Zahrah Mamode | Sky
After completing my Master’s degree in Global Media and Communications in London, I have worked in a number of Consumer Strategy and Insight roles within the Media and Entertainment Industry.
I started my career in media agencies, ensuring that clients’ communication strategies considered the needs and wants of customers. I then transitioned to client-side roles, where I shaped commercial business strategies using market trends and bespoke consumer research. For the past 5 years, I have been working at Sky, elevating consumer led insight to drive Content, Brand & Proposition business decisions.
Sheila Chauhan | Veolia UK
Sheila Chauhan is an Education, Communications and Outreach Manager at Veolia UK.
She creates recycling initiatives and environmental campaigns to foster behavioural change for the aim of creating sustainable lifestyles and contributing to a circular economy. She holds a BSc Honours degree in Environmental Sciences and a Masters in Environmental Law and Practice.
Sheila led a team to deliver one of Europe’s biggest recycling and waste service changes across four South London boroughs through implementing a robust communication and education strategy. In one London borough, the recycling rate increased from 36.5% to 50% - the second biggest increase anywhere in the country.
Beyond her 9 - 5, Sheila’s work continues with even more vigour. She offers her services as an Environmental Consultant to the South Asian communities to take climate action through the concept of karma. She delivers thought provoking workshops and has mobilised a team of volunteers to tour an interactive exhibition called ‘Karma to Climate Change’ (K2CC) to universities, Canary Wharf bankers, and a popular Hindu festival, which had over 60,000 people in attendance. K2CC was recognised by UNESCO as a project for global best practice in the climate change community movement.
Sheila’s work in faith and the environment has led to invitations to contribute to international panels on climate change in Rome, New York, Argentina and in Windsor Castle. In her career she has also led a panel on the circular economy and sat on a panel on diversity and inclusion at the industry’s largest recycling conference and exhibitions at the Birmingham NEC.
Sheila’s new campaign and online presence is called Green Karma Blue Planet for which she has written a film. She will continue to build a tribe of eco lovers that will expand beyond her lifetime. This is the only footprint she wishes to leave behind.
Sarah Lambley | BBC
Sarah champions the voices of underrepresented groups at the BBC.
She is passionate about supporting and empowering the next generation and works tirelessly to ensure that journalism is an accessible career choice for everyone and that a wide range of perspectives are represented. In her current role as BBC Development Manager, she leads on delivering high-profile events, powerful communication campaigns, culture change initiatives and outreach programmes. She is currently on the Board of Brixton Finishing School and a COVID-19 Vaccine Patient Care Advocate for St John's Ambulance.
Daisy Collard | Sainsbury's
I love working for Sainsbury's and the primary reason has to be the Inspire network.
I really enjoy my role managing the general merchandise email programmes at Sainsbury's and a wonderful team of passionate individuals, but I count myself extremely lucky to work for a company where I am actively encouraged to pursue my passions outside of my role too. For me, this means spending time on events and communications for our gender balance network and being an inclusion representative for the Marketing department, empowering colleagues to bring their whole selves to work.
This year, we relaunched as Inspire – a gender balance network across the Sainsbury's business. We hosted a fantastic launch event on International Men's Day with guest speaker Will Young. I was privileged to take the lead on the events and communications for International Men's Day, working alongside our fantastic network team. We created some amazing podcasts with inspirational men around business, recorded and edited by one of my incredibly talented colleagues, had activity through our internal comms and held listening groups with men across the business to discuss issues from mental health in the workplace through to work life balance as a parent.
I have worked for Sainsbury’s for nearly 2 ½ years now, originally within CRM on the Argos side of the business. Since I first started, I was heavily involved in the Argos gender balance network, working on some incredible events with guest speakers including Jonny Wilkinson, Mary Portas and Suki Thompson. This became an integral part of my experience at Sainsbury’s and our wonderful Diversity and Inclusion networks are one of the many reasons I think they are such a fantastic business to work for. Prior to joining Sainsbury’s, I worked within marketing and fundraising at World Vision UK – a fantastic international children’s charity which will always have a special place in my heart.
Moving into my current role coincided with the beginning of the rise of Coronavirus in the UK, so supporting colleagues with the transition to remote working has been an important part of my role over the last year. I’m so proud of all of my team’s achievements in 2020, including overhauling our Black Friday email contact strategy which resulted in sending 17% fewer emails whilst driving 11% more visits to site, compared to last year. However, I am equally proud of the resilience everyone has shown in such an ambiguous year and the team morale we have managed to maintain through virtual events organised by myself and others in our ‘getting to know each other’ workstream. I am also so proud of everything the Inspire network has achieved, and continues to achieve, since it’s relaunch in November.
I can’t wait to see what 2021 holds; for the Inspire network, for Digital Marketing at Sainsbury’s and for myself and my team members on a personal level.
Anita Randen-Green | Ministry of Justice
I started my career as a book-keeper with Pitmans book-keeping qualifications and worked in private sector for a number of years.
The organisations I worked for ranged from car sales, manufacturing to mail marketing. I joined the public sector 16 years ago and during my time there, studied for my accountancy qualification and did my final exams with children who were 2, 6 and 8 years old. I progressed from Finance Assistant to Senior accountant in a Local Authority, before I joined the Civil service as Assistant business partner in December 2019. I have recently been appointed as a Finance Business partner and hope to finish my Masters by June this year.
