2023 Top 100 Future Leaders

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Esther Akinwolemiwa

Fixed Income Sales - Rates

Wells Fargo

With almost 15 years of experience in investment banking, Esther has a career spanning sales, risk management, operational excellence and corporate transformation in Top-tier banks. She currently works at Wells Fargo’s Paris office in Fixed Income (Rates) Sales covering European corporate and institutional clients. She also serves as the Marketplace Outcomes Co-Chair for the Wells Fargo EMEA Black Connections network where, amongst other things, she organizes the "Black MD Series" - a series of talks featuring Black Managing Directors within the organization which aims to improve the visibility of Black leaders, as well as, provide a platform for career guidance to all EMEA employees. Beyond Wells Fargo, Esther volunteers as a School Governor at Lilian Baylis Technology School and is Vice-chair of the school’s Welfare committee overseeing the welfare of students and staff. She also actively mentors young people and is a CFA charter holder. She obtained an Executive MBA from ESCP Europe business school in 2020.

Amjad Khan

Director

Customer Institute

In Amjad’s previous position as Vice President at HSBC, Amjad co-founded the Stretch45 program, which focused on helping underrepresented colleagues jumpstart their careers. The first cohort of the program was completed in late 2021, with numerous colleagues advancing their careers. He also co-chaired another business wide initiative that aims to develop talent pipelines of Black and ethnically diverse individuals from grassroots and junior positions. The program has gone on to win two external awards: Best Talent Development Program and Team of the Year, as well as receiving exceptional feedback from those on the program. Amjad was also awarded Inspirational Role Model of the Year at the European Diversity Awards in 2022 for his passion in creating a work environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. Through his various roles, Amjad continues to champion DE&I in the workplace, inspiring those around him to do the same.

Malcolm Ellis

Pronghorn Lead / Global Director, Technology and Strategy

Diageo

Malcolm leads ‘Pronghorn’, Diageo’s business venture in North America which has the ambition of cultivating the next generation of Black leaders within the spirits industry. Launched in 2021, Pronghorn is a 10-year initiative focused on cultivating the next generation of diverse founders, executive leaders, and entrepreneurs, and aims to generate $2billion in economic value in the US. Over the past year, Pronghorn has invested in 12 Black-owned brands, including Ten to One Rum, Tequila with Friends, and Ego Tequila. Malcolm is also a leading member of AHEAD (African Heritage Employees at Diageo), and champions ethnic diversity at Diageo and beyond at key events throughout the year.

Lin Yue

Executive Director

Goldman Sachs

Beyond her role at Goldman Sachs, Lin is a thought leader on the intersection of diversity, business and behavioral science. She’s a multi award winning thought leader, advocate and speaker. She pioneered a Diversity Conference and further built the firm’s thought leadership franchise on diversity, social mobility, Asianomics and Womenomics both within the financial service industry and beyond. Her thought pieces and presentations, such as “Diversity - From Awareness to Action”, “China - A Personal Journey”, and “The Bamboo Ceiling - East Asians in Business” - are highly acclaimed and recognized at the firm and with clients. She championed Asian Heritage Month focusing on the lack of Asians in leadership in the industry. Additionally, Lin co-chairs the parenting initiative at her division and leads Ethnicity Pillar at the Diversity Project. Her Tedx talk - The Art of Being Different - is inspiring for ethnic minorities and future generations.

Joshua Angelo Estrella

Sr. Technical Analyst

Meta Ireland

Joshua is a Sr. Technical Analyst at Meta and leads the Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) @Meta EMEA group having 7 chapters and subgroups across the region. They played a key role in growing Meta's EMEA representation by ensuring processes, leadership, and engagement were established in the region. They started leading APIs@ Ireland in 2020 and became the EMEA lead in 2022, empowering 17 new leaders in the process. They led multiple events on Heritage Month, Lunar New Year, Diwali, and Community Summits, showcasing the diverse cultures and building a stronger network. Their efforts have resulted in increased representation of API leaders in EMEA, diverse and inclusive programs, and celebrations of different API heritage. Beyond Meta, Joshua also leads the Asians in Tech Network EMEA and sits on the board of directors of the Irish Street Arts, Circus, & Spectacle Network, where they advocate for more inclusive and diverse policies. They are a non-binary circus artist, life coach, and unicorn on their free time.

Norman Jones

Director, Global University Recruitment

Danaher Corporation

Norman has been a DEI champion since joining the workforce. He started his professional career at Accenture in Talent Acquisition and was the U.S. Diversity Recruiting Lead overseeing the development and implementation of a strategy that would deliver diverse talent at all levels into the annual recruiting plan. After leaving Accenture, Norman held roles at companies such as Discover Financial Services, Apple, and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) that always had a focus on hiring and retaining diverse talent. Currently, Norman works at Danaher Corporation as the Director of Global University Recruitment where his team has a strong focus on hiring diverse entry-level talent who will be the future leaders of organization. Outside of work, Norman serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Foundation for Women, is on the Board of Trustees for The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and a member of the Advisory Council for Reaching Out MBA.

Tolu Falade

Offshore Subsea Operations Specialist

BP

Tolu is an Offshore Subsea Operations Specialist at bp and a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the One Team Lead for bp's Positively Ethnic Network (PEN) and a member of the bp Black Collective, he supported the creation of bp’s mandatory racial equity training program in 2021 which has been rolled out to all UK and US employees. He has worked closely with senior leaders to progress commitments aligned with the bp Framework for Action, resulting in greater engagement and advocacy at the highest levels. He chaired bp's Black History Month activities in 2021 and 2022, which included a series of successful events and initiatives that drew record engagement in the company. Additionally, Tolu chairs the AFBE Ethnic Leaders Network, where he drives collaboration and adoption of best practices in the engineering sector and mentors students through Nottingham University's Black Industry Connections and Empowerment Programme (BICEP).”

Anna Dilku

Group Social Media Manager

Aviva

Anna is Aviva's Group Social Media Manager, where she also co-chairs the Aviva Origins employee resource group and sits on the Brand and Corporate Affairs DEI committee. After being elected as the first co-chair to lead Aviva’s gender network, Anna was keen to use her experience to drive awareness of different cultures, faiths and socioeconomic backgrounds. She immediately made her mark, introducing the first South Asian Heritage Month, sharing thought leadership on podcasts and informing their first Ethnicity Pay Gap Report. Alongside her day job and leading Origins, she has completed an Ethnically Diverse Leaders Program and is part of 30% Club’s Mission Include Program, whilst also mentoring others. Beyond her role at Aviva, Anna is actively involved with other organizations - from representing UN Women as a delegate at CSW, to reporting on the annual Financial Times’ Women at the Top event - her longstanding work winning Women in Finance’s Outstanding Contribution Award.

Allegra Tomassa Massaro

Senior Conflicts Analyst

Latham & Watkins LLP

Allegra was an inaugural global leader of Latham’s Black Staff Affinity Group, where she oversaw its growth to over 200 members globally. Since 2017, Allegra has also provided strategic support as a coordinator and subcommittee member of the Black Lawyers Group, which aims to attract, retain, and promote top talent, and foster an inclusive culture supporting the long-term success of Black lawyers. Allegra has led the client and community engagement initiatives of the past 3 Black Lawyers Group retreats, connecting membership with communities through supporting and establishing long-term relationships with local nonprofits and businesses. Outside of Latham, Allegra is a Co-Founder of Fuel the People, a grassroots food justice organization that partners with Black and POC chefs and restaurants to combat food insecurity in Washington, DC, and New York City. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization distributed over 50,000 meals throughout local communities and raised over $200,000 for local businesses.

Donnica Hawes-Saunders

Senior Manager, Global Strategic Partnerships and Civil Engagement

Philip Morris International

Donnica founded, co-chairs and manages Philip Morris International's (PMI) largest U.S. employee resource group - Multi-Cultural Organization Supporting an Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC). This group promotes diversity, culture, and inclusion for PMI's multicultural employees and their allies, focusing on race and ethnicity. MOSAIC partners with third parties to improve how PMI is perceived in diverse spaces, works with internal stakeholders to ensure PMI considers diverse perspectives and promotes visibility, and career mobility for team members of all backgrounds and ethnicities. In addition, for more than 65 employees in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and the U.K., Donnica provided leadership development training for corporate employees of color through MOSAIC's partnership with the Executive Leadership Council, an organization that champions the development of Black executives to impact business and communities positively.

Aisling McCaffrey

Director - Sustainability & Financial Services Advisory

Grant Thornton

For the last nine years, Aisling has been a mentor with Grant Thornton as part of the Trinity Access Program to create pathways into the professional world of work for young adults from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are often ethnically diverse. In the last 18 months, Aisling has played a key role in supporting the development of the E,D&I Employee Resource Group (ERG) in Grant Thornton which was recently awarded Outstanding ERG of the year at the National Diversity and Inclusion Awards and she currently serves as the Ethnicity & Culture ERG co-lead. Since 2022, Aisling has been a community mentor for the African Professional Network of Ireland, providing free career guidance & advice to ethnically diverse individuals in Ireland. Most recently, Aisling helped launch the Ethnicity Network within Chartered Accountants Ireland and is currently looking at ways to embed Ireland’s National Action Plan Against Racism across the profession.

Marina Ebrubah

Head of Client Due Diligence, Financial Crime Compliance

Man Group

Marina is one of the founding members of Man Group's Black Employees and Allies network, BEAM. She is also a member of Man Group's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Steering Committee, involved in setting the DE&I strategy for the firm as well as overseeing initiatives. Marina has led the organisation of a partnership with Barrington Hibbert Associates and the sponsorship of the Black Women in Asset Management (BWAM) conference to support the representation and inclusion of Black talent at Man Group and within the broader asset management industry. She also contributes her passion to DE&I through her role as a Diversity Project ambassador and #talkaboutblack’s EnCircle committee member. Last year, Marina had the opportunity to speak on panels for BlackRock, the Diversity Project, Encircle, and BWAM about career progression and the barriers faced by Black talent.

Lotus Huang

R&D Director

The Dow Chemical Company

As the R&D Director at The Dow Chemical Company, Lotus advocates diversity and inclusion. As Global Co-Chair of the Asian Diversity Network (ADN), she participated in EMERGE 2019 and 2022, Dow's global conference for employee resource group leaders, advocating for under-represented backgrounds. From 2018 to 2021, Lotus served as the APACI Regional Chair of Dow's ADN, forming chapters in Greater China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, and Korea and increasing participation by over 40%. She has also sponsored, mentored, and coached multiple programs since 2014 to develop diverse talent within the company. Outside of Dow, Lotus provides coaching to young and diverse talent and sponsored the formation of the Society of Women Engineers - Shanghai Affiliate chapter.

Richard Huang

Associate Director, China Supply Chain Project Management Lead

MSD

Richard is the Associate Director and China Supply Chain Project Management Lead at MSD. With 11 years of experience in various MSD ERGs, he currently co-leads the Asia Pacific Association (APA) ERG, which has grown by 84% since 2021 and aims to develop future leaders, build social community and be a valued business partner by effectively promoting and leveraging Asian diversity and cultural competency. Richard has also led regional D&I efforts and co-led APA's Global Mentoring Program to encourage career development and cross-geographical and cross-cultural mentoring with a customized curriculum, resulting in high participant ratings. Richard also led a team to facilitate community conversations and mental health sessions responding to anti-Asian sentiments and other globally relevant topics. Beyond his role, Richard partnered with non-profit organizations like ASCEND and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) to elevate Asian voices in workplaces.

Coleen Mensa

Lawyer

EY

Coleen is the Founder of Black Connection, a community for EY’s Black colleagues globally to build meaningful connections. The community has over 200 members and is now run by a committee of 5. At the height of the BLM protests in 2020, Coleen also partnered with the Race and Ethnicity Network (EY REN) to deliver a talk to over 1,000 colleagues called "Breaking the Silence'' (attended by the Chairman), on micro-aggressions, mistaken identity, building authentic allyship and stereotypes. Following the talk, leadership committed to making changes like eradicating the use of the term ‘BAME’ when publishing reports. Coleen has also been listed by Equality X as a Top 10 Global Influential Diversity Ally in Law, Financial Times as a Future Leader, UK Diversity Legal Awards as a Rising Star in Law, DOC as Legal professional of the year and a Rising Star by WATC. Outside of EY, Coleen has written articles for The Guardian and founded the Law Masterclass Series: a mentoring program for aspiring lawyers from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Ragveer Brar

Senior Policy Advisor

Bank of England

Beyond his role as Head of Division, and now Senior Policy Advisor at the Bank of England, Ragveer has been Co-Chair of the Bank’s Ethnic Minorities Network since 2018; becoming the first member of its Senior Management Team (SMT) to hold the position. He chaired the Bank's largest ethnic minority staff meeting, from which Ragveer synthesized staff concerns and presented them to the Bank's SMT and Board, resulting in an independent review of ethnic diversity. He was on the Steering Group of the Bank’s Court Review of Ethnic Diversity & Inclusion in 2020/2021 and became a member of the Bank's Diversity & Inclusion Oversight Group in 2021. Beyond work, Ragveer is passionate about cricket and started coaching at his local club in 2016. In 2022, he was also appointed to the Buckinghamshire County Cricket Board, as a Non-Executive Director, and is currently the only ethnic minority member of the Board.

Gabriela Leão de Sousa

Junior Associate Attorney

Mattos Filho

In addition to her role as a Junior Associate Attorney in the White-Collar Practice at Mattos Filho, Gabriela is an active member of the "Soma Group," which promotes equity for black people and combats systemic racism in the Brazilian legal environment. Since joining the group in 2019, she has participated in events as mediator and panelist. Besides, she published and assisted colleagues in publishing articles on violence against the black population in Brazil and hate crimes related to race. Furthermore, Gabriela is also actively involved in pro bono cases at Mattos Filho related to racial crimes and LGBTQI+ rights. Beyond her role at Mattos Filho, Gabriela has been dedicating herself to black movements since college. She recently coordinated the communication sector of a major event called "Pre-International Congress of the 6th African Region", which facilitated discussions on the reality of black people in various countries in 2021-2022.

Tracey-Lee Johnson

Group Financial Manager - Financial Planning and Analysis

MiX Telematics

Tracey-Lee, the Group Financial Manager for Financial Planning and Analysis at MiX Telematics, created a five-year DEI plan upon joining in November 2021, encouraging leadership to incorporate DEI initiatives from an ESG and an Employee Value Proposition perspective. They have also engaged with MiX Telematics' Marketing team to discuss how external communications can better reflect DEI values and had meaningful discussions with employees throughout the organization regarding sexuality, intersectionality, and pronouns, resulting in a closer team and executives engaging more on the importance of a well-thought-out and intentional DEI strategy. Beyond her role, Tracey is a board member of Fundza Literacy Trust, whose mission is to improve the literacy levels of South Africa's youth by encouraging reading for pleasure, writing for meaning, and learning for life to grow educated, empowered, and engaged young leaders and citizens in South Africa.

Ngcebo Gwebu

Team Leader and Economist

Jacobs

Ngcebo is a Team Leader and Economics Consultant at Jacobs. Recently, Ngcebo was selected to serve as the 2022 Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Executive Intern, where he joined the ANZ Executive Leadership Team and helped to drive company-wide initiatives in corporate strategy, finance and talent management. Within and outside of Jacobs, Ngcebo has made a positive impact in elevating diverse talent. Ngcebo has served as ANZ Lead for Harambee, the Black employee affinity network at Jacobs. In this role, he has helped organize local and global events to drive engagement and belonging for Black employees. Ngcebo also contributed to the ANZ business diversity and inclusion strategy called the ANZ Together Beyond Strategy. Outside of Jacobs, he has volunteered for AMES Australia, an organization that supports recent migrants and refugees to find gainful employment in Australia. He has participated as a guest speaker at events and conducted mock interviews.

Helen Alemseged Areguy

Recruitment Manager

Amazon Web Services

Helen is a Recruitment Manager at Amazon Web Services, where she takes on a front-facing role as the Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity point of contact for her business segment across EMEA. Helen collaborates with leaders globally to drive change and promote diversity in the workplace, particularly for women in tech, people with disabilities, and nationalization efforts in Middle East and South Africa. Her work involves interacting with senior leaders and HR to identify gaps and develop creative ways to hire diverse talent, retain employees, and support their growth. Additionally, she is a member of the Black Employee Network at Amazon. Outside of work, Helen supports disadvantaged communities, particularly those from war-torn countries in East Africa, where she originally comes from, by providing guidance and advice to help them find job opportunities.

Vincent Egunlae

Corporate Finance

Grant Thornton UK LLP

Vincent is a multiple-award winning accountant working within Grant Thornton’s Corporate Finance Team, having previously spent a unique year with his firm’s Strategic Leadership Team. Vincent is the co-founder and Chair of his firm’s Ethnicity Network, aiming to increase representation and knowledge at all levels. Vincent co-founded The Open Private School, a charity providing state-educated students with elite mentors in their chosen career path and opportunities to network and be upskilled. Vincent is a NED at Capital City College Group, London’s largest further education college group, providing exceptional education and training to 28,000+ students. Vincent is a One Young World Ambassador, recognised as one of the world’s pre-eminent young leaders working to drive forward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Vincent often speaks publicly, amassing over 1.3m views and was recently named the UK’s Number 1 Rising Star in professional services at the Black British Business Awards.

Liseli Sumbwanyambe

Management Consultant

McKinsey & Company

Liseli was appointed as McKinsey Black Network UK&I Partnerships Lead six months after joining the firm as Junior Associate. Drawing on her experience at Unilever, she expertly manages the network's relationships with UK-based charities through volunteering and pro bono work. At Unilever, Liseli founded and chaired the organization's first race equity network, Empower, overseeing its exponential growth and expansion into new markets over three years. She also worked closely with senior leaders to develop the UK&I ED&I strategy and collaborated with the recruitment team to increase diversity in the graduate cohort. Her dedication to helping others extends beyond her work, as she has spent four years as a mentor and committee member of the Amos Bursary, supporting black teenagers to reach their full potential. Liseli also regularly participates in public speaking events on diversity in STEM and how to support the next generation of diverse business leaders.

Jennifer Dunmore

VP, Business Development, Strategy & Chief of Staff – Commercial Risk Solutions

Aon

Beyond Jennifer's role as Vice President of Strategy & Chief of Staff for Commercial Risk Solutions at Aon, she leads the North America Black Professional Network (BPN), an inclusive community of several hundred colleagues across 14 chapters where she connects, uplifts, and advocates for Aon's Black colleagues to achieve their full potential. In addition to her BPN leadership role, she drives other DE&I initiatives at Aon, including developing diverse talent recruitment and retention strategies and partnerships with HBCUs for recruiting and culture programs. Jennifer also serves as the co-chair of the Executive Council for Cara Collective, a non-profit organization that aims to eradicate poverty through transformational training and job upskilling. Her passion for advancing Black talent has led her to bring Aon and Cara together through the Aon Apprentice program. She also mentors Aon apprentices and works closely with Cara to steward the process and increase applicants.

Melanie Warren

Business Manager, Pershing Operations, Trading and India Services Team

BNY Mellon Pershing

Melanie is a Business Manager for BNY Mellon Pershing’s Operations, Trading, and India Services teams. As a leader and appointed member of the Diversity Advisory Council, she advises the Pershing Executive Committee on its DEI strategy, programs, and goals. She was instrumental in implementing programming that addressed feedback from more than 50 employee roundtable discussions. Also, as a co-founder and member of the strategy committee of Black Excellence, an employee-led affinity group, Melanie develops programming to share knowledge and provide transparency under the theme of Building Black Wealth and Building Black Leaders. Melanie is passionate about paving the way for the next generation of talent. Internally, she participates in several mentorship, sponsorship, and ambassador programs. Externally she helps fuel talent pipelines by creating opportunities for diverse college and high school students from underserved communities, exposing them to senior executives of diverse backgrounds and the broad career opportunities in financial services.

Chioma Nwagbara

Quality Assurance & Validation Officer

GSK

Chioma is a Quality Assurance & Validation Officer at GSK and a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the Founder and Co-lead of Embrace Barnard Castle and Founder and Lead of Embrace Zinnat Supply Chain, she has successfully initiated and grown two employee resource groups dedicated to promoting inclusion and creating a sense of belonging in the workplace. She has also been engaged in conversations with HR Leads to improve diversity, led a 'Let's Talk' initiative to encourage open discussions, and participated in various DEI initiatives. Her efforts have resulted in increased awareness of important topics such as racial injustice, stereotypes, discrimination, microaggressions, and allyship and have fostered an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Outside of work, Chioma has enrolled in an Equality & Diversity Training Course to enhance her knowledge and better impact others.

