business met the recommendations made in the Lord Davies review for female board representation to increase to 25%. Manjit extended this commitment and set a target of having 25% of women within the wider senior management group by 2015 - this was surpassed and the figure now stands at 28%. Manjit championed diversity measurement across the Group and was a strong lead in the decision for PFG to adopt the National Equality Standard (NES). Manjit continues to be a driving force behind the company's commitment to and support of initiatives that complement ongoing economic regeneration and which have positive impacts on BAME communities. In 2017, Manjit supported PFG's commitment to becoming the principal sponsor of the Bradford Literature Festival for the next five years, which is directed and produced by two Asian businesswomen. In addition, from a broader community sense and from a regional perspective, Manjit is also personally engaged with Alderley Edge Hockey Club and Bowdon Hockey Club, actively campaigning for integration and fighting prejudice through sport. Sadly Manjit passed away in October 2017, but her passion for inclusion will continue to inspire us all.

Albert Cheng

COO

Amazon Studios

In his past role at Disney, Albert served on the corporate Diversity Committee led by Bob Iger and senior leaders of the company. The committee was responsible for setting the agenda, goals for the company on diversity initiatives as well as review progress against those goals by division. Externally, for over sixteen years Albert served on various diversity organizations. He was on the Board of NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications) for nine years (2000 - 2009) and served as Treasurer for two of those years. He was most recently a founding board member of Digital Diversity Network and now an Advisory Board member. He currently serves on the Board of The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) Each of these 501c3 organizations advocate for diversity and inclusion as well as offer programs to develop executives of colour in executive leadership.

Tunji Akintokun

Director - Commercial & Partner Organisations, Cisco Africa

Cisco

Tunji co-founded the EMEAR chapter of Cisco's Black employee group, Cisco Black Professionals (CBP) and chaired the organisation for 3 years helping it deliver on its 3 key strategic pillars of connecting with external BAME organisations to leverage best practices, engaging with communities/schools to attract more BAME talent and expansion of CBP across Europe. Representing Cisco he was an active member of TNON, sitting on the executive committee. Externally, Tunji is active and involved in a number of initiatives including speaking on several panels such as the recent Channel 4 DiverseTV event looking at increasing diversity in the media sector. He has just founded his second social enterprise 'Aspire2Achieve', which looks to connect talent across the UK, Africa and USA by connecting more diverse talent with opportunities in the Tech sector, building upon the success of the first social enterprise he founded, the multi-award winning 'Your Future, Your Ambition'. He is also the co-chair of Raise Tech a professional network that encourage race diversity and inclusion in the UK Digital and Tech sectors.

Raj Nair

Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, and Chief Technical Officer

Ford Motor Company

Raj is a member of both Ford's senior executive diversity council and executive personnel committee. He is also the Corporate Sponsor of the Ford Asian Indian Association (FAIA), and supports other ERG's, such as the Ford Chinese Association (FCA), and the Ford Works program. This includes encouraging participation in activities and initiatives, such as career seminars and panel discussions to help employees fully realize their professional potential and the FAIA Mentoring Program. Additionally, as a Kettering University alumnus and member of the Board of Directors, Raj is committed to connecting Kettering students to opportunities at Ford. As a result, the number of co-op students employed by Ford has increased. Earlier this year, in the interests of growing talent and promoting education, he recently supported the India Business Conference at the University of Michigan to motivate MBA graduates looking for career opportunities in the auto industry. Additionally, in 2014, Raj was named Fortune Automotive Businessperson of the Year.

Binta Niambi Brown

Founder, B|G Mouth Records Artist Manager, Grace Weber Founder

B|G Mouth Records

Big Mouth Records was founded in part to address historic inequities in the music industry; they respond to, and interview every single application without regard to race, ethnicity, gender or class. They have a strong belief in mentorship and start working with folks early in their college careers, developing them and bringing them closer to the business, teaching, guiding and supporting them. As a result, 75% of their interns have been black and 90% have been women. Externally Binta holds a number of roles of that help to promote inclusion for the BAME community, including; as a Trustee, Barnard College, Columbia University, Trustee of the American Theatre Wing, Trustee of the New York City Parks Foundation, and on the Board of Advocates, Human Rights First. Additionally she has been listed as a Fortune 40 under 40 Business Leader, a Crains 40 under 40, JET Magazine 40 under 40 and The Roots 100 Most Influential African Americans. She also regularly writes and interviews in publications that target BAME people and is a regular public speaker, both to BAME groups at fortune 100 corporates and to BAME groups and leading schools and universities, including most recently at Harvard Business School.

Mark Tatum

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer

NBA

A 17-year veteran of the league office, Mark is responsible for the NBA's business operations, including leading the NBA's international efforts. Mark also leads the NBA's Global Inclusion Council, which is made up of league senior leaders and team representatives, to guide their diversity and inclusion efforts. The council creates benchmarks and processes that measure, evaluate and share how teams can create diverse and inclusive environments. Externally, Mark serves as a trustee at the Princeton Day School and is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization that empowers African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities. He is also on the Harvard Business School Board of Dean's Advisors and the Harvard Business School Club of New York Board, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and sits on the Board of Trustees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Board of Directors for USA Basketball, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Central Board and Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors for The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. Outside of these organizations, he mentors several young people introduced to him via his personal and professional networks.

Shirine Khoury-Haq

Chief Operations Officer

Lloyd's of London

Shirine is the Executive Sponsor for Lloyd's Cultural Awareness Network (CAN) which exists to actively promote awareness of different cultures within Lloyd's, and provide an open and supporting environment to include everyone interested in related topics. This is enabled through a comprehensive plan of education and events. Alongside the above, she also informally mentors a number of young women who predominantly have an African background. Additionally, over the last two years her operations team have partnered with the Clara Grant Primary School - an ethnically diverse school in Tower Hamlets. These initiatives run alongside the organisations well-established BEE Financial Literacy programme. In her previous role, she also sponsored and staffed a similar initiative at Stockley Academy, another ethnically diverse secondary school in West London. Shirine is also a member of the Governing Board of the Clara Grant Primary School, which is currently undergoing academy conversion.

Timothy Wilkins

Partner

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

In July of 2016, Timothy was selected by Chambers USA as the National Minority Lawyer of the Year in Private Practice. His practice focuses on cross-border mergers, and prior to moving to New York, Timothy practiced for 8 years in Tokyo. As co-chair of Freshfields’ Diversity & Inclusion Committee, he pioneered a Diversity Film Series and celebrated his 10th anniversary with Legal Outreach mentoring public high school students. Timothy is active in several initiatives to broaden diversity outside his firm and has been recognized by Council of Urban Professionals, PureEarth and Global Counsel. Timothy was featured in the New York Times story, "The Disrupters" (July 31, 2016) which highlighted his role on the Board of the Public Theater and the work of other pioneering African Americans to disrupt the board composition of New York's major cultural institutions. For the past 3 years, Timothy has been appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve on the Board of Directors of the NYC Economic Development Corporation where he chairs the Governance Committee. Timothy is an Adjunct Professor of International Law at Hunter College and a graduate of Harvard College (magna cum laude), Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.

Bridget Lea

Director of Stores, Online, Multichannel & Supply Chain

O2 UK

Bridget is the Director of Stores, Online, Multichannel & Supply Chain at O2 UK and is responsible for leading a team of 2,795 employees, representing 42% of O2’s total staff base. Bridget’s area serves 25 million customers through their 470 stores and 30 million unique visitors through the website and app annually. She is an expert at leading customer focused transformational change to deliver in a multichannel world and has conceived and delivered a number of initiatives across culture change, multichannel and new store concepts. Bridget is the only White and Black African person at her level in the business, and has led her department to many industry awards. Bridget runs a programme called ‘Inspirational Women’ for women in the workplace who have overcome adversity, many of whom are from the BAME community. She is also a mentor for individuals across the industry, is an ambassador for the Retail Week ‘Be Inspired’ campaign and champions diversity inspiring both women and BAME individuals to achieve their potential. In addition she is the official business sponsor of the LGBQT society and a member of the Women’s Network.

Funke Abimbola

General Counsel & Head of Financial Compliance

Roche UK

Funke is the most senior black lawyer in pharmaceuticals, and a multi award-winning Roche UK diversity champion. She is a BAME role model mentoring, coaching and sponsoring BAME colleagues, and often presents on importance of D&I to all 2,000 UK staff, and the whole company through global transmissions. Funke established a summer work scheme for students, an annual paid school leaver internship, and created company-wide University bursary scheme to support BAME students at two UK Universities. She holds over 10 voluntary BAME diversity leadership roles and provides free inspirational talks and mentorship to over 2,000 school children, 100s of University students, 1,000s of professionals. Funke regularly speaks on diversity through the Law Society, 30% Club, TED, and the BBC, as well as meeting with the Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and the Cabinet Office to drive change across the UK. In addition, Funke privately funds an annual BAME scholarship for UK medical students, fundraises for BAME charities, and was awarded the Point of Light by the Prime Minister for the outstanding impact of her voluntary diversity work.

Chris Carr

EVP, Chief Procurement Officer

Starbucks Coffee Company

Since 2006, Chris has been actively involved with the Starbucks Black Partner Network, and for the past several years works as executive sponsor for their Global Inclusion Council. He is also on the Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent member organisation for the development of global black leaders. Through these, Chris has been involved in CEO race relations discussions, Starbucks' Pathway to Opportunities Agenda, Opportunity Youth Job Fairs, and participated in executive roundtables to address unconscious bias. Outside of the workplace, he volunteers with a number of organisations who specialise in developing best practice or BAME people in the workplace. These include, membership of the National Black MBA Association, the Executive Leadership Council, the University of San Diego Emerging Leaders Council, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and appointment to the Howard University Board of Trustees.

