Diverse & Inclusive Leaders

Philip HarmanLeila is joined by Philip Harman - Partner at DAC Beachcroft LLP.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Phil’s own individual journey and progression in the world of employment law· How he balances the intellectual and people-focused aspects of his role, particularly in board level case work· The impact of the Equality Act on employer organisations and individual employees· The key lawyer skills and attributes that are also useful to other organisations/professions in order to balance ethics and wider commerciality RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-harman-767bb92/ Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Cecelia CrossleyLeila is joined by Cecelia Crossley – Founding Director at From Babies with Love, Trustee at Duchenne UK and the Gaia Foundation.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Cecelia went from working in a more corporate structure as a chartered accountant to then moving into finance roles in the charity sector and eventually founding her own social enterprise· How From Babies with Love contributes to “gender strategy” and “working parent strategy” for their corporate clients· The interconnection between Diversity & Inclusion, Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) and social enterprise goals – “Every social enterprise has inclusivity at its heart”RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://frombabieswithlove.org/pages/corporatehttps://www.linkedin.com/company/from-babies-with-love-trading-ltd/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-crossley-57682161/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Ismail Amla and Oli FreestoneLeila is joined by Ismail Amla – Chief Growth Officer at Capita and Oli Freestone – Head of Institute at Capita.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Ismail’s desire to do whatever it took to build a successful career in order that he could feel part of “Britain PLC”· The value of internal employee networking groups within organisations· The importance of pushing boundaries in D&I in order to ensure that progress is continued· How Oli often feels the need to wear different “masks” as a way for him to present himself in different situations RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ismail-amla-b981891/https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-freestone-6265293/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Leila is joined by Anand Verma - European Head of Digital Services at Infosys and Founder/CEO at Brilliant Basics.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Anand’s own experiences of building a start-up from scratch and having to learn everything on his own led him to found Brilliant Basics· How an internal focus on diversity across the board can lead to not only superior culture, but also stronger products/relationships with clients· How “computational design” can help larger organisations maintain a more personal, empathetic approach to employee relationships· How important it is to not forget where you came from and maintain a keen focus on employee engagement/inclusion while scaling up organisationsRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anandverma/https://www.infosys.com/https://www.brilliantbasics.com/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Sangram VajreLeila is joined by Sangram Vajre - Chief Evangelist/Co-Founder at Terminus and #FlipMyFunnel Podcast Host.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Sangram’s passion for building communities and never standing still as an individual· Sangram’s background, from growing up as the youngest of one of 20 people living in his family’s house in India to moving to the USA for his university studies· His personal tips as a founder for scaling up smaller businesses· How to make yourself more resilient in order to deal with more challenging times in life· “Now our board rooms have become our living rooms”: how adapting to COVID-19 has taught Sangram the true meaning of “bring your whole self to work”RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONED‘Building a StoryBrand’ Podcast by Donald Millerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sangramvajre/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

John BarnesLeila is joined by John Barnes MBE – Former professional footballer for Watford, Liverpool, Newcastle United and England.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· “I experienced racism, but I never suffered from it”: John Barnes’ upbringing as a middle-class Jamaican and the racism that he experienced as a young immigrant into the UK· How to distinguish between “racist events” and racism· John’s belief that elite black people such as himself can still experience “white privilege”: “I never experienced racism, I experienced racist events”· The importance of focusing on improving the situation for “the 99%” rather than the eliteRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDTwitter @officialbarnesyContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Andrew DentonLeila is joined by Andrew Denton - Chief Executive Officer at Alfa Financial Software and Co-Founder/Director at the Leasing Foundation.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Andy’s career journey so far, being in the rare position of having spent nearly his entire career to date at the same company and risen through the ranks there from Developer/Consultant to CEO over the last 25 years approximately· The global nature of the racism problem driving the Black Lives Matter movement· The important relationship between Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (D, I & B) in tackling many of the world’s most challenging problems· Andy’s passionate belief in being as accessible and having as much of an ‘open door’ policy as possible for every employee within ALFA RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwdenton/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Christos TsaprounisLeila is joined by Christos Tsaprounis - Head of People & Culture at Auto Trader UK, Trustee at Survivors Manchester and Leadership Fellow at the Society of Leadership Fellows.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Christos’ journey so far, from growing up in Greece to studying at an American university in Greece and then moving abroad to the UK to continue studying and begin his professional career· The adjustments being made to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging practices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic· The ongoing importance of D,I&B despite being in the midst of the pandemic· How important it is for everyone to do what they can to support charities and the third sector in these troubled timesRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christostsaprounis/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Lynsey SymingtonLeila is joined by Lynsey Symington - Talent Acquisition Lead, SEA & Emerging Markets at Experian.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·Lynsey’s career to date, having started in oil and gas recruitment and then set up her own team at a start-up before moving from Scotland to Singapore·Conducting diversity initiatives while also being culturally sensitive/aware to specific local/regional requirements·How to use meditation to stay focused and dedicated·Experian’s ‘Superheroes’ initiative, which is this year concentrating on inclusion and belonging, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+·How best to use champions/allies for diversity initiatives internally RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lynsey-symington-53154b59/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Steve KenzieLeila is joined by Executive Director at the UN Global Compact Network UK.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Steve’s career journey so far, from growing up in Canada to working for various NGOs and eventually moving over to the UK in 2003· How to balance the profitability of business with “doing good” for the wider world and the key role that this can play in talent attraction with millennials/zillennials· What can be done to avoid allowing “unconscious bias” to develop within a business· How the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can help governments to move towards “a new normal” after COVID-19RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekenzie/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Nimal AmitirigalaLeila is joined by Nimal Amitirigala - President - Grace Foods Canada, Inc. at GraceKennedy Ltd.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Nimal’s unique intercultural background and his various international experiences living in countries such as the UK, US and Canada· How living/working abroad can help enhance not only your personal perspective but also the diversity journey· The Jamaican background and subsequent international expansion of GraceKennedy as a company· Nimal’s passion for educating others about the massive influence that Jamaica has had on international culture, cuisine, sport and music RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDBrene Brownhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nimalaContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Dean CurtisLeila is joined by Dean Curtis - Group Managing Director, Risk & Business Analytics at RELX and President/CEO at ICIS.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Dean went from entering the financial services industry to working for several football clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic as a youth team coach, before going back into the business world· The hope that companies are able to make the best of the opportunities provided by the Coronavirus situation, and the resulting increasing importance of company culture· How Dean has led RELX to achieving near parity on staff gender ratios (both overall and at senior leadership level)· Dean’s previous battles with mental health issues, and how he used the experience to make himself a stronger leader RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanacurtis/E-mail: Dean.curtis@reedbusiness.comWebsite : https://www.reedbusiness.com/about-us/#about-us-leadershipContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Paul ParkerLeila is joined by Paul Parker – Ex-Professional footballer for England and Manchester United, Pundit, Blogger, Corporate Trainer, Coach & Cross Channel Racing Ambassador.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Paul’s story so far, from being brought up in London and subsequently Essex by his Jamaican immigrate parents to becoming an athlete, initially at school in athletics and then becoming a professional footballer· Paul’s experience in school during the era of Skinheads and the National Front, but also being someone who other pupils were able to relate to due to his participation in sport· The racist chants and taunting from football fans that Paul had to face up to on a regular basis during the 1980s· Paul’s experiences as a manager/coach compared to when he was playing, and the different nature of the challengesRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paulparker64/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Hugo de SousaLeila is joined by Hugo de Sousa - Associate Partner/Head of Innovation and Ecosystems at Capita Consulting.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Hugo’s role in futureproofing corporate strategy and innovation· Hugo’s career journey so far, from co-founding his own company in Portugal and becoming CIO for a large Portugese government agency to working for larger companies abroad in the UK and Ireland· The need to be able to combine tech skills with softer skills and emotional intelligence in order to enhance storytelling·  The importance of separating issues such as Covid-19 and Brexit from Diversity and Inclusion in order to ensure it is not de-prioritisedRESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hugocsousa/Twitter @hugocsousaThe Godfather movie trilogy by Francis CoppolaContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