Mayur Gupta

CEO

Career Accelerator

As CEO of Career Accelerator, Mayur spearheaded Race and Ethnicity focused business mentoring programs with GoCardless, Cisco and Centrica supporting ethnic minority students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. He also spearheaded a Race and Ethnicity work experience program supporting ethnic minority students. Career Accelerator currently supports 300+ young people from diverse backgrounds every year. Mayur has organized 6 quarterly Race and Ethnicity Roundtables with 20+ businesses such as LinkedIn, Salesforce and Snapchat to connect them with their counterparts, share good practice and explore collaboration opportunities. Mayur is a business advisory member at WithInsight - a charity supporting Black students to secure places at top 1/3rd universities. He has spoken at events in collaboration with The Economist, Teach First and The Labour Party. Mayur ran the Liverpool Marathon and fundraised for Black charities such as Blueprint for All, Black Lives Matter UK and Black LGBTQIA+ Therapy Fund.

Deon Pillay

Head of Marketing Operations

Legal and General Investments

Deon’s work on numerous D&I initiatives at Legal and General Investments has increased awareness, improved internal policy, and created more opportunities for ethnic minority groups. Alongside mentoring junior ethnic minority employees and reverse mentoring senior colleagues, Deon has been holding candid conversations with LGIM leadership which have resulted in the development of a Global D&I Council and a commitment from senior leaders to drive change. Deon also worked with HR to ensure company policies supported all marginalized communities and contained inclusive language. He champions LGBT+ rights for ethnic minorities through industry events, keynotes, and participation on panels. Another initiative Deon played a key role in developing was ‘Follow the Money’, a scheme designed to give children from ethnic minority or poor socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to explore asset management. This initiative has now been rolled out by LGIM’s Socio-Economic Committee and will continue on an annual basis in the future.

Rabya Akhtar

Relationship Manager

Phoenix Group

As founding co-chair of Mosaic, Phoenix Group’s BAME network, Rabya leads a diverse committee to actively drive D&I initiatives, delivering impact for colleagues, her business and local communities. She’s hosted leading academics and thought-leaders to discuss Black Lives Matter and systemic racism – which have directly impacted the company’s response to these issues. Rabya is instrumental in driving social/cultural awareness – organising a program of events/communications to encourage colleagues to learn about steps they can take to support BAME colleagues. Throughout 2020 she worked closely with Parliament to produce the ‘Young Women Lead Report’ on the education-employment transition for young BAME women. Rabya received the 'Unsung Hero' award at the Scottish Financial Enterprise Awards 2021 for making an impact in people's lives within her organisation and the wider community. Acknowledging her efforts, she was invited to the “Celebrating the Best of Scotland” reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by the Prime Minister

Natasha Persad

Vice President Client Services and Relationship Management

State Street Bank and Trust

Natasha is a member of action number 8 of the 10 Actions Against Racism and Inequality at State Street Bank and Trust that lead efforts to attract and advance individuals of ethnic minorities working with high impact partnerships. The aim to attract diverse representation through job postings, thought leadership, recognition, mentoring and learning with all partners. Natasha is a member of State Street ID&E council, co-chairs the Diversity, Disability and Ethnicity network, part of the Street Culture umbrella that supports PRIDE, PWN, ESEN, and other networks focused on inclusion and equality for all. Natasha is a mentor in the UCC Disability Support Services, INVOLVE and NEIC mentoring programs. Having completed her MBA at Trinity College Dublin in 2022, with a focus on Sustainability, Technology and Ethics, solidifying her focus on governance of ESG and inclusion efforts she completed her Diploma in Corporate Governance at University College of Dublin in 2023.

Lauren Mathurin

Senior Vice President, Early Stage Banking

SVB UK

As a Senior Vice President in the Early Stage Banking team at SVB UK, Lauren is a founding EMEA DEI working group member, leading her to Co-Chair the Racial Equity ERG and join the Global Client Success Working Group towards a more equitable ecosystem for ethnically diverse founders. She has overseen multiple racial equity initiatives and is a mentor to numerous ethnically diverse colleagues at SVB UK. In addition, Lauren created and hosted the 'Festival of Funding' event, which provides dedicated opportunities for ethnically diverse founders to understand the fundraising landscape. Beyond SVB UK, Lauren founded Insight Money Management, which delivers financial literacy workshops for underrepresented and diverse individuals. Between several community initiatives, she has also delivered over 30 seminars on money management and business development for diverse individuals through various organizations and acts as Business Mentor to ethnically diverse founders.

Jaspal Thandi

Product Executive

Marsh

Since 2020, Jaspal launched and developed the Multicultural CRG, which has grown to over 500 members to create an inclusive and diverse working environment. He is also growing partnerships with charities Career Ready and ReachOut to give back to the communities within which Marsh works and improve social mobility amongst young people. Jaspal has engaged with the UK&I and global CEOs to raise awareness of issues colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds face and leverage their support to break down barriers. Additionally, he has been working with Talent Acquisition and HR to improve the diversity of the talent pipeline entering the organization and review HR policies to create a more inclusive workplace for ethnically diverse colleagues. Jaspal has collaborated with resource groups across Marsh to improve intersectionality and create inclusivity for colleagues through all lenses of D&I. To showcase Marsh’s diversity, Jaspal launched a Cookbook to unite people through food with colleague contributions.

Shruti Bahadur

Global Leader, Employee Experience (EX) and Employee Resource Groups (ERG)

Dow

In her current role, Shruti advances Dow’s People and Culture strategy by championing enterprise-wide EX priorities and provides oversight to over 600 ERG chapters globally. Under her leadership, ERG participation grew to 58% redefining best-in-class participation across industry and improvements in EX resulted in 14% higher satisfaction by ERG participants compared to non-ERG participants. Shruti championed development of ERG Agenda, a North Star for ERGs, offering strategic guidance on positioning ERGs as a resource for the employees and for the company. This accelerated cross-ERG alignment for greater and meaningful good through leveraged collective intellect and skillset. In 2020, Shruti received ERG Leadership Award from Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). At SASE, she helped organize and co-hosted AAPI Women’s Leadership Conference last few years attended by hundreds of participants from about 70 companies. Shruti takes pride and enjoys being a mentor to many at Dow and within her community.

Ella Mbaeri

Privacy Compliance Lead, Wealth Management, Legal & Compliance Division

Morgan Stanley

As the Privacy Compliance lead for Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, Ella helped pioneer her firm’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives by establishing its first Black History Month event in 2018, paving the way for future events. In 2020, Ella assisted in creating a D&I Committee in Morgan Stanley At Work, creating a safe space for employees to discuss the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. She became a Co-Chair for her department's Black Employee Network in 2022 and delivered a flagship event interviewing a prominent Black UK political and activist figure. Outside of work, Ella is a Board member of UD Music, a London-based music organisation bringing communities together around Black music and culture. Earlier this year, she was transferred to New York, taking on a new role leading Privacy Compliance within Wealth Management.

Penelope Muzanenhamo

Assistant Professor in Marketing and Society

University College Dublin

Penelope Muzanenhamo is a multiple award-winning Assistant Professor in Marketing and Society at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. As committee member UCD College of Business Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Global Strategy Engagement, Penelope played an instrumental role in articulating UCD’s racial justice campaign. She is also Africa Lead, UCD Centre for Business and Society, and co-executive Director, 'People, Work, Society,’ UCD Earth Institute. Penelope has helped to recruit diverse researchers working on Sustainability into UCD Earth Institute. Beyond academia, she is Media and Artefacts Review Editor for the journal Organization, and co-chair, Critical Management Studies Division of the Academy of Management. In these roles, Penelope works to facilitate the integration of Black and Brown voices, and their communities into mainstream Business School research. Penelope further serves as part of the Ireland-Africa-Rural-Development Committee, which supports Ireland's strategy for integrating African agricultural actors into global value chains.

Imran Khan

Business Development Manager

Phoenix Group

With a focus on ‘real action and no virtue-signalling’, Imran is a founding co-lead of Mosaic, Phoenix Group’s BAME colleague network. Not only has Imran provided reverse mentoring to Phoenix Group's CEO on racial/ethnic diversity but he also led the growth, from ideation to implementation, of a successful new diversity data application 'Who We Are' - which achieved a completion rate of over 75% (within only eight weeks) and has transformed the organisational approach to DEI. He is a recipient of the FT Adviser’s prestigious ‘Diversity Champion of the Year’ award and in 2022, Imran was invited to a private roundtable with the First Minister of Scotland and the Lord Mayor of the City of London to discuss strategic issues pertaining to diversity/socio-economic mobility in financial services. Passionate about cricket, he is a member of the 'Running Out Racism' campaign to eradicate institutional and every-day racism from Scottish Cricket.

Omar Ahmed

Business Process Optimization Manager

GSK

Omar is the founder of GSK's EMBRACE ERG, which has grown into a global ERG with chapters and membership across multiple geographies. He is an organisational thought partner on race and ethnicity, leading numerous initiatives to embed Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (DEI) strategies in the organisation. Alongside the EMBRACE leadership team and GSK's Global Ethnicity council, Omar has influenced policies focusing on areas such as inclusive culture, data, communication, and leadership. His contributions have led to the setting of aspirational targets at senior levels, a review of the recruitment process, mandatory inclusion training, refreshed leadership training, and policy changes to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. Omar's passion for DEI extends beyond GSK. His unwavering commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion has made him an inspirational role model, challenging the status quo, and paving the way for a more equitable and just society.

Annie Xiao

Chief of Staff

FiscalNote ESG Solutions

Annie is a Chief of Staff of FiscalNote, a leading technology provider of global policy and market intelligence. In her role, Annie oversees global business strategy, partnerships, and operations for the company's ESG business unit. Annie is a founding member of FiscalNote’s DEI Task Force and has launched numerous employee resource groups within the global technology company to promote diversity and inclusion. Currently, Annie serves as a Co-Chair of Women in Government Relations (WGR)’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force, where she spearheads the planning process of WGR's annual wine tasting event, one of WGR's largest networking events, and helps organize speaker events to spotlight women leading the way in government affairs and public affairs. She is also a Co-Chair of the 10,000 Degrees Young Professionals Council, a diverse group of young business leaders that support students from low-income backgrounds in pursuit of their higher education and career goals.

Felix Wong

Executive Assistant

Allianz

Over the past year, Felix continued developing Allianz’s Global Race and Cultural Ethnicity (GRACE) network and advised new multicultural networks in the Benelux countries and Singapore. He organized the first virtual meeting of the global networks in January 2023 and developed the "Black to the Future" event exploring the future for Africa and Black people worldwide. Felix co-facilitated Race at Work webinar sessions, contributed to the UK-wide company inclusion and diversity strategy and continued to write on multicultural matters both inside and outside of Allianz. As a steerco member of the insurance Cultural Awareness Network, Felix led organisation of iCAN's popular Dive In event, spoke at events for undergraduate groups, and delivered an iCAN survey. He also led the first-ever iCAN Lunar New Year event leading to the launch a Special Interest Group for people of East and Southeast Asian heritage working in insurance and allied industries.