Anit Chandarana

Finance Director

Network Rail

Anit is an executive sponsor for his divisional BAME network, through which he is involved in mentoring BAME individuals and providing visible leadership to show that everyone can succeed in the workplace. Through speaking engagements, such as the Corporate Induction, Anit has the chance to represent the BAME network and Networkrail at various BAME functions. Anit is a trustee of the Network Rail pension scheme, and has been appointed as a non-exec of the Permanent Way Institution. Outside of work, he is always keen to take on opportunities which will raise the BAME profile in business. He also mentors external BAME individuals and is having a personal profile created for the member magazine of The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.

Sophie Chandauka

Executive Director

Morgan Stanley

Sophie is the EMEA CAO of the Legal and Compliance Division and is involved with Morgan Stanley's recruitment and talent attraction strategy, including BAME targeted events. This year she has been involved in planning the summer internship program and the launch of a talent development program factoring in the core principles of inclusion. Sophie mentors and sponsors a number of BAME employees and provides strategic advice to the African and Caribbean Business Alliance. Sophie is a co-founder of The Black British Business Awards through which she co-lead the establishment of a collaboration with Deloitte known as "BAME in the Boardroom". She is also a member of the Advisory Panel of The Networks of Networks, BAME Chapter.

Irvinder Goodhew

Director of Transformation

Sainsbury's

Irvinder is a positive, influential role model who plays a key role in Sainsbury's diversity and inclusion programme, which has been in place since 2010 with the vision of being the most inclusive retailer where people love to work and shop. She co-chairs the Sainsbury's Race Reference Group and mentors a number of BAME colleagues across the business, many of whom have gone on to champion and drive the inclusion agenda. Irvinder has led on multiple events for Sainsbury's colleagues to drive inclusion, including its first BAME colleague development events which saw over 400 colleagues come together with the business's most senior leaders. Sainsbury's has since put a regular networking programme in place for BAME colleagues across the country. Irvinder has always had a strong sense of stewardship, and outside of Sainsbury's has spent time volunteering in schools, mentoring BAME individuals and working with senior leadership teams, focussing on developing future leaders and driving inclusion at all levels.

Jagdeep Rai

Director, Head of Corporate Banking, Heathrow & SW

Barclays

Jagdeep set up and led the first Barclays regional 'Diversity Council' in the South East, and has delivered thought provoking and poignant sessions at regional board level to encourage leaders to challenge their assumptions and unconscious biases. She mentors BAME origin VP's and AVP's to support their development, and is now the co-exec sponsor of the Barclays UK Embrace network. She regularly delivers keynote speeches and interactive sessions in schools and Universities that have a high BAME concentration. Externally, she mentors a number of individuals, both independently and has been a Primary School Mentor as part of the Mosaic Mentoring Programme. Jagdeep has also been a keynote speaker at the Women's Business Council sponsored Women in Enterprise BME summit, and supported input into the resultant white paper. Additionally, she delivered a 'Celebration of Festivals' event in Nov 16 for 120 clients, which focused on celebrating, raising awareness of all the festivals of Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah, Gurpurab and Christmas.

Chika Aghadiuno

General Insurance Director, Actuarial Function, Aviva

Aviva

Chika is seeking to be a visible and accessible presence in the organisation, expanding on her role as co-chair of the Aviva London Women's Network. She has blogged to raise awareness and interest among Aviva's BAME community and allies, and is in the process of establishing a BAME network at the organisation. She has represented Aviva at parliamentary roundtables on the topic of race and has been appointed by the Aviva Group Executive to their new Global Inclusion Council. Chika has sought to connect Aviva with her activities outside the workplace, for example by organising Digital workshops with the Amos Bursary (aimed at academically able black boys and young men) and the Women's Network, where attendees were predominantly young black girls. Chika also set up and leads a local African-Caribbean church community group whose objectives include celebrating their diverse and rich cultures with each other and the wider community and encouraging younger members to embrace their cultural heritage.

Tom Shropshire

Partner, Co-Head Operational Intelligence Group

Linklaters

Over the past 2 years, Tom has been a member of the steering group of the Sir John Parker Review of Ethnicity in UK Boards. He was a key draftsperson of the report, and has given testimony before the Parliamentary Committee examining UK corporate governance, which endorsed the Review's findings and recommendations in full. He will be writing the final version of the report in May/June of 2017. Tom has also been continuing his work on making the legal profession in the UK more diverse and inclusive, for example by leading the BAME group within Linklaters, driving the "Inspired to Succeed" series and supporting a range of organisations, including the Amos Bursary and London Schools and the Black Child. Externally, he is also a trustee of Prostate Cancer UK, and have been a main driving force behind the "Stronger Knowing More" campaign, which has been aimed at increasing awareness amongst Black men and communities around the heightened risk of prostate cancer.

Jonathan Akwue

Managing Partner

DigitasLBi

Jonathan is Managing Partner at global marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi, where he works with clients including UBS and Samsung. For the last 4 years Jonathan has chaired the Ideas Foundation, a registered national charity that works with thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds, introducing them to the world of commercial creativity. Last year he co-founded the Great British Diversity Experiment, an initiative that sought to prove that increased diversity results in better creativity; the results of which were published in a report that was shared widely. Additionally, for the last 8 years Jonathan has been a Trustee of Black Cultural Archives helping to secure over £5m of capital funding to launch the UK’s first Black National Heritage Centre in Brixton, which opened in 2014. He is also a judge for the Black British Business Awards and mentors a young BAME tech start-up as part of the Publicis Groupe ‘VivaTech’ incubator programme.

Dominic Mignon

Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO

Aon

Through 2016 and 2017 Dominic has played a role as an International Executive sponsor for the Aon UK Multicultural group. In his new role as Chief of Staff to Aon’s President and CEO, he has been an advisor to Aon’s global head of Diversity and Inclusion, including supporting with the communication to the Aon Board of Directors pertaining to the performance on their global diversity and inclusion strategy. He formally and informally mentors a number of BAME colleagues at Aon and looks to advise them through his experiences and skills to find the right paths in their business units and to break down barriers where possible. Since moving to the US (from London), Dominic has connected with a local Chicago Charity; Embarc, that works with schools in the Chicagoland area. Embarc’s goal is to drive student success with long-term social and cultural exposure through a three-year, three-level approach to journeying with the integration of their own curriculum. Through the transformative power of these journeys, awakening students to the possibilities of their potential by dissolving the borders of the city and in their minds.

Nathaniel Peat

CEO & Co-Founder

Gennex

Nathaniel has created several opportunities for women and young people of African and Caribbean decent engage in science, technology and maths. Through his company GeNNex he has focused on training and developing BAME technicians, who learn how to assemble, maintain, repair, install and sell solar devices and systems for homes, helping elevation from poverty especially in Africa. The work has been targeted at developing black female technicians, as there are not many represented in the sector in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Nathaniel is also a co-founding trustee/board member at the EY(Ernst & Young) Foundation which is focused on supporting disadvantaged young people into work or entrepreneurship. He has also been pivotal through his non-profit The Safety Box in contributing to research around the disproportionate incarceration of BAME young people, in addition he has delivered personal development training for BAME offenders in an attempt to reduce violence & re-offending.

Pete Rodriguez

Chief Administrative Officer, Asset Servicing

BNY Mellon

Pete has undertaken a number of key initiatives to make the workplace more inclusive for BAME people including: championing a change in the perception of India from a technology and operations centre to business centre allowing greater career path opportunities, creating stretch opportunities for BAME people to participate in large initiatives where they will receive exposure to very senior leaders within the organization and acting as senior advisor to the African American, Latino, Asian and South East Asian Leadership Forums which promote hiring, developing and retaining BAME talent. Externally, Pete is a member of Senior Leadership Council for NYC Chapter of Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), and is a frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion issues. He has also featured in Hispanic Executive Magazine, Latino Leaders Magazine Finance Edition and Color Magazine and in 2015 was recognised as Council of Urban Professionals Catalyst for Change and in 2016 was named Association of Latino Professionals Executive of the Year.

Suresh Raj

Worldwide Chief Business Development Officer

Ogilvy Group

At Ogilvy, Suresh is actively involved in a myriad of programmes for both the BAME as well as Pride communities. This includes being an Executive Sponsor of the Ogilvy Professional Network which are specialist groups across the Black, Asian, Latin communities as well as Womens, Military Veterans & Reservists and Young Professionals. Suresh also runs mentoring programmes for employees in and outside of the group across London, Dubai, South Africa, and India as well as externally including promising academic students in North America, EMEA and APAC. Additionally, in the last year, Suresh was invited to be on a number of advisory boards including The Village Voice Pride Awards in New York. He also continues to speak, on a personal level, at various ground breaking forums in emerging markets like Armenia, and in June this year at an event in Prague. He is also regular contributor to industry events and in May this year, will speak at the Diverse Intelligence Series in New York alongside leadership from Mondelez, Buzzfeed, Facebook, and Nielsen. Additionally, Suresh continues his personal mentorship to three young students of Black and Latino backgrounds.

Daryl Scales

Vice President, Finance Director Europe

Enteprise Rent-A-Car

Daryl heads the financial division of Enterprises European business, which now extends to 1,100 branches, in excess of 200,000 vehicles and more than 40 countries across Europe. As a senior advocate for ethnic diversity initiatives at the Enterprise leadership board, he has introduced a new programme that will measure the percentage of BAME employees across Europe and another to increase spend with diverse suppliers. Daryl also mentors seven BAME mentees including an employee who developed a programme to measure employee involvement in diversity activity. Programmes to increase BAME participation in the UK have resulted in 20.9% BAME employees in the UK and 17.6% BAME managers (higher than UK BAME population). Daryl serves on the Race Equality Leadership Board of the Business in the Community Race for Opportunity campaign.

