TOP 10 EXCEPTIONAL INCLUSION
ADE RAWCLIFFE
AMA OCANSEY
Ama Ocansey is UK Head of Diversity & Inclusion at BNP Paribas, and is responsible for the development and execution of strategy. Ama is also a qualified Solicitor of England & Wales and began her career at the international law firm Linklaters LLP and went on to be a senior capital markets lawyer focusing on cross border capital markets transactions in the emerging markets. Ama has an interest in access to finance for individuals and entrepreneurs in developing economies, and is a non-executive director for the Financial Inclusion Forum, BNP Prime Brokerage International Limited and BNP Paribas Trust Corporation. She also mentors junior City lawyers and students.
DARA JAFARI
Dara Jafari is a Regional Director for Faithful+Gould, he is an experienced project and framework manager with a reputation for delivering and managing large programmes of work on behalf of clients. He has always had a passion for equality, diversity, and inclusion – being brought up as bilingual and having two nationalities. He has brought that passion into Faithful+Gould as the ED&I Lead. Delivering various external talks, webinars, and keynote speeches, inspiring the people of F+G to learn and be engaging with all topics ED&I, as well as ensuring the delivery of a supply chain diversity programme initiative.
FARHANA KUDDUS
Farhana is Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion. She is also a speaker and Business Transformation Leader having led teams, global transformation and product innovation at Sky Group and Nationwide Building Society. Last year Farhana was listed in Fintech Women’s Powerlist as a Standout 35, named in Top 10 Global Diversity Leaders List and led her company to success at both European and British Diversity awards. This year she is named as finalist as Head of Diversity of the Year. Farhana advises across several boards and openly advocates for inclusion, in particular race equality – she is Judge at the European Diversity Awards, Judge at Trailblazers Race Equality Matters and sits on Advisory Boards for Amplo Global and Tell MAMA.
MARLON WILSON
Marlon brings diverse people together establishing safe and inclusive communities, where everyone feels empowered to be their true authentic self, have a voice, and collectively celebrate and elevate uniqueness.
As BT’s Ethnic Diversity Network Deputy Chair, Marlon supports the commercialised relationship with the Aleto Foundation, a charity that supports next generation diverse leaders. And as Programme Director for the Foundation for Reach Society and management member for Reach Society, he coordinates inspirational events in urban areas across UK. Inspiring young audiences and helping them understand and explore potential career pathways.
NWACHUKWU AGHANYA
Nwachukwu is a director in PwC’s Financial Services (FS) practice, working with some of their largest global clients. Though this is his working background, his passion and enthusiasm for change and making business more inclusive is just as important to him. His D&I initiatives are based on ‘moving the dial’ and ‘changing the narrative’. To Nwachukwu, ‘move the dial’ means increasing the diverse background of people in business. ‘Change the narrative’ relates to showing the difference one person with an honest goal can make. He hope his work will inspire others to be part of the story.
PRISCILLA BAFFOUR
Championing TikTok’s company value of diversity and inclusion, Priscilla is responsible for driving the global D&I strategy. Prior to joining TikTok she oversaw the FT’s first global diversity and inclusion strategy and was responsible for leading ITN’s strategy; accelerating their work around the Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap. Before that Priscilla spent five years at Channel 4 where she spearheaded 4Talent and won the Deputy Prime Minister’s Excellence Award for playing a pioneering role in tackling social mobility. Priscilla was also part of the team responsible for implementing Channel 4’s 360 Diversity Charter.
SAFIA KUKASWADIA
Safia Ann Kukaswadia is a spirited diversity, equity and inclusion expert. Her corporate experience is complemented by a creative background in luxury fashion retail and the arts with a personal passion for developing and uplifting those around her. She is currently working within the luxury retail sector as part of Burberry’s Global DE&I team, and is a founding member and lead for the British Fashion Council’s D&I Steering Committee, influencing and advising on DE&I initiatives for brands and leaders across the fashion and creative industries.
SOPHIA LEE
Sophia is a senior manager within the Office of Global Inclusion team at Paramount. Passionate about building inclusive cultures from the ground up as well as the top down and championing historically marginalised voices, Sophia works closely with Paramount’s employee resource groups to offer strategic guidance and support as they strive towards their goals. Prior to Paramount, Sophia found her niche in DE&I whilst working in the HR team at Channel 4. She subsequently secured DE&I roles at Hogan Lovells and Dentsu.
YASIR MIRZA
Yasir joined the Financial Times in June 2021 as Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion. Prior to the FT, he was head of Diversity & Inclusion at BBC Studios where he developed their diversity and inclusion strategy and launched their Inclusion Advocates Network. Before that, as head of Inclusion & Diversity at Channel 4, Yasir was responsible for moving the Channel from 147th to 35th in Stonewall’s Top 100 Index, and at Guardian News & Media Group conceived and launched the Guardian’s Citizen Reporting Programme working with marginalised people around the world to amplify their voices, helping to find more diverse and unheard stories.