Tokeer Ahmed

Managing Applications Consultant

Capgemini

Tokeer is a Managing Applications Consultant at Capgemini and has been Chair of the Race & Equality Network for Capgemini UK since 2021. In this voluntary role, he leads initiatives and works with a committee to produce content and events that make Capgemini a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Tokeer represented Race & Ethnicity globally at a Corporate Social Responsibility event, raising awareness of race and ethnicity across 50 countries, and was also instrumental in creating the anti-racism toolkit, with positive feedback from the managers who have completed it. Beyond Capgemini, Tokeer ran an interactive workshop session for Tech Industry Gold Live, focusing on diversity, inclusion, and personal brand, at an event with over 500 young people attending higher education. He also supports an external mentoring scheme for young Black females looking for career coaching and volunteers for The Prince's Trust initiative to assist young people in CV writing skills.

Ritambhara Kumar

Partner

Bridgewater Associates

Ritambhara is a Partner and Senior Manager for Equities, responsible for managing all equities-related research and enablement. She joined the firm in 2009 and held prior roles in various areas of Bridgewater including as an Investment Associate and Senior Manager in the Client Service research area and most recently as Head of Talent Acquisition & Onboarding. Throughout her career, Ritambhara has been dedicated to making asset management more diverse and inclusive. As Head of Talent Acquisition, she created multiple pipelines for diverse talent and drove policy changes to make Bridgewater a better place for all to work. Ritambhara also mentors dozens of diverse individuals across the firm and is a founding member of Bridgewater's DEI council, and leader in the firm’s Asian Affinity Network and Women's Influence Network. She was named a 2021 Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow – her work in the fellowship focused on the creation of a platform to bring in senior investment talent and eliminate barriers that have historically impacted women and minorities. Outside of work, Ritambhara volunteers for a Hindu faith organization teaching kindergarteners about religion and spirituality. Ritambhara grew up in India and came to the US as an undergraduate student, graduating from Harvard College with a degree in Economics. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.

Olivia Grant

Associate

Reed Smith LLP

Beyond her role as an Associate at Reed Smith LLP, Olivia has been the co-chair of the Multicultural Network since 2021. She helps create and lead the network's strategic plans focused on embedding racial and cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion within Reed Smith's business strategy and broader legal practice. Olivia has been instrumental in the design of a brand-new career development and retention plan to increase training, sponsorship, and client engagement opportunities for Black, Asian, and ethnic minority associates, resulting in significantly increased promotion and retention figures. Outside of Reed Smith, Olivia has supported NOTICED, the UK's first inter-firm ethnic diversity network for law firms, and Women in the City Afro-Caribbean Network with several initiatives to increase the number of Black heritage women and ethnic minorities within law firms. In addition, Olivia founded 'MyStory Publishing Group' to create greater ethnic minority representation and role modeling within children's literature.

Swati Mohan

Associate

Natwest Group

Swati Mohan, Associate with Transaction Monitoring Products has wide experience across operations at Natwest Group. She drives diversity and inclusion agenda apart from her everyday work and has won South Asian Heritage Award for Outstanding contribution in 2021, Natwest Group Gender Network Advocate Award for 2022 and was selected as Top 22 Role Models across the bank. She has been featured as Empower Top 100 Future Leaders by InVolve for 2022. She is a trailblazer and is part of UN women delegate for CSW 67. She is the only woman on the Technology Advisory Board in Woxsen University and acts as a motivational speaker. She conducted “Embrace our differences and celebrate our similarities” campaign during Inter Faith Week from 13th – 20th November 2022 to increase understanding between people of faith and none. The campaign was well received and it helped to promote unity in diversity and bring the equity factor.

Adrienne King

External Manufacturing Vaccines Operations Lead

Merck

In addition to being an External Manufacturing Operations Lead at Merck, Adrienne has created global forums, the first of their kind at Merck, to center the voices of Black employees and build a strong sense of community. The Community Conversation forums are attended routinely by hundreds of employees. The forum supports, educates, and empowers Black employees and their allies. Additionally, Adrienne developed for the Sister Circles forum, a space for women of color and their allies to discuss topics like imposter syndrome and emotional tax. As a result of her daughters being routinely subjected to bullying because of their race, Adrienne founded The PairUP Society, a Non-Profit organization. In this capacity she works with students and families who are subjected to bullying, harassment and discrimination related to their race or culture to help them make advocacy plans and seek support.

Leanna Hay

Executive Assistant / ERG Engagement Lead

Experian

Beyond her role as Executive Assistant at Experian, Leanna has significantly contributed to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In 2020, she launched the first race and ethnicity Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Experian UKI, an inclusive safe for Black employees to work and fulfil their potential. In addition, Leanna advocated for greater transparency and reporting of DEI and has spearheaded Black History Month celebrations with the purpose to uplift and celebrate Black heritage and culture. Leanna has also established a volunteer led community outreach programme, focusing on career insights and financial education workshops, covering the importance of credit scores, consequently, impacting the lives of over 600 young people from underserved communities. Her leadership, dedication and passion for promoting DEI in the workplace has made a positive impact at Experian and amongst her colleagues. Leanna has also championed for Experian UKI to sign the Race at Work Charter and the Halo code, committing to improving equality and opportunity in the workplace.

Marc-Olivier Lamaro

Senior Compliance Business Partner International

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Marc-Olivier is a Senior Compliance Business Partner International at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he is the only diverse member of the Leadership team within their International business. Because of that, he advocates for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, coaching and mentoring Black, Brown, and Asian colleagues by sharing his experiences. As the Executive Sponsor of the VIBE enterprise network group, Marc-Olivier advocates for resources to lead Ethnicity Promotion activities and conducts training and external events. Outside of work, he mentors young students through City Year, a UK organization that supports ethnically diverse students about to graduate. Additionally, he gives an annual lecture to 'All Race at Work' members to inspire them to succeed professionally and achieve their goals. Most recently, Marc-Olivier has taken part in one of his Company Diversity program, 10,000 Black Interns, during which he will be mentoring an ethnically diverse student in Law.

Lim Pang Qi

Director, Asia Business Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Fidelity International

Lim Pang Qi is a Director and Asia Business Lead for Strategic Initiatives at Fidelity International. He is the co-lead for the Asian Voices Network, which promotes cultural diversity, inclusion, and racial awareness from a broad Asia perspective. Over the past year, Lim led a global campaign about the appreciation of Asian culture, contributed content associated with Asian music and instruments whilst messaging music’s universal ability of bringing diverse people together. Lim spoke at an employee panel representing the Asia Region during a Race and Representation company event in 2020. On the panel, Lim spoke about his upbringing in a unique multi-racial society in Singapore and how its education system and military service helped shape his positive outlook towards diversity and inclusion. Beyond Fidelity, Lim is a proud Singaporean who embraces multi-racialism, and aspires to be an active promoter of cultural diversity and inclusion in the wider APAC region.

Jennie Koo

Head of Operations Risk Management

Capital One

Intersectionality is a key focus that Jennie has been driving into conversations since joining Capital One in late 2018. Recognizing that a focus on ethnicity alone will not be enough to address the changes that are required, Jennie has been providing a social mobility lens to the organization’s initiatives. The ‘Privilege Walk’ exercises she organized raised awareness of the different levels of privilege existing within the firm’s own teams, whilst the community engagement workstreams aimed to role model within schools and charities in order to tackle challenges to social mobility. Along with launching a reciprocal mentoring scheme for Senior Leaders to learn from others, Jennie also established open conversations on the increase in anti-Asian racism to raise awareness and ensuring that the mental health implications were considered as part of return-to-office initiatives. As a Director on the Board of Women in Banking & Finance, Jennie brings ethnicity into focus within the gender conversation.

Ruth Ekong

Director - Commercial Strategy & Ops | Solicitor

Fitch Group

As Director within the Commercial Strategy and Operations team at Fitch Group, Ruth manages and negotiates global contracts for the business. Ruth also co-founded and chaired the Fitch EMBRACE network, an internal diversity network that aims to promote and educate on racial equality, career advancement, and network expansion. She has supported the growth of the EMBRACE Network to four more chapters globally and hosted company-wide panel events to educate business leaders on race and equality. In March 2021-2022, Ruth also advised on the DEI Council regarding company diversity initiatives and facilitated a partnership with the BYP Network to increase the hiring and representation of Black and minority staff. She also participated in creating an ERG Cross Mentorship Program for staff across the company. Beyond her role at Fitch as a Venture Scout, she volunteers with LevelUp Ventures (HEARST) by joining venture capital pitches for minority-owned businesses in New York.

Thais Bento

Tax Lawyer

Mattos Filho

Thais is a Tax Lawyer at Mattos Filho and represents the firm in the Legal Alliance for Racial Equity and in the Brazilian Bar Association Racial Working Group, both aiming to increase diversity and inclusion in the Brazilian legal market. Through her involvement in the Mattos Filho's racial ERG, called SOMA, she has worked with lawyers and partners to promote a work environment that supports career development for Black people and fosters awareness of gender and race matters. In this context, Thais has an exceptional performance guiding interns from other legal teams in their hiring interviews at the firm and promoting initiatives regarding the importance of Black’s history and culture in Brazil. Furthermore, she also had an outstanding participation in several events, such as in the lecture about algorithmic racism at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo and the podcast discussing ways to increase diversity in a corporate environment.

Zain Nazar

Software Degree Apprentice

BT Group

As a Software Degree Apprentice at BT Group, Zain made history as the youngest-ever Chairman of BT Muslim Network, leading company-wide campaigns for Ramadan, Eid & Islamophobia Awareness Month. His efforts increased network membership by over 350% since he joined the network. Zain's work on diversity and inclusion also led him to be part of BT Group CEO Philip Jansen's 'D&I Working Party,' where he spearheaded a 'Diversity in Apprentice Recruitment' survey. The survey's findings were incorporated into BT Group's D&I policy, and 12 action plans were set in motion to bring more diverse talent into the company. Zain also helped develop a multi-faith room blueprint, allowing hundreds of BT employees and visitors from all faiths to fulfill their religious commitments. Beyond BT, Zain co-founded ACE Insights, a social mobility organization to empower young adults and students from deprived London boroughs to navigate post-16 life with alternatives to university.

Abdur Rahman

Head of Product - Client Data & Analytics

Lloyds Banking Group

Seen as a big rising star within Cloud, Data and Tech with an extensive network, Abdur has been recognized as an inspirational ethnic role model by the company, leading to public speaking opportunities and industry awards. He became the first British-Bangladeshi to win the AI Professional of the Year in 2022 and was also crowned 2020 Computing Rising Star of the Year in Financial Services. He is an active member of various internal initiatives, including the LBG REACH and Muslim networks, where he advocates for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. A mentor to a number of ethnic minority colleagues, Abdur is also visibly promoting the advancement of female Asians in tech. Beyond Lloyds Banking Group, he founded The Coder's Club, an initiative to help ethnic minorities gain software engineering skills through coaching and workshops. Moreover, in his spare time, Abdur is studying for his 4th degree and was recognized at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards in 2022.

Tiffany Woo

Center of Excellence Lead, Medical Affairs International and Global Lead, Asia Pacific Assoc ERG

Organon

Tiffany Woo is Center of Excellence Lead, Medical Affairs International and Global Lead, Asia Pacific Association, Employee Resource Group of Organon, a spinoff of Merck dedicated to Women’s Health. She has worked and published in clinical research for over 20 years and has experience in many therapeutic areas in global clinical and medical affairs lead roles. She is an alumna of both Columbia University and NYU where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Electrophysiology. She is a 2021 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award recipient from the Asian American Business Development Center and received the 2021 Women of Color in Pharma Trailblazer Award. Tiffany is also the Vice President of the Columbia University Alumni Club of NY and Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee, Advisor for the Asian Columbia Alumni Association and is an active ally for Asian alumni and colleagues.

Christiane Costa

Corporate Communications Manager

JTI

Christiane is a true champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion at JTI. Her unwavering dedication to promoting ethnic and racial diversity is simply remarkable. As the leader of embRACE, an Employee Resource Group, from 2020 to 2022, and now as the Communication and Engagement Lead, she has created a powerful sense of belonging for employees of diverse backgrounds. Her advocacy for a safe space to share experiences, learn, and grow has ensured that everyone feels valued and heard. To support her colleagues even more, she attended Harvard's Women of Color Leadership program - a testament to her dedication and passion for creating positive change. Through her hard work, she has formed a network of change agents and ambassadors at all company levels, creating an environment of psychological safety and advocating for gender, sexual, and ethnic diversity at panel events.

Eka Zhao

Team Lead

Bridgewater Associates

Eka leads a team of investment professionals who play a central role in Bridgewater’s portfolio implementation process. Beyond her job within Bridgewater’s Investment Engine, she serves as the co-head of the Bridgewater Asian Affinity Network (AAN). In this role, she leads initiatives focused on empowering and recognizing the AAPI community while supporting all diverse communities. In her Team Lead role, she advocates for increasing diverse representation in the candidate pool and mentors the next generation of investment professionals and diverse talent. She also helps ensure that the team’s developmental program is inclusive and collaborates with others to constantly evolve them through time. In addition, she regularly represents Bridgewater on panels and mentorship programs focused on developing minority talent in the investment industry.

Renee Sterling

EMEA Regulatory Controller

Wells Fargo

Renee is the EMEA Regulatory Controller at Wells Fargo, and in the last 18 months, she has been active in the International Finance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Council. She created and led the 2022 Power Skills Challenge, which involved organizing teams to take courses on inclusion. This initiative received great feedback from colleagues and sparked more interest in DE&I deep dive sessions with the Finance leadership team. Beyond Wells Fargo, Renee co-founded and co-hosts a podcast called Race2Rise, where she and her friend discuss their experiences as black women working in the City of London. Their most popular episode is Can We Live?, which gave insight on how they felts watching events that unfolded in 2020. The podcast has been downloaded in 69 countries and counting. As a vocal advocate for DE&I, Renee uses her platform to bring awareness and change to the workplace and beyond.

Ugochi Onwuanibe

Associate Director, Deal Execution

KPMG

At KPMG, Ugochi co-founded an informal community for Black Heritage staff within her team. The group comprises over 30 Black heritage staff members across all levels. Through it, Ugochi provides mentorship to junior team members and encourages socials to foster community. As someone who has rapidly progressed, Ugochi uses her experience to drive representation, and support others in the community with their professional development. She has also supported KPMG's Black Heritage and Women in DA Insight programmes as an assessor of candidates and volunteer. Outside of work, Ugochi is part of the leadership team at KINSIS, a CIC driving change for women of Black Heritage in Higher Education through community building, development programmes, and research. She supports several aspects of KINSIS, including finances, strategy, and KINSIS’ flagship Holistic Leadership Academy. Ugochi has also coached four students from KINSIS’ student communities, helping them to excel during internships and achieve academic success.

Charlene Henry

People Partner Stores Service Centre

One Stop

With over 15 years of experience working for Tesco UK, Charlene is One Stop's People Partner Stores Service Centre. In 2022, she became the Chair of the Race and Ethnicity network at Tesco UK, leading a steering committee of 20 colleagues to deliver the network objectives and drive a more diverse and inclusive culture. Charlene partnered with Executive team members and Senior Director sponsors to shape the network objectives and developed a team to support the delivery of goals and resources, including large celebration events. She leverages her experience working with diverse communities to advance racial equity, build positive relationships across Tesco businesses, and diversify the talent pipeline. Charlene is also a member of Tesco's Diverse Talent Community & Black Action Plan, focusing on improving representation through targeted interventions.

Lina Cano-Ackerman

IT Service Leader

Dow Chemical

Lina is an IT Service Leader at Dow Chemical and a strong advocate for Hispanic and Latin individuals. With a deep passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, she pursued opportunities for leadership within the Hispanic and Latin Network (HLN) to have a broader impact on the company. Lina has held various leadership roles, including serving as an Advocacy Leader on Dow's HLN Senior Council. Her work addresses inequities impacting the Hispanic and Latin communities, including under-representation in corporate America and promoting growth opportunities within the company. Lina spearheaded the development of an Advocacy Strategy for Dow's HLN ERG in alignment with DOW ACTs, a holistic framework that addresses racial injustice and systemic racism. Additionally, she partnered with the non-profit group Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) to bring professional development programming for Dow employees and is Dow's representative in the Greater Houston Partnership Immigration Advisory Committee.

Nicole Perryman

Manager, Professional Services - Business Consulting EMEA

Adobe

Beyond her role at Adobe, Nicole has been leading professional development initiatives since she joined in 2018. She was appointed as Co-Lead for the Black Employee Network (EMEA) in 2021 managing a community of 160 black employees and allies with a mission to recruit, retain and advance black individuals at Adobe. She launched EMEA's first BEN mentoring program and is a core team member that re-launched the Global Executive Sponsorship Program for Black colleagues. In 2020, Nicole created the "Invest in Success" development program to empower her black colleagues across the globe to drive conversations on growth and advancement. Nicole actively leads conversations on DEI within her work, including building a strategy for diverse hiring and tackling unconscious bias. Nicole is building a workplace for the future and actively pushes for mentors at the Active Horizons Charity to help support children in making informed decisions for their future.

Francia Sales

Head of Contact Center

Manulife Business Processing Services

Beyond her role as the Head of the Contact Center at Manulife Business Processing Services, Francia is also the Executive Chair/Sponsor for the Global Women's Alliance (GWA). As a diversity and inclusion leader, she advocates for women's empowerment, raising awareness of issues facing women in the workplace and promoting an inclusive environment that supports their advancement. She acts as a spokesperson within the company and externally, sponsoring activities and participating in discussions that support diversity and inclusion. Francia represented the Philippines in a series of roundtable discussions since 2021-present, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the Workforce management industry and women's leadership. She spoke about how women's leadership in the WFM industry can bring change and transformation, as a significant percentage of women's leadership has increased post-pandemic. She believes, as women, we should also uplift other women, and succeed together with our counterparts—whenever and wherever possible.

Rioh Burke-Derby

Management Consultant, Growth & Strategy

Avanade

Rioh has used his leadership position at Avanade to create company-wide opportunities for unique learning and development. During Black History Month, he facilitated a company-wide fireside chat between Dr. Maki Mandela and Pam Maynard, Avanade's CEO. Rioh also works closely with Senior Leadership to help drive race and ethnicity conversation for long-term sustainable change. He regularly connects with key stakeholders across all levels of Avanade, including the CEO and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, to elevate the voices of Avanade's ethnically diverse employees. Rioh continues to push leaders across the business to implement and achieve their KPI’s pertaining to DEI. Rioh’s influence goes beyond Avanade, and he also facilitates a quarterly cross-industry roundtable to discuss race and ethnicity, allyship, and how leadership teams in the City of London can help move the needle.

Ericka Shoulars

Vice President, Program Manager

Bank of New York Mellon

In addition to her role as a Program Manager at BNY Mellon, Ericka is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the company. She developed and launched the first global mentoring program for IMPACT, the firm’s multicultural employee resource group in 2022. The program’s success has contributed to an increase in participation by 200% in 2023. She also serves on the leadership team of DiverseTech; an IMPACT subcommittee focused on attracting and retaining people of color in technology. Last year, Ericka coordinated an event for Juneteenth on allyship and advocacy in action, attended by more than 100 participants of different ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, she served as the co-lead for the BNY Mellon Howard University Mentoring Program, matching 20 students with 20 Black senior leaders. Outside of work, Ericka is a member of ITSMF, where she has facilitated sessions for their college mentees focusing on resume building, interviewing, networking, and negotiation.

Leah Adeniran

Associate

Latham & Watkins

Leah is a Corporate Associate at Latham & Watkins. As Co-Chair of Latham’s London Black Lawyers Group (BLG), over the last 18 months, she has led the BLG’s mission to recruit, retain and promote Black talent. Leah organised financial literacy sessions for BLG members; participated in the BLG's award-winning mentoring programme; and curated the 'Across Generations' exhibition to celebrate UK Black History Month, as reported by The Guardian newspaper. Leah actively contributes to firm’s graduate recruitment efforts and was appointed to the Recruiting Committee in London. She also supported Latham’s sponsorship of 'The 1% Study', a research investigation addressing the underrepresentation of Black partners in UK law firms. Outside of Latham, Leah presented on effecting organisational change at a Runnymede Trust conference and mentors aspiring lawyers through several external organisations.

Marissa Yu

Expert Counsel

The Dow Chemical Company

Marissa is Expert Counsel at Dow and is the Company’s North America Chair for the Asian Diversity Network (ADN), an employee resource group (ERG). Marissa firmly believes in doing the hard work needed to examine and challenge beliefs and inequities. She led ADN to develop the Re-Model Minority Series that examined the harm of the “Model Minority” myth on the AAPI community. She shared her story of anti-Asian hate in listening sessions, delivering ADN’s impact statement at Dow’s internal All-ERG conference. Marissa hosted an event on Authentic Allyship with Dow’s Global African Affinity Network, where experts in race and social justice spoke on the experiences of Asian and Black communities. For International Women’s Day, she moderated panel discussions on the disparities between women of color and Caucasian women in the workplace. Marissa has also spoken at external conferences on inclusion and diversity, including the Women of Ascend Leadership Conference.

Nora Younes

Talent Acquisition Advisor Middle East, Africa and Turkiye

Boeing

As a Talent Acquisition Advisor at Boeing, Nora is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion through her hiring efforts. She actively builds awareness with hiring managers to consider diverse candidates in their pipeline and presents them with diverse slates. She encourages hiring managers to have a diverse interview panel and actively sources female talent for open roles. Having grown up as a Palestinian and having lived in six countries throughout her life, D&I is ingrained in her DNA. She is dedicated to advancing D&I within the aviation industry and play an active role in participating in external D&I conferences. Nora holds a degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management and has extensive experience in Talent Acquisition across various industries between UK and UAE and has promoted D&I efforts throughout her career.

Christopher Jackson

Director of Sustainable Geoscience

Jacobs

Christopher is the Director of Sustainable Geoscience at Jacobs, where he has been an active member of the employee network for Black staff and their allies, 'Harambee,' since May 2022. He contributes to their 'Courageous Conversations' talk series, highlighting the importance of professionalizing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion practices. Christopher is also helping to re-establish a mentoring program that pairs Black colleagues with those at Vice-President grade or higher. He also mentors two Black earlier career colleagues, providing them with personal and professional guidance through bi-monthly meetings. Beyond Jacobs, he is a founding trustee of the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, supporting 14 Black, socially disadvantaged students through UK Higher Education institutions. He has been featured in several print and online articles focused on race and racism in science and academia and has visited schools to talk about his journey, focusing on areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage.

Bana Kawar

Senior Enablement Lead

Amazon Web Services

Bana Kawar is a on a mission - to empower people to thrive in an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment. Beyond her day job as a Senior Enablement PM Lead, Bana co-founded the EMEA Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity chapter, reaching 1,400+ Amazonian change-agents across 35+ countries. Bana believes in IDEA where A stands for Action. The chapter delivers programs to empower Amazonians, amplify their voices, and recognize their contributions. She co-built global IDE initiatives and certification programs to lead the change motion. Bana partners with global leaders and teams to promote IDE internally and externally. She is also an Amazon Bar Raiser, actively involved in hiring the next generation of talent and ensuring equitable hiring. Outside of work, Bana volunteers at The Prince Trust and Involve to support the next generation of leaders. She is an active member in the DE/UK WiSE chapters, empowering women in the Sales Enablement field.

Daniel Clarke

Senior Clients & Markets Manager

Kennedys LLP

Daniel is a Senior Clients & Markets Manager at Kennedys. Prior to transferring to the firms New York office in October 2022, Daniel was based in Kennedys Singapore office and was Chair of the APAC Diversity & Inclusion Committee at the firm. Also in 2022, he received the award of 'Diversity and Inclusion Champion' issued by Speak In Asia, for his exceptional work in managing multi-cultural and multi-location teams, and working with specialist teams across Asia Pacific. In 2021, Daniel participated in two panel discussions, one of which he moderated directly and included the former Prime Minister of Denmark at the 2021 Dive In Festival, the international festival for diversity and inclusion in insurance, an initiative of Inclusion@Lloyd's.

Lorna Nsoatabe

Partner

Slaughter and May

As an associate at Slaughter and May, Lorna has led as co-chair of DIVERSE, the firm’s race and ethnicity inclusion network, growing the network to one hundred and seventy members. She has organised various events including a celebratory and educational reflection on the history and cultural significance of Carnival; and a Stephen Lawrence Day event with the firm’s Family Network, alongside Educating Matters on conversations about race at home. She has also led training and discussions on allyship and inclusion, engaging senior leaders and allies on fostering inclusivity. She was the only associate on a partner-led recruitment strategy committee, contributing to the trainee recruitment strategy, particularly for underrepresented groups. Lorna has invested much of her time, personally and professionally, to support ethnic minority students and lawyers seeking to build their career, through formal and informal coaching, mentoring, presentations, and talks. Lorna has recently been promoted to partner at the firm.

Rumbi Hondora

Head of Marketing Deployment, East & Southern Africa Markets

British American Tobacco

Rumbi is heading the Marketing Deployment for the East African and Southern Africa Markets at British American Tobacco and has been a strong advocate of diversity in the workplace for over a decade. She is a member of Women in Trade and Women in BAT networks, where she coaches and mentor's young female talent, champions gender diversity in trade marketing and distribution, and promotes the company's D&I agenda. Moreover, Rumbi has spoken at Women in Sales for the Marketing Association in Zimbabwe and coaches' women in trade, building resilience in male-dominated spaces. She uses her position as a senior leader to champion the need for inclusive, supportive, and diverse cultures in organizations.

Nichola Silvano

Operations Technology Transformation Project Manager

Credit Suisse

Beyond her role as Operations Technology Transformation Project Manager at Credit Suisse, Nichola is actively involved in various organizational Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives. She co-leads the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Network, Strategic Partnership and Advocacy working group, promoting awareness and education, ethnic minority representation on boards, and external network engagement. Since 2022, she has been the Technology DEI Lead responsible for driving initiatives to educate and develop an inclusive culture in Technology. Nichola also hosted a Tech Career Workshop for Black Interns and has coached several female employees to navigate their career progression. Outside of Credit Suisse, Nichola volunteers with Mothers, Daughters, Sisters (MDS), a Foundation that provides virtual career mentorship to undergraduate students in Ghana. MDS also provides a networking forum for the Black British women mentors, to which Nichola contributes by arranging in-person social networking events to share experiences and develop relationships.

Dipti Kulkarni

Senior Vice President, Senior Business Support Manager

Bank of America

Dipti Kulkarni is a business support manager for a global technology team at Bank of America. An advocate for diversity and inclusion for almost a decade, she was the recipient of Bank of America’s Global Diversity and Inclusion award in 2019 and 2021. She put her passion for inspiring and mentoring women to work in 2021 through her active support and participation in several events such as the "Innovation Challenge" to promote innovation, as a panelist for the "Diversity Series" in celebration of Women's History month, as a speaker at LEAD's (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development for Women) "The Power of Your Authentic Voice" event, and as one of the organizers of an enterprise event, "Courageous Conversation: Coming together against racism," in partnership with the Asian Leadership Network, Black Professional Group and Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement. She also mentored young professional women to help them advance in their careers.

Negla Abdela

General Manager, Ministry of Sound

Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd

As the General Manager of Ministry of Sound at Sony Music Entertainment, Negla serves as the management sponsor for the internal race and ethnicity group HUE (Helping Unite Everyone), where she is critical in bridging the gap between HUE committee members and the D&I team, ensuring that the group's mission aligns with company goals for people of colour. She also sits on the Steering Committee for the Sony Music UK Social Justice Fund, which was created to address racial injustice. Negla supports the operation of the fund, including shortlisting grant applications to go before the Board. Negla is also a member of Black Lives in Music, an organization that addresses the current inequality of opportunity for Black, Asian, and Ethnically Diverse people in the music industry, and an ambassador for the OnSide Youth Zone charity, which provides inspirational venues for marginalized young people in London to develop skills in music.

Priscilla Lim

Executive Director

JP Morgan Chase

Priscilla is an Executive Director and Relationship Executive at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, where she helps provide comprehensive banking solutions to the Bay Area business community and is passionate about championing for diverse-owned businesses. This includes partnering across the firm to tell the stories of these businesses and business leaders through regional and community events. Priscilla was a San Francisco Site Leader for JPMorgan Chase’s Women on The Move and played a key role in the 2022 Bay Area Pride Parade. She sits on the board of Ascend Northern California as EVP and acts as Board Advisor to Ascend LA. She’s also involved with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (“CAPE”) and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, helping both organizations with their fundraising galas. Priscilla has been recognized with USPAACC’s 2023 SHEroes Award and as a 2023 Top 50 Unsung Hero by the Asian Hustle Network.

Karina Varma

Corporate Development Manager

Beazley

Karina is a Corporate Development Manager at Beazley and a founding member of Beazley's Race and Ethnicity ERG. Since becoming a Chair in January 2022, she has grown the network from a 10-person Steering Committee to four working groups with over 60 volunteers. Karina has pioneered a new way of working that ensures her ERG volunteers are rewarded with senior leadership exposure and relationship-building opportunities. Recent work includes Lunar New Year celebrations, bespoke recruitment initiatives for Cyber that created new opportunities for people of color and working with the CFO and CSO to improve financial inclusion for marginalized communities. Colleagues rate the network 9.5 out of 10 for promoting an inclusive culture. Karina has also worked tirelessly to boost engagement with cultural inclusion in Beazley's regional offices. Outside of Beazley, Karina supports Indian teenagers to feel pride in their cultural worth and establish strong self-esteem through the Chinmaya Mission.

Paul Morrison

Education Lead UK&I

Zoom Video Communications

Paul is a recognized education technology leader and a promoter of inclusion and diversity. He serves as the UK&I Education Lead for Zoom and the interim co-chair of Zoom Soul UK Employee Resource Group. This has led Paul to oversee many initiatives such as Zoom's UK Black History Month events and several engaging fireside chats. He was recently awarded Zoom UK Most Valuable Player for Public Sector as a great testament of Paul's ongoing outstanding contributions to the team. Paul is passionate about empowering and raising the aspirations of young people. He serves as the Chair of the Professional Advisory Board at the University of West Scotland and is also the founder of Idare2inspire, A program which impacts the lives of many thousands of young people. This has led Paul to receive a global recognition award presented to him by Rev Jesse Jackson, The civil rights activist.

Kelvin Kung

Project Architect

Gensler

Kelvin is a Project Architect at Gensler, with years of professional experience in Toronto, Montreal and Japan tackling healthcare, sciences, community centre, high-rise residential, commercial real estate, national art galleries, mixed-use and master planning practice areas. Exhibiting inquiry driven leadership, he uses machine learning and healthcare architectural design to solve palliative care for everyone while being inclusive of low-income, immigrant families, etc. His work was awarded Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 2021. Kelvin is a Global McGill Ambassador, an Executive Board Member for ArQuives—preserving LGBTQ+ National history, Society of Architectural Historians, and Architecture is Free Foundation supporting BIPOC architects worldwide. He is a Gensler Pride Co-chair, creating safe spaces for collaboration. Kelvin solves problems for those with neurodiverse and accessibility needs: being Peer Reviewer of Neurodiversity in the Workplace, and as a Microsoft Jury to Artificial Intelligence for Accessibility. His next project solves for lab automation, pharmaceutical workflow and responsive palliative care.

Amber Tomlinson

Product Director

GroupM

Amber is a Product Director at GroupM and a consistent advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. As a Black Employee Network Committee member, she co-organised their first social event, fostering community and retention amongst Black employees. Currently, she leads efforts to ensure inclusivity in GroupM UK's programmatic advertising product set by reviewing processes, technologies, media supply, and conducting tests to create inclusive minimum standards and benchmarks. Amber also co-led a Caribbean & West African lunch for over 150 staff and personally curated and hosted an interview with trailblazer Dame Elizabeth Anionwu to educate employees about health inequalities surrounding Sickle Cell. Outside of work, Amber curated a programmatic module for underrepresented communities to gain skills and co-hosted a networking session with Visible Start participants - women over 45 that have taken an extended leave from the workplace - to create access and understanding around working in data.

Minoli Jinasena

Senior Consultant

Oliver Wyman

Beyond her role as a Senior Consultant at Oliver Wyman, Minoli serves as the Lead of EmpOWered Australia, promoting a collaborative, safe, and comfortable workplace for all colleagues. She has contributed to the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan for Oliver Wyman and partnering with an indigenous organization, Happy Boxes, to run regular charity drives in the office, where employees donate toiletries and self-care items. Additionally, she has organized in-office cultural celebrations for events such as Ramadan, Diwali, and Lunar New Year, encouraging all employees to join the celebration where a colleague shares what the holiday means to them. She has also facilitated cultural round table discussions, where colleagues can present on cultural or racial issues affecting them, which has shone a light on these situations, bringing awareness to colleagues.

Cynthia Torto

EMEA Regional Lead, Creative Solutions

Shell

Cynthia is the EMEA Regional Lead for Creative Solutions at Shell, as well as a reverse mentor and the force behind many Black representation initiatives within Shell and in the wider community. Cynthia works with the VP of Brand to embed Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM) across Shell by auditing policies and practices, spearheading sponsorship initiatives and championing diversity and representation in content creation. Unafraid to lobby, her work resulted in visual toolkit changes to represent ethnic employee networks correctly and as a reverse mentor she has accelerated talent and helped senior leaders understand the Black experience. She co-organises the UK Country Chair’s annual panel discussions in her role as BHM Programme Lead and worked closely with the Chair to deliver authentic initiatives around race. Alongside this, Cynthia is a former co-chair and current special advisor of the Black Employee Network.

James Dornor

Engineer

Formerly Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

James Dornor formerly of Mercedes AMG F1 was one of 25 volunteers’ part of Accelerate 25 D&I forum. His role includes regular meetings to provide his input on specific areas of D&I, suggestions for future focus areas. He was interviewed by BBC Radio5LiveF1 for Black History Month, where he discussed the state of diversity in F1 and plans to move forward on inclusion. As an executive board member at Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers’ he focus’ on industry engagement. He shares his relatable journey and has actively been involved in organising STEM engineering panels events with AFBE-UK that included crucial figures of under-represented groups who are the change makers of their time. In late 2022 he won high commended in STEM by Evenfields-Black Talent Awards. His spare time, he volunteers to charitable causes by giving inspiring talks to the next generation that anything is possible.

Dr Kishora Shetty

Associate Technical Fellow

Boeing

Dr. Kishora Shetty is an Associate Technical Fellow at Boeing with a strong passion for diversity and inclusion. As a Managerial Focal Point for Boeing India D&I Council, he collaborates with colleagues across Boeing India and internationally on regular and innovative D&I projects. Dr. Kishora submitted ideas to IT Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) Innovation Campaigns to improve Diversity and Inclusion, including the idea of the 'Diverse Mentorships and Mentoring Program,' which was implemented across Boeing. He believes that DEI is about understanding, accepting, and valuing differences to perform better, while inclusion creates a respectful, collaborative, and supportive environment that increases the participation and contribution of everyone. Beyond Boing, Dr. Kishora is part of mentoring groups such as the Society of Women Engineers and mentors early and mid-career engineers globally for career progression, technical skills development, and overall growth.

Narmda Bhudia

EMEA Credit Risk Manager

GroupM

Narmda is a EMEA Credit Risk Manager at GroupM, and since June 2022, has Chaired Lifetimes, GroupM's intersectional and intergenerational group. As an older Asian woman, she wanted to contribute to a specifically intersectional group to ensure that we all have thriving careers throughout our lifetimes. She works across ERGs to surface specific experiences of older men, women, parents, carers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and with disabilities and conditions. Narmda has worked tirelessly to raise issues that particularly impact minoritized older people. Through her advocacy, policies have been updated to provide better support, including a 24/7 menopause helpline and a 3-year plan for WPP to provide support to women through their menopause stage. Her main agenda for Lifetimes ERG is to address ageism, including initiatives of a skill-sharing platform. Narmda is also passionate about giving back to her local community and actively engages in her local and Indian communities.

Jacqui Rhule-Dagher

Associate

Hogan Lovells International LLP

Beyond her role as an Associate at Hogan Lovells International LLP, Jacqui has been a member of the firm's Race & Ethnicity at Hogan Lovells (REAHL) Network since May 2021. Jacqui is committed to improving representation, progression, and retention by ensuring that all BAME colleagues' views are heard and respected in the firm's decision-making process. Jacqui does this by reverse mentoring Partners, where she shares the experiences of BAME colleagues. Jacqui has also been working with the Hogan Lovells UK Managing Partner, since October 2022, to raise awareness about intersectionality. As someone with multiple intersecting identities, Jacqui offers unique insights and perspectives. Also, in October 2022, The Law Society profiled Jacqui for its Black History Month series. Additionally, Jacqui represents We Create Space (WCS), an LGBTQIA organization, on various panel discussions, where she discusses intersectionality. Jacqui has also written articles on intersectionality for The Lawyer, Thomson Reuters and DIVA Magazine.

Kushal Roy

Founder

Feelings Forward, Non-Profit

Beyond Kushal's role as a 9-5 Technology Consultant, he has played a crucial role in recruiting and employing several individuals from the LGBTQ community, providing them with various levels and functions at reputed organizations. He also worked with the talent teams to create opportunities for multiple employees, including working mothers returning to work after employment gaps and widows. Kushal has also developed a comprehensive document for improving mental health for all professionals and has conducted multiple sessions on mental health under various well-being programs. In addition, as a speaker representing DEI, he has shared his insights with various clients and projects. In his personal life, Kushal works as an LGBTQ youth counselor and helps individuals come out in a safe environment. He also provides suicide prevention first aid and has set up "feelings forward," a platform that connects people worldwide to provide free counseling, therapy, and treatment.

Akua Opong

Senior Analyst

LSEG

Akua is an active member of the LSEG’s Black Employee Inspired Network Group (BEING), Women’s Inspired Network (WIN), WIN Tech Network and UK Accessibility Lead. Akua has spearheaded multiple initiatives including speaker events, charity work and raising awareness of neurodiversity with an intersectional lens. Akua has participated in the City Hive Cross-Collaboration Mentoring Programme with Talk About Black to increase black representation in senior leadership in the Investment industry and is a Cajigo mentor, upskilling women into the Tech industry and delivering career talks to students UK wide from underrepresented backgrounds. As part of LSEG’s previous Black History Month campaign, she hosted the Black Leadership and Neurodiversity (BLEND) event focused on healing, information and empowerment. Other achievements include the Baton Awards STEM Trailblazer 2022, Campaign Tech Awards judge, Team London EDI Volunteer Advisory Group and The Voices in the Shadows 2021 book highlighting black women and their journey into Technology.

Adejumoke Peter-Adenuga

Commercial Finance Controller

British American Tobacco

Adejumoke is a Finance Professional with over 15 years experience in the FMCG industry. She is currently the Commercial Finance Controller at British American Tobacco, where she is committed to promoting fairness and equality for all individuals. As a cultural ambassador, she has led initiatives to align the strategic focus of the organization with the company's core values of freedom through responsibility, speaking up, being heard, and not feeling marginalized. She pioneered the 'No-Barriers Conversation' initiative, facilitating access to Senior Managers by creating a safe space for employees to share their views and be candid even when their opinions are unpopular while creating a Great Place to Work culture, fostering innovation and creativity within the organization. Outside of her work environment, Adejumoke uses informal approaches to promote diversity and inclusion, including facilitating seminars about flourishing in the Society for individuals as an active member of her school's alumni association.

Teik Tan

Procurement & Supply Chain Manager

Costain PLC

Having noticed a lack of representation in his sector, Teik has taken a leading role in driving outcomes-focussed discussion around inclusion through speaking at several high profile industry events, where his core-focus has been fast-forwarding to a more diverse industry, and fostering supplier diversity with a set of practical recommendations. Teik chaired a Multi-Cultural & Allies Network for 4-years, whilst also acting as a D&I Representative on the working groups for Site-Culture, Procurement, Finance, Hiring Manager Capability and the Overarching D&I working group. He has reverse-mentored a Managing Director and has spoken on D&I for many events including a company-wide ‘Let’s Talk about Race’ webinar attended by 440 people and three workshops aimed at the Executive Leadership Teams. As an ethnic minority professional with a disability, Teik also hopes to represent intersectionality. He founded Construct-Ability, an industry-leading collaboration between contractors, consultants and institutions, to focus on creating a positive narrative around disabilities within the Construction Sector.

Elizabeth Oladunni

Associate

Slaughter and May

As an associate at Slaughter and May, Elizabeth is deeply committed to increasing the representation of those from ethnic minority backgrounds, particularly those of Black heritage and from low socio-economic backgrounds. She provides valuable feedback, insights, and suggestions to the diversity and inclusion team on recruitment efforts and supports outreach activities. Also, as a committee member of DIVERSE, the firm's race and ethnicity inclusion network, Elizabeth contributes to discussions on inclusion strategies and leads on campaigns such as Black History Month: ‘People You Should Know’, raising awareness of lesser-known figures in Black history. She speaks to vacation schemes students about her career progression experience and her work as part of DIVERSE. Outside of work, Elizabeth is a mentor with the Black Excellence Network and the Urban Lawyers' North, where she shares university, career, and application advice and pathways into law with undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.

Jaanvi Chawra

Vice President

OCBC Bank

As a Vice President at OCBC Bank, Jaanvi is a part of the core leadership team for the Digital Team that drives technology for Digital Business and Transformation. She was one of the first 20 members of a group of 600+ employees, responsible for onboarding and ensuring their success. Jaanvi has made significant contributions to diversity, focusing on workers who face challenges due to being non-native English speakers. She has led teams from Shanghai and Shenzhen to overcome language barriers and excel in virtual and in-person teams. Jaanvi's 'north-star' approach of putting people first has driven their success. Jaanvi is also a member of the Women In Tech chapter of the Singapore Computer Society, enabling women leaders within her team and outside of OCBC to advocate for a seat at the table.

Riddhima Cannappane

Chief of Staff to Global Director of Digital Inclusion at Capgemini

Capgemini

In 2020, in addition to her role as Managing Consultant at Capgemini Invent, Riddhima assumed the position of Chief of Staff for Capgemini’s Global Director of Digital Inclusion. As one of the three CSR pillars of the company, Digital Inclusion aims to bridge the gap between technology and society and make the digital revolution an opportunity for all. Riddhima played a pivotal role in co-building the pillar’s strategy and roadmap and developing Digital Inclusion programs, specifically designed to benefit disadvantaged communities in more than 17 countries, hand in hand with local NGO partners. Ranging from digital literacy programs, advanced digital skills training, employment opportunities, and STEM promotion among young people, Capgemini’s Digital Inclusion programs have positively impacted 1.9 million beneficiaries so far - from socially and economically disadvantaged people, NEET youth, refugees, women, and young girls – significantly contributing to building a more inclusive digital world.

Andre Charles-Foster

Product Manager, Global

GroupM Nexus

Andre is a Global Product Manager at GroupM Nexus and Chair of the Roots (Multicultural) ERG. As the Multicultural chair, he led the efforts to rebuild culture through connection during a period of adaptation to hybrid working. He also served as a key stakeholder for GroupM's Sponsorship program for Black, Asian, and marginalized ethnicity colleagues, ensuring opportunities for critical feedback were created. He worked with the group of sponsees to identify challenges and lack of progress and shared his own experiences, contributing to the program's success over its 18-month pilot period, leading to a 57% promotion rate. Outside of work, Andre volunteers with Brixton Finishing School and the Visible Start program, providing speed networking, speed mentoring, and talking about his industry, role, and journey. Additionally, he is an active member and mentor with Media For All.

Stacey Oree

Head of Wholesale Non-Financial Risk

HSBC Bank Canada

In addition to her role as the Head of Wholesale Non-Financial Risk at HSBC Bank Canada, Stacey is the National Chair of the Caribbean and African Network for Diversity and Inclusion (CANDI) employee resource group for three years running. Under her leadership, CANDI’s mission is to influence the bank’s D&I strategy and build community within the bank. She firmly believes in an inclusive and diverse workplace and works with the HR Talent and Recruitment teams to increase and retain Black talent. She works directly with Corporate Sustainability to review and recommend Black charitable partners and volunteered with the Toronto Metropolitan University's Diversity Institute, to judge a pitch competition for the Pursue Entrepreneur program. Stacey is a passionate DEI advocate and puts that passion to work collaborating with other ERGs within HSBC globally and as a mentor to others. She was a 2021 recipient of the HSBC Americas Inclusive Leader Award.

Bamidele Farinre

Pathology Quality Manager/Governance Lead

NHS

As a Pathology Quality Manager at the NHS, Bamidele has taken on multiple roles to promote diversity and inclusion. As a Freedom to Speak Up ambassador and BAME Biomedical Science representative, she has increased visibility and awareness, and secured buy-in from senior leaders, which indicates a broader organizational commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Also, as a Staff voice representative, Bamidele has encouraged staff to share their feedback, which provided information to make strategic decisions to eliminate any patterns of discrimination or biases. Bamidele is also involved in various professional bodies and organizations, including the Institute of Biomedical Science and the British Science Association. She regularly speaks at conferences and educational events and has authored many articles in her field. She is also a mentor and assessor for several programs, including the HCPC and WISE campaign role model.

Tim Baros

Assistant Vice President - KYC Officer

Deutsche Bank

Beyond his role as Assistant Vice President - KYC Officer at Deutsche Bank, Tim has been involved in numerous D&I initiatives at the bank, increasing visibility for individuals like himself, who identify as both gay and an ethnic minority. As a mentor in the dbENRICH program, he guides and supports junior ethnic minority employees. He also co-led and co-coordinated two initiatives at the bank, where senior leaders engaged in soft Q&A and any-question-goes formats with junior employees. Additionally, Tim participates as a mentor and judge in the DB Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs program (dbACE), rewarding creative entrepreneurs with funds to build and sustain their ventures. Outside of work, Tim is the Treasurer of Westminster LGBT+ Forum, a voluntary group that works to support the LGBT+ community, improve services and provisions, and bring the community together through sponsored events. Tim also participates with Diversity Role Models.

Ti’Ara Brown

Manager, Cultural & Community Communications

McDonald's

Ti'Ara is the Manager of Cultural & Community Communications at McDonald's, where she prioritizes connecting with diverse colleagues to find development opportunities that can advance both individuals and the company. In 18 months, Ti'Ara has identified and advocated for over ten diverse employees to work on new teams and attend professional development workshops and conferences. As part of the 'Beyond Campaign,' she has also curated stories of diverse employees at McDonald's. Her accomplishments include pushing for brand scholarships in 2021, including educational sessions and mental health app subscriptions. Ti'Ara is known as an advocate of ethnically diverse ideas and individuals, and she understands the scale of the brand's vast platform and how to use it for good. Outside of McDonald's, she volunteers with The Humanity Lab, developing narrative and communications plans and reorganizing websites to promote fundraising toward eliminating racial inequalities in the justice system.

Jaida White

Vice President, Marketing and Communications COO team

BlackRock

Beyond her role as a Vice President on BlackRock’s Marketing and Communications Operations team, Jaida Co-Chairs the Advocacy and Engagement pillar of BlackRock's Black Professional & Allies Network (BPN). She works closely with allies, identifying opportunities for them to engage more formally with BPN members. Jaida recently spearheaded the ringing of the bell at the New York Stock Exchange to kick-off Black History Month in the U.S. and commemorate the firm’s 35th anniversary. In addition to driving DEI within BPN, she also serves as the operations lead for BlackRock’s Marketing DEI Steering Committee, focusing on how to increase the diversity of BlackRock spokespeople, make content more accessible to those with disabilities, and promote DEI within the marketing department and throughout the firm. Outside of work, Jaida has been on the leadership committee of The Family Center, a Brooklyn non-profit focused on helping diverse families affected by crisis, illness, or loss since 2018.

Peta-Gay Clarke

Senior Program Manager

Google

Peta-Gay, a Senior Program Manager at Google, co-designed and led 'Code Next,' Google's first community-facing initiative to cultivate the next generation of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous tech leaders. Code Next has been instrumental in expanding social capital, and providing access to technology education. Under her leadership, the initiative has reached over 10,000 high school students, and 90% of the inaugural cohort attended a postsecondary institution and majored in a computing-related degree. In addition to her work at Google, Peta-Gay is an Adjunct Professor at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and sits on the Board of Trustees for the University, demonstrating her deep commitment to education and the empowerment of young people. Peta-Gay is also a sought-after speaker and panelist on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and computer science matters. She has delivered talks and moderated panels at various events, including the White House STEM Advocacy, International Women’s Day, and Black Girls Rock

Shez Iqbal

Director of Publisher Partnerships

Criteo

Shez is the Director of Publisher Partnerships at Criteo and Co-Leader of their Global BIPOC ERG, where he sets up educational events, mentoring programs, and a Leadership video and podcast Series for People of Color. He also actively works with Criteo offices, across the globe to share insights to raise awareness of DEI. To help deliver more value across the EMEA region, he has recruited a small group of individuals to represent their London, Munich, Barcelona, and Paris offices. Beyond Criteo, Shez is a contributor to the Advertising Association, Asian Focus Group, where he was an active member when creating the 'All-In Campaign,' an initiative to raise awareness of the issues Asians face. He is also a member of MEFA (Media For All), as a mentor and is working on delivering a new network for People of Colour and his own Podcast series spotlighting People of Colour in leadership.

Abhishek Kulkarni

Online Strategy & Development Manager

Tesco

Beyond his role as the Online Strategy & Development Manager at Tesco, Abhishek was promoted to Co-Chair of the Race & Ethnicity network, where he leads a team of 20 colleagues to support the company's agenda on race, religion, culture, and inclusion. He engages with teams across Tesco's offices, stores, and distribution centres to break down barriers and has organized company-wide events celebrating the diverse cultures of their teams, promoting a sense of community. Abhishek's actions contribute to the delivery of Tesco's Diverse Talent Community & Black Action Plan. Also, by building trusted relationships with the Executive network sponsors, he ensures that the views and experiences of diverse colleagues are heard at the very top of the organization, enabling changes such as policy updates. Outside of Tesco, Abhishek enjoys blogging, sharing his thoughts around racism, unconscious bias and role models in the workplace.

2023 Top 100 Future Leaders

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Fixed Income Sales - Rates

Wells Fargo

Director

Customer Institute

Pronghorn Lead / Global Director, Technology and Strategy

Diageo

Executive Director

Goldman Sachs

Sr. Technical Analyst

Meta Ireland

Director, Global University Recruitment

Danaher Corporation

Offshore Subsea Operations Specialist

BP

Group Social Media Manager

Aviva

Senior Conflicts Analyst

Latham & Watkins LLP

Senior Manager, Global Strategic Partnerships and Civil Engagement

Philip Morris International

Director - Sustainability & Financial Services Advisory

Grant Thornton

Head of Client Due Diligence, Financial Crime Compliance

Man Group

R&D Director

The Dow Chemical Company

Associate Director, China Supply Chain Project Management Lead

MSD

Lawyer

EY

Senior Policy Advisor

Bank of England

Junior Associate Attorney

Mattos Filho

Group Financial Manager - Financial Planning and Analysis

MiX Telematics

Team Leader and Economist

Jacobs

Recruitment Manager

Amazon Web Services

Corporate Finance

Grant Thornton UK LLP

Management Consultant

McKinsey & Company

VP, Business Development, Strategy & Chief of Staff – Commercial Risk Solutions

Aon

Business Manager, Pershing Operations, Trading and India Services Team

BNY Mellon Pershing

Quality Assurance & Validation Officer

GSK

CEO

Career Accelerator

Head of Marketing Operations

Legal and General Investments

Relationship Manager

Phoenix Group

Vice President Client Services and Relationship Management

State Street Bank and Trust

Senior Vice President, Early Stage Banking

SVB UK

Product Executive

Marsh

Global Leader, Employee Experience (EX) and Employee Resource Groups (ERG)

Dow

Privacy Compliance Lead, Wealth Management, Legal & Compliance Division

Morgan Stanley

Assistant Professor in Marketing and Society

University College Dublin

Business Development Manager

Phoenix Group

Business Process Optimization Manager

GSK

Chief of Staff

FiscalNote ESG Solutions

Executive Assistant