Jamere Jackson

CFO

Nielsen

In addition to being the first African American CFO in the Company's 93 year history, Jamere is also an Executive Champion for Nielsen Employee resource groups focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is the leader of Nielsen's External Advisory Council focused on diversity and inclusion of minority groups in Market Research. He sponsored the Company's first-ever Black Employee Forum and is the Executive Champion for Nielsen's Minority Supplier Development initiatives. Externally, Jamere is a member of the Board of Directors of Future 5 - a non-profit organization focused on providing support and college prep to highly-motivated, low-income students (primarily minorities). He also provides an annual scholarship to the African American Hall of Fame in Peoria, IL, for college-bound graduates of local high schools, is a frequent guest speaker and supporter of minority organisations and was named to Savoy magazine's 2016 list of the 100 most influential Blacks in Corporate America.

Sarah Lee

Partner

Slaughter and May

Sarah was the first partner to take up the role to lead Diversity and Inclusion at the firm, which she held from 2007-2012. She established D&I as a Board level item, introducing training on D&I issues at all levels of the firm and was directly responsible for the setup of their eight employee networks, including the BAME network. She currently leads on a new strategic work stream looking at how to enhance BAME/social mobility recruitment and retention practices. Sarah is also the partner champion and sponsor for DIVERSE, the internal network that promotes and celebrates the BAME and social mobility diversity. Externally Sarah undertakes speaking engagements to profile BME leadership as a lawyer to students and in the wider legal community has sat on various panels discussing the attraction, recruitment and retention of ethnic minority lawyers in the profession.

Habib Motani

Partner

Clifford Chance

As a member of the steering committee for the Clifford Chance BME Network Habib's role includes organising pro-bono events and supporting the growth of the network. He is the Partner Champion for Clifford Chance's support for London Black Women's Project, and has promoted Client co-involvement in the project. He also acts as liaison between Clifford Chance's Muslim Network and the Canary Wharf Chaplaincy. Externally, Habib has served on the Committee of the Society of Asian Lawyers. Additionally, within the Ismaili Muslim Community he has held a number of senior positions such as chair of the International Conciliation and Arbitration Board. He is a member of the Canary Wharf Chaplaincy Multifaith Steering Group, supports the work of Patchwork Foundation and is a trustee of Bow Arts Trust and Engage- the National Association for Gallery Education.

Miranda Brawn

Director of Legal and Transaction Management

Daiwa

Miranda has launched a Foundation to help increase race diversity within the UK workforce, which is specifically aimed at the next generation of leaders. She recently made UK history by launching the UK's first diversity lecture aimed at BAME schoolchildren which won an award from the UK Prime Minister and received personal praise from HRH Prince Charles. She has been named as the go-to person for race diversity in the City by recent press and has also been involved with several BAME initiatives including advisor for a race equality commission report for a main political party. Miranda has also been involved in a range of activities to champion BAME equality, including, scholarships, diversity lectures, career workshops, media interviews and expert opinion (print, TV and radio) mentoring, offering funding, work experience and is a public speaker bringing the topic of race diversity to industry conferences for the first time. Additionally, she is a Lambeth Equality Commissioner helping to increase Race equality by launching a scholarship specifically for the borough. Miranda has also launched a scholarship for the Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre to help Race & LGBT diversity within the UK workforce.

Jerome Hamilton

CEO

Open Therapeutics

For most of his professional career Jerome has mentored people in the workplace including BAME staff. As Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Stratasys, he developed critical team building exercises, to make the workplace a more welcoming and inclusive place for BAME staff. Previous to that, he was Vice President of Six Sigma Operations, Corporate Quality and Acquisition Integration for 3M, where he played a major role in devising strategy and operational plans for the company's largest business group. In 2016, Jerome was invited by the founder of Open Theraputics to join the company as CEO where he leads a team of employees comprised of 40% ethnic minority and 40% women. In 2014, he was recognized in the Savoy Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America and in 2016 was recognized by The Global Diversity List as one of the top 50 Diversity Professionals in Industry. Externally, Jerome has supported a variety of organizations dedicated to helping young people and BAME people. For the past 10 years he has served on the Board of Directors of Real Life 101, a non-profit that provides college scholarships and equipment for selected inner city African American males graduating from high school.

Paulette Rowe

Managing Director, Barclaycard Payment Solutions

Barclays

Paulette runs Europe's 2nd largest payment acceptance business (processing over 1in 3 card payments in the U.K.) and is a member of the Barclaycard International Executive Committee. Prior to Barclays she held a number of senior leadership roles including Managing Director of NatWest Retail Banking. Paulette has been a visible advocate for BAME colleagues throughout her career hiring BAME talent, coaching and mentoring and ensuring that diversity is kept on the agenda. She has come to recognise the value that simply sharing her story can have in inspiring other colleagues. At Barclays she not only supports events and networks aimed at promoting diversity but also finds opportunities, such as presenting to the Barclays' graduate programme and running sessions with colleagues in India, where, she believes, it is just as important to introduce diverse leadership profiles. Her business stands out for its diversity, particularly in the hi tech world of payments. Feedback scores on diversity are amongst the highest in Barclays and well above industry norms. Three of Paulette's direct reports are now BAME colleagues and one of this year's Ethnic Minority Future leaders list is a VP in her business.

Rakesh Sharma

CEO

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc.

Rakesh is a firm believer in meritocracy for all aspects race, gender, colour and religious beliefs and as a result the organisation now has their first ever ethnic minority CFO, first ever ethnic minority and first female NEDs. The organisation works on the ethos that setting the standard from the top leads to trickle down of opportunity at all levels throughout the company. Not only is Rakesh an independent member of a high immigrant Multi Academy Trust but he has also issued a policy for all of his business units to be involved with their local schools with work experience and internships. In addition, he has been heavily critical, and written to the Davies Commission, of the bias towards women on Boards when there is more discrimination towards ethnic minorities and is delighted that there is now a commission aimed towards improving equality and inclusion for the BAME community as well.

Nick Amin

Group Chief Operations and IT Officer

Aviva

At Aviva, Nick's primary area of focus has been on gender equality and creating opportunities for women to advance in the workplace. In that context, he has actively promoted the Aviva Women's Network as well as the company's Women of the Future programme, which includes many BAME members. He is currently working on the creation of the Women of the Future programme across Aviva's Asian businesses, which will aim to ensure that their Asian female talent pool is supported and given the right tools to be able to reach leadership positions throughout the organisation. He is also a strong supporter of the Aviva Pride LGBT ERG and acts as a mentor to people throughout the organisation. Externally, he supports an orphanage in Vadodara, India that takes in abandoned infants and provides them with food, shelter and the possibility of an education. Often the children in the care of the orphanage suffer from a range of disabilities and the organisation is able to support their specific needs.

Riaz Shah

Senior Partner

EY

Riaz has mentored and coached many BAME employees and partners in EY over the years. During his tenure as EY's Sponsor for Diversity & Inclusion, he led the founding of the EY's BAME networks. He is now actively involved in these networks, presenting and participating as needed and he has helped to open up EY's recruitment policies which are now considered to be the most open in the industry. Outside of EY, Riaz led a team that founded the One Degree Academy, a free school in Enfield that aims to give access to a private school level education to children that are typically from underserved and BAME backgrounds. He is also the Chair of Trustees for the One Degree Mentoring program, is a Trustee of the Bright Ideas Trust, a board member of Common Purpose International, and a Fellow of the RSA. Riaz has just been invited to join the Alumni Board of Harvard Business School, and will be advocating policies that open that institution to more BAME people.

Richard Mark

President

Ameren Illinois Companies

As the President and Chairman of Illinois’ second largest utility, Richard has been a strong advocate and supporter of diversity inclusion through training, employee enrichment, community outreach and supplier development. Richard was the first Executive Sponsor of Ameren’s Network of Minority Employees (ANME) and this year is collaborating with the diversity department to offer Ameren Illinois employees a series of presentations and panels emphasizing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Externally, Richard has served on more than 50 not-for-profit boards including the Mathews Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club, The Black Repertory Theatre, the Saint Louis Zoo and the Major Case Squad. Additionally, Richard has received numerous awards including the 2017 Heritage Award from the Illinois Legislative Sportsman Caucus, 2015 Outstanding Corporate Leadership Award from the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, and was named in Savoy Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for 2016 & 2014.

Sanjay Bhandari

Partner

EY

Sanjay's interest is in practical interventions to accelerate progress of BME people. He is the Sponsor for BME strategy within the overall UK&I D&I strategy, he is the sponsor of BME Leadership, CareerWatch and leads on Mentoring programmes aimed at accelerating development. He also helps to educate the UKI Leadership team on BME issues and is an active and visible role model, personally coaching and mentoring around 10-15 people. Sanjay also acts as EY's senior representative on the Parker Committee, recently speaking at the launch of the Report. Externally, he is a judge for the Asian Achiever Awards, a judge for the Black PowerList and has been a supporter of Black British Business Awards from their inception, being a member of the Judging Panel.

Michael Sherman

Partner & Managing Director

The Boston Consulting Group

In addition to his client service role, Michael is also BCG's Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion Partner – responsible for the recruitment and retention of African Americans and Hispanics. Michael's efforts have included, revising recruiting efforts to help identify and training minorities for the rigorous case interviewing process, developing programs for recruiting black and Hispanic talent earlier and establishing new trainings for managers and partners to help with understanding the challenges faced by minorities, including unconscious biases training. Externally, Michael serves on several boards and non-profit councils, including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is an active member of the Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Pi Phi Boulé where he participates in several national and local community efforts to help young African American's with growth and improvement.

Scott Taylor

EVP and General Counsel

Symantec

As one of Symantec's top executives, Scott has been a key advocate for the growth and advancement of the diverse talent at the company. He is the executive sponsor of Symantec's Black Employee Resource group (SyBER), focused on developing career advancement and mentorship opportunities, recruiting tactics, and community building to attract and retain Black talent. For example, Symantec recently co-hosted the SF Bay Area UNCF Tech Summit, bringing together diverse technology leaders with 50 Black undergraduate students and 20 faculty attendees. Externally, Scott serves as a national advisory board member of the Stanford University Center for Comparative Studies on Race and Ethnicity - Stanford's interdisciplinary hub for teaching and research on race and ethnicity. Additionally, as well as his role at Symantec, Scott serves on the board of directors of Piper Jaffray, a leading investment bank and asset management company.

Thong Nguyen

President of Retail Banking and Co-Head of Consumer Banking

Bank of America

Thong is personally dedicated to maintaining Bank of America’s commitment to building diverse teams and fostering an inclusive environment where employees can bring their whole selves to work. He personally holds his leaders accountable for driving progress in Diversity and Inclusion; each member of his leadership team has diversity representation targets, including specific BAME targets, and progress is reviewed regularly. Under Thong’s leadership, Retail Banking launched Mobile Banking in Spanish to better serve Hispanic/Latino clients. As Market President and Market Sponsor of their San Francisco-East Bay Market, Thong ensures that driving progress in Diversity and Inclusion is a key part of every conversation with the Mayor and his office, Bank of America Clients, as well as other employers and influencers in the market. As Thong is constantly on the road visiting with teammates and clients across the country, he ensures meeting with diverse employees, partnering with the Bank’s Employee Networks and discussing D&I with clients is a regular part of his agenda.

Torrence Boone

VP Global Agency Sales and Brand Services

Google

Torrence is the Executive Sponsor for the Black Googlers' Network, an employee resource group focused on recruitment, retention and professional development for Black Googlers, and is Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Black Leadership Advisory Group, a team of the organisation's most senior African-American staff that advocates at the highest levels of Alphabet for issues of diversity and inclusion across the company. He also serves as a mentor for several African-American staff. Externally, Torrence is President of the Board of Directors for Citizen Schools New York, an educational reform organization focused on reimagining the school day for inner city middle school students. As part of his role there he drove record recruitment of Google volunteers to teach after-school apprenticeships spanning robotics, computer programming, ad campaign design, business plan development and many other diverse areas of activity that close the opportunity gap.

Amee Chande

Managing Director, Global Strategy and Operations

Alibaba Group

Amee is very visible both inside and outside of the company. She is personally involved and accessible to her teams and staff - during recruiting, induction, formal and informal mentorship and in client and public speaking events. As a Chinese company going global, there is a strong awareness of cultural differences, and she understands how important it is that everyone feels welcome and included. She has hired almost exclusively BAME team members and actively seeks opportunities for them to develop in a professional and personal capacity. Externally, she is a mentor to 4 young women who are minorities and is a very active volunteer with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts - which is itself a very diverse organisation with 10 million members across 146 countries. Aside from her role as a Board member, she personally provides mentorship and financial support for young women from Asia and Africa to attend leadership training and regional and world conferences.

Daniel Wong

Head of Europe

Macquarie Capital

As a senior executive, Daniel is involved in diversity and inclusion in a number of ways, he is the executive sponsor for Macquarie Groups Pride Network (LGBT), helping to expand their community of allies and drive a culture of inclusion. In the absence of a BAME network, Daniel has used this role to draw parallels with his minority ethnic background, speaking about the power of inclusion on a number of occasions. He has worked alongside the network to broaden awareness and support of the inclusion agenda at executive management committee level. Daniel has spearheaded the awareness initiative, supporting internal communications and helping to recruit new allies within the organisation, by acting as a visible role model. In the local community, Daniel is actively involved as a Board Member of the Shoreditch Trust, a charity which works to reduce social and economic disadvantage in Hackney.

Andrew Pearce

Managing Director

Accenture

Andrew has been involved in driving Accenture’s Inclusion and Diversity initiatives since joining the organisation eight years ago and supports their I&D initiatives within the UKI Operations business. He has been the executive sponsor for Accenture’s African-Caribbean Network for the last four years, accountable for representing the interests of the 360-strong employee network at UK Board Level, and for working with global leadership from other geographies on the broader I&D agenda. The network was recognised in the European Diversity Awards as ‘Network of the Year’ in 2015 based on the growth and engagement within the community. Externally, in 2016 Andrew was invited to become a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and has been actively engaged in a number of the events and initiatives that the UK chapter are running. He was also a keynote speaker and panellist at a two-day mentoring programme that Accenture hosted in January this year for 60 black undergraduates in partnership with The Powerlist Foundation.

Hau Thai-Thang

Group VP, Global Purchasing

Ford Motor Company

Hau serves as Ford's Executive Champion at Carnegie Mellon University, partnering to cultivate and develop a diverse talent pipeline in technical and business fields. He also leads the Global Purchasing organisation which is one of the standout organisations within Ford by all employee diversity metrics, with the highest percentage of minority and women leaders. He also works with Personnel Development Committees to ensure that there is representation of minority and women employees at all levels throughout the organisation. Externally, Hau serves as the Chairman of Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council which acts to certify, develop, connect, and advocate for Minority Business Enterprises. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees of The Henry Ford which aims to foster STEM education for minority and female students through the Henry Ford Academy School and through the development of innovative STEM curriculum.

Jonathan Mildenhall

CMO

Airbnb

Jonathan has helped to implement many employee affinity groups at Airbnb. He was a key driving force in establishing Black@ which is the people of colour affinity group and he also acts as the executive sponsor of AirPride@ which is the LGBT affinity group. He works hard to promote diversity in everything he does, including in the marketing output of Airbnb. A key example is this year's Superbowl spot for Airbnb that sent the message "We Accept", embracing the diversity of all of their customers. It became the most talked about and provocative spot of the 2017 Superbowl. Externally, Jonathan is a donor for the First Graduate program which helps support people of colour from disadvantaged backgrounds throughout school. He also utilises his role as a very high profile industry champion on diversity initiatives to challenge industry bodies on the lack of diversity across the board.

Leena Nair

Chief HR Officer

Unilever

Valuing diversity is at the core of Leena's personal value system. The organisation started with gender and had good results and are now using the same model to show results in BAME Diversity too, particularly in North America. In 2016 they increased People of Colour representation at manager level and above, by over 22% and they now have eight active Business Resource Groups with over 2000 employees participating including Black Excellence at Unilever, Latin American and Asian American Business Networks. Leena was responsible for leading Unilever to become a Founding Sponsor of the Jackie Robinson Foundation which supports minority students in higher education. She also leads on their partnership with Executive Leadership Council where they have offered 15 scholarships to Unilever Black and Hispanic talent to attend a week long leadership development week. Externally, she has been actively involved in the youth employability space for a number of years; heading a collaboration with the National Skills Development Corporation of India with the objective of training 1 Million youth, by 2020 in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian towns for practical training in employable skills.

Kai Exos

CCO

Isobar

For nearly two decades, Kai has focused his creative vision to transform the historically white advertising industry to better represent the total market. More recently, the innovation agency he co-founded merged to become part of the Dentsu Aegis Network: Exos now leads the Canadian arm of Isobar's 6000 digital pioneers across more than 45 markets worldwide. He serves in multiple global capacities, including a longstanding seat on the Creative Excellence Council and creative advisory in support of the worldwide network's broader Media Partnerships. To weaken unconscious bias over a 900-day period, Kai has inspired inclusive practices within his leadership team; to effectively remove names and pronouns from CVs, launch an Intersectionality ERP, design all-gender washrooms, build a culturally-appropriate Health & Wellness program, and educate all levels of management to fully represent a diverse set of individuals in recruitment. As a musician and activist, Kai currently works in LA and Toronto where his daily values operate on the axis of veganism and feminism. His commercial work as a writer is further invested in Ujaama with his multi-million dollar private collection of contemporary fine art from BAME artists.

Maz Majid

Supply Chain Director, Clothing & Home

Marks & Spencer plc

Maz has undertaken several initiatives to improve the welcome for BAME people within M&S, including, mentoring kids in local schools for 6 years, asking M&S to provide mentors, arranging for influential people from BAME backgrounds to give inspiring talks at target schools and also speaking himself. He has also arranged world at work visits, where BAME children from a number of schools spend a day at M&S's Head Office learning about different roles. Externally, Maz has been working with the Mosaic Network (now part of the Princes Trust) in a senior leadership position for over six years. He Co-chairs the Mosaic Associates group and often gets asked to give talks at various community centres and schools. He also currently mentors four kids weekly on a 1-2-1 basis.

Rohan Gunatillake

Director

Mindfulness Everywhere

It is well known that the world of technology, startups and apps suffers from a wide range of systemic diversity issues and mindfulness apps are no different. Despite having historically Buddhist roots, as mindfulness and meditation have become more and more mainstreamed, secularised, and commodified, the role of people of colour has been reduced. Rohan therefore has the unique position of being the only industry leader with an Asian heritage and works hard to encourage others both publicly, through being a visible, different voice and privately through informal mentorship. Externally, he is a trustee of the British Council. As one of the few BAME board members and also the youngest trustee overall his presence is an important signal to young BAME talent of what kind of vital institutions and conversations they can be a part of and influence. Additionally, Rohan is regularly invited to speak at conferences and events and only accepts invitations which can themselves demonstrate a commitment to diversity.

Quentin Roach

Senior Vice President, Business Development, Manufacturing-External Operations & Global Supplier Management Groups and Chief Procurement Officer

Merck & Co. Inc.

Quentin is continuously focused on ensuring an inclusive work environment, globally diverse organisational make-up, and he acts as a change agent and advocate for enterprise Global Diversity & Inclusion focus. He is currently co-sponsor of the company-wide Diversity in STEMM initiative, executive sponsor of enterprise-wide Millennial Employee Business Resource Group, and is responsible for Economic Inclusion & Supplier Diversity processes. In 2016 he led the delivery of the first Diversity in STEMM summit and he maintains a role as Male Advocate/Sponsor as part of the internal Women's Leadership programme. Externally, he has been involved in a number of organisations and boards over the years including: National Black MBA Association, National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame, Trumpet Foundation, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Executive Leadership Council, and Minority Business News. He has also been recognised as a “Top 10 Most Inspiring Leader” by Executive 50, “100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” by Savoy (2012, 2014 and 2016).

Michael Barrington-Hibbert

Chief Executive Officer

Barrington Hibbert Associates

Barrington Hibbert Associates is a top-tier executive search company, working predominantly with FTSE 100 companies. It also has a focus on promoting equality in the City. A great deal of its research and development projects focus on inclusivity and diversity, and the company practices the standards it sets. BHA works continually to ensure that the workplace is not only welcoming and inclusive, but also representative and a meritocracy. The company also contributes to other firms’ diversity and HR policies, advising leadership, with particular focus on mentoring programmes, reverse mentoring, and top-down adoption of the changes necessary to influence organisational culture. BHA has partnered with inner-city schools, which have a significant BAME attendance – running workshops on employment in the City, and offering internships at BHA. Outside of his professional role at BHA, Michael is also involved with a number of programmes and initiatives focused on BAME equality including, as an AMOS Bursary mentor, a designated Role Model with the REACH Society; and in 2012 he founded the Barrington Hibbert Foundation, offering scholarships to BAME candidates from low-income families, between 18-21 years old in full-time education.

Netsai Mangwende

Finance Director for Great Britain

Willis Towers Watson

As an Executive on the Leadership Team for Great Britain, Netsai is responsible for partnering with the Inclusion and Diversity Council at WillisTowersWatson, focusing on representing the BAME communities in the implementation of strategies and initiatives that foster inclusion. She is also sponsor and mentor to emerging leaders and was a Co-Founder of the first African & Caribbean Network at AIG EMEA, which in a short time became one of the leading networks within AIG and within the external Insurance sector, earning a nomination at the 2016 BITC Race Campaign. Externally, Netsai is Treasurer and a founding member of the Nation Ladies, a cross industry network of Black Female leaders. She coaches and advises her peers on how to establish successful black employee networks and is a member of the newly formed Black leadership group (BLG) which has an objective of increasing BAME on Boards (in a similar vein to the 30% club).

Bukola Adisa

Head of Europe Regulatory Compliance Monitoring and Testing

HSBC

Bukola is a senior Compliance and Financial Crime expert with extensive experience in the Financial Services industry. She is also passionate about the progression of women and BAME professionals in the workplace. At each organisation Bukola has worked at, she has been an active member of the Women's network as well as the Multicultural or BAME networks. She provides advice and insights on targeted, value added events which can bring incremental change to the lives of the BAME staff within the organisation. She actively mentors BAME professionals and dedicates many hours monthly to providing career advice and encouragement to them. She also actively sponsors the careers of a number of high potential BAME women and has created and provided promotion opportunities for them when that would not have otherwise been possible. Additionally, in 2015, she founded a not for profit social enterprise called Career Masterclass which is focused on imparting women and BAME professionals with practical skills that they can use to build and enjoy a successful career.

Shanika Amarasekara

General Counsel & Company Secretary

British Business Bank

Shanika was part of The British Business Bank at its inception and was responsible for setting up the bank's governance framework and corporate structure. She is a key member of the senior management team and has been actively involved in developing its culture as one of inclusion and collaboration. To date she has acted as an unofficial mentor to most BAME employees who joined the organisation during the first 3 months of their employment and ensured their successful integration into a fast growing organisation. She also acts as a role model for the civil service recruitment process and has attended and spoken at events within the public sector on the subject of how to recruit and retain BAME talent within the public sector. Externally, Shanika has been actively involved with a number of different organisations to provide mentoring to aspiring BAME people, including the Women of the Year network and MOSAIC. She has also built strong networks within a number of University councils to encourage them to treat BAME students in a more inclusive manner and to allow the universities to leverage the diverse community groups better for innovation within the university environment.

Shahzad Saleem

Group Transformation MD

BT

Shahzad is the first BT Race champion and acts as the executive sponsor for the Ethnic Minority and Muslim Networks, as well as chairing the Senior Ethnic Board. He has instigated a sponsorship and mentoring programme to help BAME talent achieve their maximum potential, and has reviewed all of the recruitment policies to promote diversity of all kinds. Externally, he sits on the BITC Race Equality Board and is an active member. He also supports several charities and has engaged Human Appeal as their Muslim Network charity partner, as well as supporting the Football for Peace charity which works in socio-economically deprived areas. Shahzad won the inaugural Alliance Manchester Business School Global MBA Citizen Award, the Gold Medal for excellence from the British Quality Foundation and the Finance team of the year award.

Ukonwa Ojo

Senior VP, COVERGIRL

Coty Inc.

By deciding to remain in the corporate world as a Senior Vice President, Ukonwa has assured that in her industry and company, people become more used to seeing people of colour in the room, with a voice and seat at the table. She has built her leadership team to be very inclusive, and is intentional about developing a pipeline of diverse leaders. Being the senior vice president of an iconic beauty brand like COVERGIRL means that Ukonwa also has the opportunity to impact popular culture by highlighting and celebrating the beauty in diversity.

Paris Petgrave

Co-Founder & CEO

We Love Work

Across her entire career in recruitment and HR, Paris has designed and delivered a series of initiatives to support diversity in the workplace. Most recently she founded We Love Work, an HR technology start-up which predicts culture fit and values alignment between individuals and teams. She has run BAME employment initiatives for London councils, The Princes Trust and The European Social Fund to help BAME candidates access employment across a variety of different sectors. As she now works in the tech sector and venture capital world, she is taking her experience and expertise and continuing to help companies globally build diverse teams and inclusive working cultures. Outside of work she is an investor and board advisor for BAME owned businesses, she mentors a group of BAME start-up founders to help them scale their businesses and is an experienced public speaker, having spoken at a number of high profile events including The London Business Show and Campus Party EU.

Therese Chambers

Director of Strategy, Policy, International and Intelligence, EMO Division

Financial Conduct Authority

Therese is the FCA's Race Champion, sponsors the FCA's Race Network, ‘Spectrum’, and she sits on the FCA's Executive Diversity Committee. In these roles she has facilitated the FCA’s adoption of a BAME Action Plan, which is targeted at improving the career progression of the FCA's talented BAME staff. She has also facilitated the implementation of diversity targets - the FCA has set targets for BAME representation: that 8% of the FCA Senior Leadership Team will identify as BAME by 2020 and 13% by 2025. ‘Spectrum’ is an active voice within the FCA and regularly organises staff events with the goal of "connecting voices, unlocking potential and driving change". Events to note include speaker events with Trevor Philips and Herman Ouseley. Additionally, Therese participates in the Cross-Organisational Mentoring Circles scheme operated by Race for Opportunity as a Lead Mentor, as well as mentoring a number of BAME staff at the FCA.

Amolak Dhariwal

Finance Director, Service Operations

Sodexo

A British-born Sikh, Amolak leads as Co-Chair of the Origins network in Sodexo UK & Ireland. Through this role he has been instrumental in developing a number of initiatives, including: creating a much more focused members network to drive forward the BAME agenda, and launching pod and webcasts where senior managers talk about their careers and what BAME means for them. At the recent Inclusion conference, Amolak acted as compere during the event which included introducing a staff network panel discussion and raising the profile of the Origins network, to an audience of 250 people. He has also promoted on-line training modules including: 'understanding bias' and 'Race-creating an inclusive workplace' for all teams across Sodexo UK & Ireland. Externally, Amolak has recently become a governor at a local academy to encourage the understanding and development of the BAME agenda, and has established close links with other organisations outside Sodexo to help understand best practice in this area.

Arlene Isaacs-Lowe

Managing Director - Head of Relationship Management, EMEA

Moodys Corporation

In partnership with D&I, Arlene has led conversations with the Diversity Council that haven driven the development and execution of an impactful D&I strategy over the last 5 years, including the implementation of effective KPIs that impact compensation and monitor progress. She advocated for executive coaching and external career development programs for high potential BAME employees and has encouraged Moody's to form long-term strategic partnerships with the top HBCU's to improve their brand as an employee of choice, recruitment, and retention of BAME talent. Externally she is a board member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), and chair of the Global Expansion Committee. The ELC members are the most senior black business leaders, and its mission is to support the professional development for a pipeline of black business leaders. Arlene is also a member of Howard University's Business School Board of Visitors which ensures that the School has strong partnerships with companies that offer internships/permanent employment for students.

Dawood Gustave

Chief & Imagination Officer

Reluctantly Brave

Dawood co-founded and grew a cutting-edge consultancy/creative agency with inclusion at its heart, not only because that is the right thing to do but also because diverse talent delivers better results for clients. Leading companies, large and small, are benefitting from this vision and Dawoods creative insight, including Starbucks, Louis Dreyfus Company and Boots Opticians. Dawood made inclusivity, for BAME people and other underrepresented groups, ingrained in Reluctantly Brave's day-to-day operations. His team has been chosen for their inclusive attitudes and he ensures each of them has the opportunity to work with or mentor people from different cultural backgrounds. Applying his experience coaching senior executives, Dawood coaches and mentors younger BAME people at various stages of their careers, from those considering their educational choices to those already employed. Externally, Dawood is a Commissioner on the London Borough of Islingtons new Fair Futures Commission. He also takes speaking engagements in many places, sharing inclusion best practice, including at Oxford University, Morgan Stanley, London Southbank University, and Mossbourne Academy in Hackney. Additionally, he is building an inclusive-access-to-creative-industries movement internationally through work with Fontys University (Netherlands) and the University of Michigan (US).

Kalpana Shah

Chairman

RiverStone Managing Agency

In her previous role at Hiscox, Kalpana was a Partner, founding member of the Diversity and Women in Leadership steering committees, and Chair of the Actuarial Function network. Through these platforms she organised various events designed to empower individuals and break down the barriers to success, and she led diversity measurement across the group. In her current role as a portfolio Non-Exec Director and Chairman, she is a visible champion and spokesperson for diversity initiatives and she continues to mentor. Externally, Kalpana was profiled in the Insurance Insiders inaugural diversity dozen and went on to help organise the first diversity festival in the insurance market in 2015. She also regularly speaks at schools, by invitation and through the Inspiring the Future campaign, at events regarding diversity and was most recently invited to launch Womens Week at the London School of Economics.

Kashif Zafar

Co-Head of Global Distribution and Co-Head of Macro Products

Barclays

Kashif has inspired tangible change across the BAME agenda at Barclays, from his active leadership of the multicultural Embrace network, to his authentic personal role-modelling that shows BAME colleagues that they too can grow their career within the organisation. The Embrace network blossomed under his leadership, increasing from 330-1100 members in 18months. Kashif also pioneered the Embrace exceptional 1st year internship programme which is now in its 6th year. Having previously been on the board of Race for Opportunity for several years, Kashif is now actively involved in several organisations, both in the UK and US, who drive BAME-positive change including, the board of the British Pakistan Foundation, the Advisory Board for SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) supporting the university/career access of young people from under-represented backgrounds, and is on the boards of the International House and American Pakistan Foundation.

Mo Haghbin

SVP Head of Product, Beta Solutions

OppenheimerFunds

Mo joined OppenheimerFunds in January 2017 as Head of Product for the firm's Beta Solutions business, and also began working with the firm's Diversity and Inclusion team and Business Resource Groups (BRGs), which enhance programs around employee inclusion and engagement, recruiting, hiring and development of diverse talent. In partnership with its BRGs and employee volunteers, the firm's efforts include a philanthropic initiative, 10,000 Kids by 2020, which aims to introduce students to math literacy programs over the next several years through non-profit partnerships. In his previous role as Head of Business Management for the US Fundamental Fixed Income team at BlackRock, Mo also served as the Chair of the New York People Committee within Global Fixed Income and was an active participant in MCN, a global network that aimed to attract, engage, and develop a culturally inclusive workforce. Outside of work, Mo dedicates his time and attention to promoting opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds including after school programs, supporting high-risk youth, and is active in Persian American Leadership networks.

Nilufer von Bismarck

Partner

Slaughter and May

Nilufer is a visible and high profile role model internally and externally; she was named as one of two women (and very few BAME leaders) in the The City A.M./CityJet Power Hundred List in 2011, was shortlisted for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2011, and was awarded 'Best in capital markets - equity' by Euromoney Legal Media Group's Europe Women in Business Law Awards in 2013 and 2014. She also acts as a mentor both formally and informally. Additionally, Nilufer is on the Board of Trustees of Into University, a charity that recognises that young people from the UK's poorest backgrounds face a considerable educational disadvantage in that they tend to do less well at school than their middle-class peers, they are far less likely to go to university, and they have a lower chance of entering the professions.

Mo Ajaz

Global Head of Legal Operations

National Grid

Mo has been involved with National Grid's employee resource groups for over 12 years, including as Chair of the faith@work network (part of the BAME network) for the last three years. Through this he has been responsible for setting and cascading strategy, presenting diversity opportunities and issues at Executive meetings, and helping deliver numerous inclusion and diversity projects, i.e. reverse mentoring senior leaders, educational programmes, and representing employees on a variety of BAME matters. He has also been involved in developing policies, metrics, and collaboration sessions on inclusion and diversity matters with National Grid's legal supply chain which have been recognised externally as market best practice. Externally, Mo has been involved in panel discussions on BAME topics, supported other organisations on employee resource groups' best practice, and has been involved in cross organisational mentoring programmes. He has also helped the local community in securing funding to build a multi-million pound community centre, which helps all age groups from the BAME community. In 2017 Mo was voted a Hot100 Lawyer by the Lawyer Magazine as well being recognised as a leader in the legal operational excellence space.

Pam Kaur

Group Managing Director & Group Head of Internal Audit

HSBC Holdings Plc

Pam actively promotes enhanced diversity in hiring and, with a view to promoting BAME equality, creating greater transparency in promotion, performance management and reward processes within her function and more broadly within HSBC. She is also an active sponsor and champion of the Embrace Network for BAME employees, acting as a visible role model and being the voice for BAME employees where they cant be heard. She actively mentors BAME colleagues from various backgrounds and genders both formally and informally, with great successes. Externally, she is a favourite speaker for those celebrating cultural diversity at BAME community events and, in 2016, joined the judging panel of the Business in the Community Race for Equality awards. Additionally, she has sat on Cross Parliamentary Commissions to drive the BAME agenda, challenge the status quo, share best practice, and provide insight to the challenges and opportunities.

Payal Vasudeva

Human Capital & Diversity Executive Sponsor

Accenture

Payal is a Managing Director in Accenture Strategy, and also sits on the Accenture UKI Board with singular accountability for Inclusion & Diversity. BAME representation is a priority focus for her in this role, and she champions a coordinated programme to place additional rigour on how Accenture recruits, develops, progresses and retains BAME employees. She is a sponsor of the South Asian Network, is an active coach to the African-Caribbean Network Leadership team and mentors BAME CEOs as part of the Accenture Diverse Supplier Development Program. Externally, Payal is a Trustee on the Board of East London Business Alliance (ELBA) which actively supports BAME youth, and she is part of the Business in The Community (BITC) Leadership team for Gender. Additionally, she has set up a scholarship fund in India for underprivileged girls.

Albertha Charles

Partner

PwC

Albertha is a member of the PwC Talent and Diversity council with a particular focus on shaping PwC's retention and progression strategy around BAME. She is also a passionate sponsoring partner of PwC's Multicultural Business Network, focused on helping the firm and the BAME community to realise the full benefits of a more inclusive culture by working to set the strategy for the network and partaking participating in various coaching programs run by the network. Externally, she has visited various schools for coaching and career discussions, as well as delivering other initiatives, such as teaching finance to teenagers. She also personally mentors a number of young BAME people and supports various networks targeted at BAME, such as Success Talks.

Rory Campbell

Partnership Registrar

John Lewis

Over many years and across organisations, Rory has played an active role in championing more inclusive workplaces. He was a member of Lloyds Banking Group's first ethnic minority network (GEM) where he helped to establish the bank's first ever organisation-wide 'inclusion week' with active support and participation of the entire executive committee. In his current role he was the first senior executive in the Partnership to speak of personal mental health challenges with colleagues as part of John Lewis Partnership's BAME network. Through this, he actively champions and provides a sounding board to colleagues who may find his experiences useful to learn from. Externally Rory shares ideas and reflections on creating a more purposeful and inclusive world - irrespective of ethnicity. He does this through, public speaking, mentoring, networking with diverse groups, and active engagement in external communities such as the RSA.

Camille Drummond

Head of Group Planning and Performance

BP

Camille is an ambassador for BP's Positively Ethnic Network which is a business resource group supporting the development and careers of employees with a BAME background, including mentoring and sponsorship programs as well as training and networking opportunities. She also personally mentors BAME employees to help them fulfil their potential and is regularly involved in BP's recruitment activities to visibly demonstrate that you can be black and successful within a corporate organisation. Utilising her positions as an Ambassador for PEN, and as former chair of the Women's network, she has encouraged BP to work in BAME communities to inspire aspiration and provide practical help and support which is not easily available. Camille initiated the connection between BP team and Urban Synergy to provide work experience for children from Lewisham schools. Additionally, she is currently working with HR to develop a training program on the corporate recruitment process for Powerlist BAME graduates.

Dorothy Burwell

Partner

Finsbury Group Ltd

Dorothy currently serves on Finsbury's global diversity committee, overseeing initiatives such as delivering unconscious bias training to leadership, ensuring that recruitment practices encourage the interviewing and selection of individuals from varied backgrounds, as well as developing affinity networks within the company. She is also actively involved in the organisation's support of the Taylor Bennett foundation which seeks to address the need for greater diversity in the public relations industry. Externally Dorothy serves as the Vice President and advisory board member of non-profit organisation, Nations Ladies, which brings together accomplished professional women from BAME backgrounds for the common purpose of encouraging greatness in London's school-aged girls, specifically from BAME backgrounds. Additionally, she is a mentor and works to cultivate work experience opportunities for college age BAME girls, to better prepare them for life in the workplace post-college or university.

Jean Tomlin

Founder & CEO

Chanzo (formerly Tomlin&Co)

Jean has worked at senior levels in a range of organisations. Her career has been enhanced by her ability to manage and lead large diverse teams to deliver exceptional results. She has been a role model, an educator, a voice and a leader, has won several awards for her work including Black Enterprise Corporate Leader as HR Director at M&S, and now runs her own business. She is most widely known for her role as Director, HR Workforce and Accreditation for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where she was accountable for the mobilisation of the UK’s largest peace-time workforce of 200,000, including the universally-acclaimed 70,000 Games Makers. These were a “Games for Everyone” and as such Jean was immensely proud of having recruited a diverse workforce which truly mirrored the diverse cities throughout the UK. Jean sits on a number of Boards, including Michael Kors, and Sainsbury’s plc, where she is Chair of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Board. She has also been a judge on various Diversity panels – including the Race Equality Awards for Business in the Community (2016). She has been included in the Powerlist and continues to support and mentor BAME individuals.

Elaine Rogers

Global Head of Control for Enterprise Operations and Head of Client Assets

Northern Trust

Elaine is involved in both informal and formal mentoring of emerging female and ethnic minority talent within Northern Trust, and across the wider financial services industry. She provides guidance and coaching on areas such as authenticity, career progression, effective networking and how to successfully navigate corporate culture and politics. She is also Chair of the Northern Trust EMEA Diversity and Inclusion Council, and senior sponsor of various Business Resource Councils including the Asian Leadership BRC. She is a speaker and presenter at events, champions BAME activities and initiatives, and provides sponsorship of the BAME talent development programme, the Diverse Leaders Programme. Through her role as Chair of the EMEA D&I Council, she represents the Bank at cross-financial services D&I events, including activities hosted by other external organisations and promotes these other internal and external networks. Additionally, she is a mentor to BAME talent outside Northern Trust at other financial services companies.