Thomas EnnisLeila is joined by Thomas Ennis – CEO at Thomas Ennis Group.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How Thomas went from a background of extreme poverty and leaving school aged 15 to owning his own network of retail stores in Ireland· Thomas’ own experiences of social discrimination throughout his life· The impact of Covid-19 on the food retail sector RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-ennis-4b877841/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Niko KavakiotisLeila is joined by Niko Kavakiotis - Head of Building Performance & Sustainability at Siemens.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Niko’s highly multicultural background, from growing up in Greece and studying/working in electrical engineering all over the world in countries such as the UK, USA, Japan and Germany· The importance of avoiding a sense of entitlement· The work that Niko has been doing internally with the Employee Resource Group (ERG) that he is leading· The battles that Niko has fought with ‘Imposter Syndrome’RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/niko-kavakiotis/How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton ChristensenContinue the conversation on LinkedIn

David Grevemberg CBELeila is joined by David Grevemberg - Chief Executive Officer at the Commonwealth Games Federation.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· How David went from growing up in New Orleans to working in wrestling, to his high-flying career in sports management· The inclusive agenda at the Commonwealth Games Federation· The racial tension that he dealt with as a young white person in New Orleans· Embracing both authenticity and sincerity as a leader· The human rights element that David likes to apply to both sports and business leadership· The Commonwealth Games Federation’s proud record as a driver for social change in the world RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://thecgf.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-grevemberg-cbe-0611634/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Mark AdamsLeila is joined by Mark Adams - Chief Executive of Community Integrated Care and Non-Executive Director at National Care Forum and Countess of Chester Hospital. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· What it has been like combating Covid-19 “on the front line” for Mark and his charity colleagues· The differences between working in social care and in physical healthcare· Mark’s personal background, having started working in healthcare at a very young age and experienced working for a combination of large corporate companies and smaller, more entrepreneurial businesses·          RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/markadams10/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Geoff McDonald Leila is joined by Geoff McDonald, Co-Founder of Minds@Work and former Global Vice President HR at Unilever. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT·The difficulties of dealing with social distancing and self-isolation, but also the benefits that these offer, such as the opportunity for reflection·“That ability to talk is what saved my life”: how the power of love helped Geoff overcome personal mental health challenges·How to deal with mental health symptoms when they are having a severe negative impact on your life, both during the Covid-19 pandemic and ‘normal times’·Geoff’s personal advice on steps that everyone can take to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-mcdonald/Continue the conversation on LinkedIn

Andi JarvisLeila is joined by Andi Jarvis – Owner/Founder/Strategy Director at Eximo Marketing.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT· Andi’s career journey to date, having gone from aiming to become a PE teacher to working in marketing· “Tapping into the fabric of what you’re doing”: Andi’s approach to marketing· The challenges behind integrating D&I into marketing, as can be seen in numerous examples of various marketing misfires and successes respectively· The meaning of diversity in different places: religious diversity in Northern Ireland, for instance RESOURCES & INFORMATION MENTIONEDhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andijarvis/Twitter @andijarvisInstagram @jarvisandiContinue the conversation on LinkedIn