TOP 10 EXCEPTIONAL INCLUSION
Simone Coultress
Simone Coultress is an inclusion trailblazer for FTSE 100 sustainable technology firm Johnson Matthey. She first entered the diversity, inclusion and belonging space when she founded JM’s Black Employee Network in 2018 – which drove her to become JM’s first Global Head of DI&B two years later. Since then, Simone has laid the groundwork and driven huge progress for employees of all backgrounds. She created and delivered JM’s first DI&B strategy, via supporting
Brucine Francis
Brucine Francis is a champion for diversity and inclusion and is committed to driving change and taking direct positive action. She brings her passion to life through raising the importance of EDI in the workplace. Brucine has had a blank canvas to deliver recruitment initiatives at Jacobs with an EDI lens that are beneficial to the growth of the business; with the main aim of increasing diverse representation at all levels. Through her collaborative efforts, Brucine has actively encouraged dialogue and facilitated constructive conversations that promote understanding and respect, fostering meaningful connections across diverse groups. Using her platform to raise awareness and challenge systemic barriers, she inspires those around her to bring about positive change. An active member and contributor to employee networks and a mentor and role model for aspiring professionals, Brucine offers support and guidance to help others navigate their own journeys.
Chanelle Gray
Chanelle Gray joined Savills as the Director of Diversity & Inclusion in March 2022 with responsibility for all D&I matters, including driving the D&I strategy, leading relevant groups and supporting the wider property industry with its diversity and inclusion agenda. Before joining Savills, Chanelle led the team responsible for supporting the staff at the Department of Health and Social care with their diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and culture during the pandemic. Chanelle has a keen desire to give back, and has volunteered as an appropriate adult at a custody centre, was a trustee of large employment charity Shaw Trust, and is now a school governor. She is the mother to a young son with a disability and writes young adult books.
Kerry Griffith
Kerry Griffith has more than two decades of experience in the energy industry. His functional expertise covers finance risk management, capability management and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). At bp, Kerry is leading DE&I for the company’s Production & Operations and Trading & Shipping divisions and is an outstanding example of inclusion, committed to leading cultural change across the company. He has chaired bp’s Positively Ethnic Network and was a driving force behind the launch of its UK Framework for Action on Racial Injustice. Kerry also successfully led the implementation of bp’s first comprehensive anti-racism training in the UK and US. His tireless advocacy is helping to advance positive change at bp.
Zarina Mahmud
Zarina Mahmud is Director and Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the UK and EMEA at Credit Suisse (UBS Group). With a career in the financial services industry spanning more than 20 years, she pivoted to DE&I eight years ago, pursuing her passion for justice, equity and business excellence. Zarina shines the spotlight on the infinite difference and intersectionality under the race and ethnicity umbrella. A disrupter of key talent processes, she champions fair outcomes, challenging systemic biases and supporting executive leaders to do the same. She has curated employee-centric signature inclusive leadership programmes that build race confidence, and invested in bespoke development interventions that enable ethnic minority communities to thrive.
Mina Prince
Mina Prince has been working to create equity for several years across multiple industries, in DEI, HR and employee network leadership roles. At Macquarie she has been a visible role model, demonstrating absolutely that you can be Black, authentic and successful and inspiring others to bring more of themselves to work. She leads multiple key programs, including developing and running leadership training, extensive employee listening programs and managing Macquarie’s Employee Network Groups.
Her work on psychological safety was shortlisted for an Association for Business Psychology Inclusion award. Mina is also the published author of Finding My Stillness.
Apeksha Naik
Apeksha Naik, who is an EDI Project Manager at GBRTT (Great British Railways Transition Team) and Senior Human Resources Business Partner at West Midlands Trains, advocates for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to be at the forefront of the rail industry. Apeksha co-chairs Rail Unites for Inclusion, which has more than 200 members and an influential LinkedIn presence. She continually brings ambassadors of inclusion together to create cultural change, and by uniting EDI-related groups such as Journey – LGBTQ+ in Transport, Muslims in Rail, Women in Rail and Women in Transport, she creates an evolutionary environment. Her ambition is to make the industry more diverse and inclusive. She also supported the foundation of a new group, Ethnicity and Race in Rail, to champion race equity. Apeksha’s visionary approach and ability to foster collaboration exemplify her unwavering dedication to drive EDI progress.
Sujan Sribalakrishnan
Sujan Sribalakrishnan, well-respected Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at Amazon Logistics UK&IE, takes great pride in leading the company’s DEI Strategy, which impacts the lives of 22,000 staff, from warehouse associates to Senior Leadership Directors. He co-founded the UK operations chapters of both Asians At Amazon and the Black Employee Network, empowering under-represented groups. Sujan runs five 10km races annually, raising awareness and funds for Endometriosis, a cause close to his heart due to his wife’s experience. Recognized as a Gold Tier facilitator for #IamRemarkable, he empowers individuals, especially women and people from under-represented backgrounds, to embrace their accomplishments and self-promotion skills.
Maria St Louis
Maria St Louis, Equity and Inclusion Lead at Channel 4, has proven herself to be a passionate and powerful champion for inclusion as she has shaped and led the way in what it means to be truly invested in ethnicity. Over the past seven years, Maria has selflessly committed to ensuring black and minoritised ethnicity colleagues have a strong voice in the workplace. Maria has helped provide a thoughtful, safe debate forum for race-related issues and identity-related issues in general, and has consistently fought to ensure that staff from ethnically diverse backgrounds can be their full selves at work. Maria’s input is extremely helpful when shaping C4’s commitments to DE&I within its industry practices, programmes, research and initiatives.
Nicole Williams
Nicole Williams is Global Co-Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging at law firm Ashurst. She provides strategic advice to the executive team and the board, spearheading the company’s inclusion, diversity and belonging strategy that is aimed at attracting, recruiting and retaining ethnically diverse and black staff, alongside advising clients in her counsel role in the investment funds team. Nicole’s notable work includes developing the firm’s ethnically diverse and black talent strategy and introducing new performance management review processes to better support ethnically diverse talent and increase profiles of minority talent. In addition, she is senior sponsor of the Ashurst Black Network and Race Ethnicity Equality Group, and founder and Chair of the Social Mobility Network.