Mandhir Singh

Chief Operating Officer - Lubricants

BP

Over the last two years, Mandhir has increased the diversity of his direct leadership team to have 33% women, 20% with an Afro-Asian ethnicity and 12 different nationalities represented. In his business he has also rolled out a women's development programme for first-tier management to ensure a diverse talent pool is coming through the organisation. At the beginning of 2017, Mandhir became chair of the BP Positively Ethnic Network, which has over 500 members, and was most recently a panel member for a global webcast on Respect & Inclusion with an audience of over 4,500 participants. Mandhir is also the BP Executive Sponsor for Durham University, where he has taken an active lead to encourage people from different backgrounds and cultures to apply to BP. He also coaches and mentors a wide range of individuals across all age groups and cultures, and helps them navigate application forms for multi-national companies.

Segun Osuntokun

Partner, Head of Energy Disputes and the Africa Group

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Segun is an Ethnicity & Social Inclusion Champion at international law firm BLP where he is a visible (and vocal) advocate and champion for ethnic and social inclusivity, and takes the lead on key issues where behavioural change is needed. He leads a task-group focused on ethnic and social inclusivity where he works to agree diversity priorities, understand best practice, and make progress against agreed priorities. He also acts as the firm’s representative on ethnic and social inclusivity matters at external meetings/conferences/PR opportunities and he recently spearheaded the award-winning initiative, Race for Change which won “Best Diversity Initiative” at The Lawyer Business Leadership Awards in September 2016. Externally, he is a mentor to numerous young BAME individuals, both formally and informally and provides active support for a wide range of events focused on BAME inclusion and increasing BAME representation. He regularly attends careers events organised by the Black Solicitors Network and has been a panellist at a series of events including, Future Leaders Conference - Find a job in the City.

Bansi Nagji

Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development

McKesson Corporation

McKesson, currently ranked 5th on the Fortune 500, is the one of the oldest and largest healthcare companies in the world with revenues of more than $190 billion in fiscal 2016. As one of its most senior executives, Bansi is a core member of McKesson’s Chairman’s Diversity Council, which is responsible for the enterprise’s diversity strategy. Bansi makes himself available as a mentor to all employees, particularly BAME men and women, to help them understand the myriad, often opaque, ways in which their careers can be more challenging to navigate than those of others. That regularly translates to him helping those seeking advice by networking them into McKesson to elevate their profile and expand their access to broader opportunities. Additionally, Bansi often speaks to groups outside McKesson, whether focused on minorities or not, about his own experience as a successful minority.

Jatin Patel

Products Director

TSB Bank

In 2015, Jatin helped set-up TSB’s first ethnicity network by becoming the network’s Executive Sponsor. Sitting within TSB’s wider Inclusion Network, the ethnicity network aims to raise awareness of ethnic diversity in the workplace, to help celebrate cultural diversity and to attract, retain and develop the best talent within TSB, regardless of ethnicity. Jatin has represented the ethnicity network at external events, and recently, invited 15 key recruitment suppliers to a round table discussion where he shared his plan to address BAME representation in TSB. Externally, Jatin has also done work in the field of education to help improve standards and access for young people from under-privileged backgrounds, particularly in areas with high concentrations of people of BAME origin.

Beatrice Butsana-Sita

Managing Director, Capita Networking Solutions, Capita plc

Capita plc

Beatrice has joined a company where the agenda on people and diversity is still fairly limited, thus she has recently encouraged the board to participate in official surveys on diversity in FTSE 100 companies and to put an action plan together to bring in more people from minorities in senior leadership roles. Wherever she can, she uses her own network to provide the candidates to the company and is looking for women in her succession plan. Externally, Beatrice has been invited by CMI to join a new advisory board to tackle the continued under-representation of people from BAME backgrounds in management and leadership roles. The advisory board is drawn from across business, academia, and diversity experts, as well senior leaders from a BAME background.

Dhiraj Mukherjee

Entrepreneur at Large

Midlife Creations

In his previous role as Head of Innovation at Virgin Money, Dhiraj implemented a partnership with UpRising, a youth leadership development charity whose mission is to open pathways to power for talented young people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds. He facilitated over 40 mock interviews led by Virgin Money colleagues to help young people from UpRising to improve their employment options, as well as create opportunities for roles within Virgin Money. He was recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s Top 50 technology entrepreneurs in 2015, and speaks regularly at major conferences on entrepreneurship, FinTech and emerging technologies. He was also elected as a member of The Digital Banking Club’s “Power 50” in 2016, and Smith & Williamson’s “Power 100” in 2017 for supporting entrepreneurs. Externally, he actively mentors startups and social enterprises, including BAME and female founders and CEOs.

Devyani Vaishampayan

Group HR Director

BSI Group

As a senior HR Director Devyani has worked hard over the last 20 years to create change through the Diversity & Inclusion agenda. She is particularly focused on ensuring BAME talent mobility internationally and has been a visible role model in this area by living in several continents to achieve career progression. Externally, she was nominated by the Singapore Government to be on the board of ‘Board Agender’- a not-for-profit organisation aimed at increasing representation of women on boards and in 2016 was listed in the FTSE ‘100 Women to Watch’ list which was released by the Cranfield Business School. Additionally, as a parent, she is an active speaker in schools to influence young BAME students in becoming more ambitious in their career aspirations.

Elsie Akinsanya

Global Head of HR (Transaction Services)

Citi

Elsie is the co-Chair of Citibank London Roots Diversity Network where it is her role to lead the multicultural network, focusing on encouraging inclusion in the workplace. In addition to celebrating diverse cultural events such as Chinese New Year, Black History Month and Diwali, the network also focuses on engaging employees to provide black and ethnic minority students with work-based skills through bi-annual Business Skills Workshops. Externally, Elsie is actively involved in coaching and mentoring black and ethnic minority women who are transitioning into leadership roles for the first time, or changing organisations. She recently set up an informal mentoring programme for young black women aged between 20-30 called 'Each one, Reach one'. The purpose of the programme is to support the target group in navigating the world of work/enterprise through sharing experiences and the often 'unwritten' workplace codes.

Robert A. Marchman

Executive Vice President/MRD Legal Section

Finra

Robert currently serves as a member of FINRA's Executive Diversity Leadership Council whose purpose is to assist in the development and implementation of programs in connection with the company's business imperative diversity and inclusion process. He also serves as the Executive Sponsor for the FINRA's Women's Network Employee Resource Group. In addition, he participates in speaking engagements and committee work with efforts focused on enhancing opportunities of BAME people in the financial services industry. Robert is also Chairman and Board member of the Community Coalition on Race of South Orange-Maplewood, NJ (a 20 year organization focused on equality). He is also a board member of PFLAG National, Operation HOPE and NSHSS Foundation.

Heather Melville

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Global Chair & Founder, Women's Network

RBS

Heather is currently working with the Director of HR, Corporate & Private Bank, Coutts Private Banking & Corporate & Commercial Banking introducing them to the Executive Leadership Committee to improve where the organisation looks to find strong BAME talent. She sits on a number of external client forums which are looking at how RBS can embed a structured mentoring programme specifically for BAME employees across industry and supported by CMI, through the lens of managers and leaders. She is also a regular business contributor to Sky News and BBC World, re female entrepreneurship. Externally, a huge amount of Heathers spare time is spent mentoring young people from all backgrounds and industries. Additionally, she currently holds 2 NED board roles, which provide her with the opportunity to drive change for both women and BAME individuals. As the only black woman on the board for Enterprise Enfield and CMI, Chartered Management Institute, she is working to engage support for BAME start -up businesses. In 2016 Heather was invited to participate in a round table that contributed to the McGregor -Smith report that was produced for the government.

Kamel Hothi

Head of Colleague Fundraising & Volunteering

Lloyds Banking Group

Kamel's 38 years climbing the corporate ladder ignited her passion for equality resulting in co-founding the Lloyds Banking Group's Ethnic Minority Network. She has mentored hundreds of colleagues and spoken at numerous conferences on the subject as to why diversity is a business imperative and not just a CSR issue. In 2017 she was included in the group's publication of top BAME role models across their 80,000 strong work force. Externally, Kamel was invited to chair the Government's Procurement Task Force to help supplier diversity. She is also a judge, and ambassador to numerous networks including the Sikh City Network, Women Empowered, Women India Association, Pakistani Woman's Organisation and awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her efforts.

Paul Cleal

Senior Partner

PwC

Paul became the first chair of PwC's BAME network in 2003 and played a leading role in raising inequality issues with the board. In 2006 he joined the main board as the person responsible for all people issues and led on a range of diversity measures, including bias awareness training and a detailed analysis to understand the problem in more detail. He subsequently sponsored the creation of the Multi-Cultural Business Network and then founded the Africa Business Group with the specific intention of engaging that particular ethnic minority. He has also been a personal mentor to many BAME people in the firm and, over the last few years, has been a regular mentor in schools where the vast majority of pupils are black. Additionally, he now pursues the issue of racial inequality through his public appointment to the Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission.

Rashik Parmar MBE

Technical Executive - Europe, IBM Distinguished Engineer

IBM

Rashik is co-lead of the Multi-Cultural Business Resource Group which aims to provide practical support and mentoring for employees, as well as addressing unconscious bias, through a range of meetings, podcasts and blogs. He focuses on using corporate social media channels to share good news stories in these forms, aiming to inspire both managers and professionals. He also mentors BME employees and shares his professional experience as a diverse role model. Externally, Rashik chairs the Business Communications Group, and is a board member for the Leeds City Region LEP, where he has integrated local ethnic businesses into the programme. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Imperial College London, which attracts a truly international student population.

Yin Luo

Vice Chairman

Wolfe Research

Yin’s team at Wolfe is highly diversified and he actively works with the founder and other senior members of the firm to promote workplace diversity. There is a strong belief that everybody should have equal opportunity at hiring, promotion, and compensation, and employees are encouraged to preserve their own culture. Externally, Yin regularly speaks at a number of universities to help minority students to better understand the cultural differences from their home countries and how to find jobs in the finance industry in the US and Europe. He serves on the advisory board of the Asian Quant Group whose mission is to help Asians in the systematic investing industry. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Finance at Renmin University of China and gives regular seminars with the goal to bridge the cultural and knowledge gap between China and the rest of the world.

Sarah Nelson

Group Financial Controller

Sainsbury's

Having held a number of senior positions at Sainsbury’s and been recently promoted to Senior Manager, Sarah is passionate about sharing her story and being a role model to BAME colleagues across the business. Sarah has been a member of the Sainsbury’s Race Reference Group for four years, helping the business achieve its vision of being the most inclusive retailer where people love to work and shop by working on a number of initiatives including regular events for BAME colleagues. She currently mentors eight BAME colleagues across the organisation and over the last seven years has mentored many more colleagues. Outside of Sainsbury’s, Sarah has been part of Business in the Community’s Cross Organisational Mentoring Circles for the past three years as a lead and guest mentor and has taken part in external speaking opportunities to share her experiences and insights.

Simon Dowson-Collins

General Counsel & Company Secretary

HarperCollins

Simon is an advocate of HarperCollins UK’s strategy on diversity and inclusion, which he supports via regular meetings and forums, dedicated to establishing a more diverse workplace. At the 2017 London Book Fair Simon accepted the Inclusivity in Publishing Award on behalf of HarperCollins. He is a sponsor of BAME recruitment and in 2017 will be launching the BAME Development Circle at HarperCollins – a programme for mentoring, career coaching, networking, confidence-building and peer to peer support of BAME talent in the company. Externally, Simon is a director of the Bush Theatre in London’s Shepherds Bush, and a member of its Finance and Audit Committee. The theatre is committed to producing diverse new plays from the widest range of backgrounds. He was also recently appointed a lead mentor for Business in the Community’s BAME mentoring circle programme, and led HarperCollins at a recent careers fair supporting the development of up and coming BAME talent.

Annette Byron

Partner Sponsor for Social Mobility

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Annette is Co-lead of the Freshfields’ global Black Affinity Network, which by networking and her sharing her experiences as a Real Estate partner has increased awareness in relation to diversity in the organisation. Under her leadership the flagship Freshfields Stephen Lawrence scholarship scheme identifies and, by a bespoke 15-month programme, develops scholars, annually including 160+ Freshfields senior leaders, lawyers and other personnel, evolving organisational culture and challenging unconscious biases by its central place in the business. Externally, her focus on the disproportionate under-representation of black and mixed-race males from low-income families and lack of direct role models in large commercial law firms includes connecting with 60 universities nationally to locate and nominate to the scheme exceptionally-talented first-year students who might fall under the radar.

Val McGary

EVP, Sustainable Process Solutions

US Bank

Val has been integral to welcoming BAME people at U.S. Bank. She has been an active participant with diversity-focused employee resource groups. Her team is part of U.S. Banks Technology and Operations Services business line, which is currently undergoing a significant effort to increase the hiring of minorities and women within its ranks. Val has been instrumental in driving strategic sourcing discussions and challenging the status quo to ensure BAME applicants are considered, interviewed, hired and have a positive experience. Vals team recently won an award for being the most diversity-engaged team at the company. Externally, she has been involved with several boards of organisations focused on getting women of colour into high potential careers, as well as mentoring programs through schools that focus on transition into the workforce.

Sonia Sng

Vice President, Product and Innovation Risk

Visa

Sonia joined Visas Asia Pacific office in 2000 and she moved to the US in 2014. She is currently responsible for partnering with business groups in Visa to drive initiatives while balancing risk and agility in innovation. Prior to moving to the US, she worked with banks, retailers and service providers in Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa on fraud, chargeback, brand protection and data security initiatives. Growing up in multi-cultural Singapore, she considers herself pathologically pro-diversity. Besides being an active campaigner for diversity and inclusion initiatives in the risk function, she is also the co-chair for the Visa Womens Network which is focused on ensuring women in Visa are able to reach their aspirations. Over the years, she has mentored colleagues in Dubai, Singapore and USA, to help them thrive at work while embracing their authentic selves. Externally, she volunteers at the Penninsula College Fund to help low-income, first-generation college students of immigrant families reach the college graduation finish line, and is a mentor for Everwise as well as Aspire Foundation, mentoring aspiring women around the world.

Tom Ilube

Founder

Crossword Cybersecurity plc

As founder and CEO of Crossword, Tom ensures that inclusivity in all respects is integrated throughout the organisation. He leads by example and uses his status in the tech industry to talk about diversity and inclusion, speaking on diversity and his own experience and journey as a BAME executive at corporate events on a regular basis. Externally, his main focus is secondary education, specifically STEM where BAME people are underrepresented. He is Founder and Chair of the African Science Academy, Africa's first all-girls science and technology academy and Chair of ADA College, UK's National College for Digital Skills, based in Tottenham, which has a large BAME student population. Tom is also a Non Executive Director of the BBC.

Vimi Grewal-Carr

Managing Partner, Innovation & Delivery Methods

Deloitte

As a successful BAME professional Vimi leads by example and has been a role model, mentor and coach to many people across the firm, particularly from the BAME community. She is a passionate advocate of BAME issues within Deloitte’s executive, is heavily involved with Deloitte’s multi-cultural network and is a member of the Sikh network. The network was named ‘Employee Network of the Year’ at the Business in the Community’s (BITC) Race for Opportunity awards and Vimi hosted network members at the award ceremony. Externally, Vimi was one of the original founding members of the 30% Club and continues to sit on the steering committee. She is also the founding board member of the London Women’s Forum which was set up with founding members from eight investment banks in 2004 and almost 300 senior women are now members within the City.

Dr. Anand Kumar

Executive Director & Deputy Chief Executive

Union Bank of India (UK) Ltd

Previously, through his various experiences as Head of Retail Banking with ICICI Bank UK , Head of International Business - ICICI Lombard UK(Ltd) , Advisor Strategic Initiatives & Head of Retail Banking - Bank of Baroda UK, Anand expanded the network of customer touch points through branches and virtual space which provided him immense opportunities to work with diversity . Externally, Anand has been working as Visiting Fellow with the Business School, University of Greenwich where he interacts, guides and helps primarily BAME students during their internship for their career progression and overall development. He also runs a foundation in Katesar, a village in Bihar, India and has been working to creating awareness about it in UK. For him diversity provides the best outcome. He is associated with NSPCC and Save the Children.

Cecily Joseph

Vice President, Corporate Responsibility

Symantec

Cecily has led the organisations diversity and inclusion efforts for the past 3 years-serving as Chief Diversity Officer for the company, in addition to her role as Vice president of Corporate Responsibility. Her focus has been on attracting, retaining and developing diverse employees, including setting and publishing goals around diversity hiring and retention. She has also partnered with organisations to address equity, such as the creation of the Net Impact Racial Equity Awareness Leadership (REAL) program which aims to institutionalise racial equity at colleges and universities through training and curriculum development. Externally, she served, for over 6 years, on the Board of Directors of Ruby's Place, a domestic violence and homeless shelter, serving primarily women of colour.

Nicole Clarke

UK Head of Compliance

BNP Paribas

Nicole has supported the Multicultural Network by promoting events internally, seeking support from the senior management team within BNP Paribas Securities Services and has acted as a mentor for other BAME employees. As a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Council she has been supportive of initiatives to raise awareness of the individual needs of BAME employees and has previously hosted an Executive lunch for BAME employees, at which she described her journey through her career followed by a Q&A. Externally, she has volunteered with an organisation called Making the Leap which helps children from BAME backgrounds with CV writing and interviewing skills.

Harish Sodha

100

Executive Chairman

Diversity Travel

Difference is celebrated at Diversity Travel; the organisation works on the ethos that all minorities should be championed and encouraged whether this relates to gender, ethnicity or religion. This is represented across the business, with staff speaking over 20 languages, coming from 15 nationalities and there is a 45:55 male to female gender split. Different sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs are represented at all levels of the organisation and the Board is 33% BAME, 17% female and 33% LGBT. For 35+ years Harish has been focused on expanding and running companies and has embedded and created an inclusive culture within all organisations. He has also used his position in the UPstanding 100 list 2016 to spread the word about BAME success and achievements in business through local and industry press articles.

2017 Top 100 Executives

Select List

Select Year

Select Location

Find People

President & CEO

Carnival Corporation & plc

Chairwoman

MediaCom

Vice Chairman

WorldPay

Chair

Provident Financial plc

COO

Amazon Studios

Director - Commercial & Partner Organisations, Cisco Africa

Cisco

Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, and Chief Technical Officer

Ford Motor Company

Founder, B|G Mouth Records Artist Manager, Grace Weber Founder

B|G Mouth Records

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer

NBA

Chief Operations Officer

Lloyd's of London

Partner

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Director of Stores, Online, Multichannel & Supply Chain

O2 UK

General Counsel & Head of Financial Compliance

Roche UK

EVP, Chief Procurement Officer

Starbucks Coffee Company

Finance Director

Network Rail

Executive Director

Morgan Stanley

Director of Transformation

Sainsbury's

Director, Head of Corporate Banking, Heathrow & SW

Barclays

General Insurance Director, Actuarial Function, Aviva

Aviva

Partner, Co-Head Operational Intelligence Group

Linklaters

Managing Partner

DigitasLBi

Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO

Aon

CEO & Co-Founder

Gennex

Chief Administrative Officer, Asset Servicing

BNY Mellon

Worldwide Chief Business Development Officer

Ogilvy Group

Vice President, Finance Director Europe

Enteprise Rent-A-Car

CFO

Nielsen

Partner

Slaughter and May

Partner

Clifford Chance

Director of Legal and Transaction Management

Daiwa

CEO

Open Therapeutics

Managing Director, Barclaycard Payment Solutions

Barclays

CEO

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc.

Group Chief Operations and IT Officer

Aviva

Senior Partner

EY

President

Ameren Illinois Companies

Partner

EY

Partner & Managing Director