Diverse & Inclusive Leaders

Loraine MartinsLeila is joined by Loraine Martins - Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Loraine’s upbringing as a young black girl in London by two parents from the ‘Windrush generation’ led to her working in the voluntary sector and, latterly, diversity and inclusion·  The inherent value that can be found by studying black history for yourself· Loraine’s own personal experiences of racism, and how they have strengthened her belief in the need for equality· The D&I strategy that Loraine has helped implement at Network Rail, and the impact that this year’s events such as the murder of George Floyd have hadRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainemartins/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Katherine RobinsonLeila is joined by Katherine Robinson – Senior Business Development Manager at Boots UK and Vice Chair of Women of WBA-UK Business Resource Group.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· The successes and challenges that the Women of WBA-UK Business Resource Group have had since it was first founded 18 months ago· The issues with ‘impostor syndrome’ and salary negotiation issues that women in particular can find themselves dealing with· Katherine’s tips on how to best ensure that a Business Resource Group can effectively support its member employeesRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-robinson-5562ba10a/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Diane LightfootLeila is joined by Diane Lightfoot – CEO at Business Disability Forum and Chair Of The Board Of Trustees at the Challenging Behaviour Foundation.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Diane found herself working in the voluntary sector to help people with disabilities at the Business Disability Forum (BDI)· The importance of recognising and developing a strong understanding of both visible and invisible disabilities· The need to be considerate and empathetic regarding the possibility of undisclosed invisible disabilities as a possible explanation for employee performance issues· How working from home and other flexible working possibilities can help overcome the disability employment gapRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-lightfoot-6a357114/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Cindy GallopLeila is joined by Cindy Gallop – Founder & CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn and IfWeRanTheWorldIN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Cindy went from working in marketing and advertising to founding her own companies and becoming a consultant· Cindy’s unique background as a half-Asian/half-English female, and the impact that she feels this had on her own entrepreneurial streak· Cindy’s own personal tips for maximising the impact of Diversity & Inclusion within your organisation· The importance of implementing strong D&I principles in the advertising industry in particular· How MakeLoveNotPorn highlights ‘real world’ sex issues RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cindygallop/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Kamel HothiLeila is joined by Kamel Hothi – Non Executive Director at TLC Lions and Trustee/Advisor on Charity Boards.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Kamel went from working in an entry level role that she disliked to building a successful career in banking thanks to her rare language skills and then later on a strong NED portfolio· The story behind the creation of Lloyds Banking Group’s Women’s Network that Kamel took the lead on· The advantages of putting inclusion ahead of diversity RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kamelhothi/ “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” - AristotleContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Pauline MillerLeila is joined by Pauline Miller - Head of Talent Development, Diversity and Inclusion at Lloyd's of London.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Pauline went from becoming pregnant in school to initially working in IT, before transitioning into her childhood dream career within HR, specialising in D&I in more recent times· How Pauline used a ‘four quadrants’ approach to help decide which direction to take her career in from both short to long-term perspectives· Pauline’s personal advice on developing your own career development strategy RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-miller-73ba764/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Collette KingLeila is joined by Collette King - Human Resources Director at Studio Retail Limited.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Collette King went from wanting to work for the police as a child to building a successful career in HR· The strategies that Studio Retail have used to cope with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic· The challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals can face when ‘coming out’· Collette’s own personal ‘coming out’ storyRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/collette-king-5b689613/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Jahanzaib AnsariLeila is joined by Jahanzaib Ansari – Co-Founder and CEO at Knockri.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Jahanzaib struggled to find work initially due to the foreign origins of his name and how this subsequently inspired him to found Knockri· How Knockri uses AI learning to reduce unconscious bias· The challenges that organisations face when seeking to recruit a more diverse workforce· Jahanzaib’s thoughts on the idea of using quotas in order to encourage organisations to be more diverse and inclusive· The expansion of remote working as a result of the Covid-19 pandemicRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jansari1/www.knockri.comContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Kevin DunckleyLeila is joined by Kevin Dunckley - Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer at HH Global.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·  How they have used the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in order to establish their sustainability and innovation programme· Kevin’s recent expériences of a mentoring scheme that he has participated in RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindunckley/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Neil ShorthouseLeila is joined by Neil Shorthouse - Founder & Chief Executive at Shorthouse Hospitality Ltd.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Neil developed his HR career within the hospitality industry· The character attributes required and challenges that you can face as an HR professional· The importance of being there for employees and ensuring that they are safe and well RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/neilshorthouse/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Emma CoddLeila is joined by Emma Codd - Global Inclusion Leader at Deloitte.