Samantha Gould | NOW: Pensions
A self-confessed pensions geek, Samantha has worked in pensions since graduating from university in 2008.
Samantha has been instrumental in raising awareness of the inequalities in the UK pension system, where women often lose out with £137k less in their pensions than men. Since 2019, Samantha has produced two industry-leading reports which have gained national media coverage reaching a total audience of over 40 million.
As a single mother, Samantha is passionate about creating a fairer UK pension system for herself and her young daughter and future generations.
Samantha was shortlisted in the UN Women UK Awards 2020 and is an Ambassador for the CII Insuring Women’s Future’s initiative.
Alex Canavan | BT
Upon graduating from University of Surrey in 2013 with a BSc (Hons) in Economics & Finance, I combined my passion for the automotive industry with an enjoyment of Finance to start my career on the Graduate Scheme at Ford Motor Company.
During my time at Ford, as well as obtaining my CIMA qualification as a Chartered Accountant, I held several roles in Product Development, Business Planning, Cost Transformation and Treasury. I was also an active member of the Finance Diversity Team within Ford of Europe.
I joined BT in December 2017 within the Corporate & Public Sector Finance team leading on Commercial Initiatives and the Cost Transformation agenda. Within this role, I took on additional workload reporting on our headcount and resourcing costs as well as undertaking a project on IFRS15 for our EE business as a result of new accounting standards. After 18 months, I moved to a role where I was the Finance Manager for our Police Sector and had the opportunity to work on a number of projects for various forces across the UK. I was promoted in April 2020 and I am currently the Senior Finance Manager for our South & Wales BTB customers with ownership of our Product P&L. My role covers financial responsibility for our business with c. 12,000 Private and Public Sector customers across Southern England and Wales, delivering £0.5bn of revenue into the business each year.
Outside of the day job, I am a key advocate for Team engagement within our People Plan, leading on various initiatives around Diversity & Inclusion, Wellbeing, Fundraising and Volunteering. In 2018, I was successful in my application for a BT internal development program called TechWomen, aimed at developing women in STEM careers. I am passionate about using my experiences to inspire others through mentoring and role modelling leadership values.
Emily Wallis | Sainsbury's
Emily Wallis is one to watch in Digital Marketing, passionate about creating more impactful and powerful customer experiences.
Having worked for Sainsbury’s Argos for two and a half years she has quickly established herself as a passionate and determined colleague. From the delivery of new marketing strategies to the rolling out of automated creative ad templates to create a market leading digital marketing experience. She has worked across a breadth of campaigns across General Merchandise, Clothing and Groceries. Her enthusiasm for inclusivity has also seen her move at pace to deliver plans within the Sainsbury’s gender balance network, Inspire, in ways that have never been achieved before.
Kritika Singh | Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel & Bristol Marriott City Centre
I currently work as a Multi-Property Sales Leader at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel & Bristol Marriott City Centre, responsible for leading & managing the sales & events department for the two hotels.
My job also involves promoting Bristol as a destination on internal and external podiums.
At an early age, I was very fortunate to discover my true passion, which is to care and serve others. Hence, I made the decision to pursue a career in hospitality.
In 2007, post my graduation from a hotel school in India and having completed my industrial training, I instantly knew that I would enjoy working in guest relations/customer service roles. Consequently, most of my progression in the industry has either been through promotion or job offers via client references. One interesting story in my career development was when I secured my first ‘sales role’. I was the best up-seller on front desk at a 4-star hotel in London for two quarters and my incentive payment was twice my actual salary! The hunger for sales was immediately recognised by my HR Manager and the Sales Director who approached me for a role in the team, and the rest is history.
Reflecting on my very exciting 14- year journey, it has been rewarding. I have had the opportunity to work with some great hotel brands such as Hyatt, IHG, Kempinski and Marriott. My most recent project was the successful relaunch of Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel post a multi-million-pound restoration.
My friends and my peers describe me as lively, driven, positive, a self-starter, empowering leader, innovative and a go-getter opportunist.
I have always wanted to serve the community and in unprecedented times like these, it was vital more than ever. Since May 2020, I have been actively volunteering on field for couple of local charities such as Caring in Bristol, Can Do Bristol & Fareshare South West.
In my spare time, I engage in cooking, reading & and have achieved some running milestones too, recently being the 130k challenge in February.
Challenging myself to learn further, I have also recently started my Executive MBA from the University of Birmingham.
Charlotte Morphet | St Albans City and District Council/Women in Planning
As a co-founder of the Women in Planning network, Charlotte has actively sought to achieve equal recognition and opportunity for women in the sector.
She is a considerate, passionate, and an inclusive advocate. Charlotte is distinctive in her focus on partnership working as a route to achieving change. As a chartered town planner, she realises she has a critical role in shaping inclusive and equitable places and spaces.
What makes Charlotte unique is her dedication to evidencing the issues in the planning sector. In her spare time, she has produced research on the gender leadership gap in planning. Charlotte has now embarked on a part time PhD to study women’s experiences as leaders and managers in planning, after being awarded a bursary from Leeds Beckett University.
Charlotte strongly believes that early career professionals should have a voice in shaping the future of their industries. She is Chair of the Planning Officers Society NOVUS network for early career planners; as well as sitting on the Board as a Trustee and a Director; representing their voices. Charlotte is also a member of the Academy of Urbanism Young Urbanists Steering Committee; which is committed to engaging in multidisciplinary discussions. She has previously