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Emma went from graduating in history to working as a Professional Services Researcher before moving to Deloitte and rising through the ranks to Partner level there· Emma’s battles with Impostor Syndrome· Getting the balance right between your career and being a responsible parent RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-codd-b8bb7111/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Paula GildertLeila is joined by Paula Gildert - VP Head Research and Development Procurement at Takeda. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·         What inspired Paula to pursue a career in procurement·         How procurement can empower diversity through its empathetic approach to influence and global access·         The harmony between D&I and leadership, and how critical this is to procurement in particular·         Achieving “breakthrough thinking” and resisting the urges of Imposter Syndrome·         Paying attention to the human behind all diversities, whether visible or invisible RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-gildert-547b987/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Tali ShlomoLeila is joined by Tali Shlomo - Head of Inclusion and Wellbeing - Interim at Shearman & Sterling LLP.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·  Tali’s advice on creating the best workplace culture to enable everyone to bring their best selves to the workplace·  How the newfound digital environment has led to more even playing fields and more inclusive environments· The opportunity to create more human workplace cultures in order to improve employees’ wellbeing RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tali-shlomo-fcipd-8a5893115/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Des PullenLeila is joined by Des Pullen – Board Trustee at Concordia and Executive Consultant at Associated British Foods plc.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Des’ working-class background and how he worked towards attending university via grammar school· How Des found himself working in HR and ended up progressing via various roles at Northern Foods, Safeway and Wickes into a MD role and then a Group HR Director role at ABF· The challenges/pressures of a CEO/MD rôle· The HR challenges behind equipping broader numbers/groups of individuals with management skills in order to have more diverse leadership teams RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/des-pullen-b344641a0/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Alex UyLeila is joined by Alex Uy - Technology Strategist Director at Microsoft.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·  Alex’s childhood background as a second generation immigrant to New York in the USA·  How he developed his religious beliefs, and why they are so important to him personally·  Religious beliefs in the workplace·  How to bring your “authentic self” to work·  The importance of finding common ground in order to defeat racismRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alexuy/The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Debbie OliveLeila is joined by Debbie Olive - Senior Vice President Europe at CooperVision.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Debbie’s career journey to date, going from starting her career in FMCG to setting up her own business and then working in the contact lenses industry for CooperVision· The impact of COVID-19 on CooperVision· Where CooperVision currently find themselves on their own Diversity & Inclusion journey· How essential having a strong Belonging element within a company is to creating a strong organisational culture RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-olive-8402543/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Julia StreetsLeila is joined by Julia Streets - Founder and Chief Executive at Streets Consulting.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Julia got ahead of the curve by setting up her business 13 years ago on a completely virtual basis· The background behind Julia’s ‘coming out’· The story of how her interest in Diversity & Inclusion led to her creating her own podcast· The nuances of language in D&I, particularly in the LGBTQ+ space· How Julia developed a second career in stand-up comedy! RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-streets-20a886/https://www.streetsconsulting.com/Why I’m no longer talking to white people about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

James MillwardLeila is joined by James Millward - Managing Director at Eurilait, Vice Chairman at the Provision Trade Federation and Chair of Governors at Whistone Academy.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How James found himself working in food manufacturing and became a managing director of a cheese business after originally wanting to become a professional cricketer or vet· Some details on the individuals who have inspired and influenced James throughout his career· Creating a supportive environment for employees while also being careful to not hold them back· The importance of “recruiting on merit” RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-millward-47437b2/The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Ruwan KodikaraLeila is joined by Ruwan Kodikara - Vice President, Corporate Comms, International at Sony Music Entertainment.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Ruwan found himself working in corporate communications for Amazon and then Sony after beginning his career in politics· The story of how he began working for the coalition government in Downing Street· Ruwan’s personal background as a second generation Asian immigrant to the UK· The risks of being trapped in your “echo chambers” regarding the comms/media you come acrossRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ruwankodikara/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Liz SilverstonLeila is joined by Liz Silverston – Mental Health Counsellor at Eye to Eye Therapy.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Liz’s background in mental health counselling· Liz’s advice on the best coping mechanisms to use in order to support ourselves and others around us, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic· How to build stronger relationships on both personal and business levels· The taboo around using counselling and other mental health services in the UK RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.eyetoeyecounselling.co.uk/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn