Grow your team
When you become an Inclusive Employers’ Member you grow your I&D team.
Your account manager works with you to understand your goals, your challenges and achievable next steps.
Do you need more support for your inclusive culture to thrive?
1) Can you tell us how you came to be in your role
I began my working life as an academic researcher, investigating social problems. During this time, I published two articles in high-impact, peer-reviewed academic journals. My research focused on the ways that racial and religious prejudice impacted judgements about immigrants entering the UK, as well as gender bias within the criminal justice system.
I chose these topics because I wanted to address contemporary social issues, add to the knowledge base around these areas and help to find solutions to these problems. I have always had a keen interest in inclusion topics, and this gave me the opportunity to investigate them empirically.
I decided after a while that I wanted to pivot and do something more people-focused, so I ended up working in technology sales. I enjoyed this because it was fast paced, challenging and I had to think on my feet. But I realised that I needed to work in a role where I felt like I was making more of a difference, so I began working as a data analyst in an inclusion and diversity (I&D) consultancy. I was promoted after about a year to the role of consultant, and this is what I have been doing for the past several years, consulting in various I&D focused organisations.
I stumbled upon the Inclusive Sport team completely by accident. Initially, I applied for a senior consultant role without a sporting focus, but ended up getting carried away talking about my love of horse racing during my interview – and here we are!
2) Can you share an ‘inclusion moment’ with us – a time when you have felt included either at work or in your personal life?
I have never felt more included at work than I have within the sports team at Inclusive Employers. It is hard to pick one moment – I just know that I have felt welcome since day one, and I am surrounded by supportive people who are passionate about making a difference. Everyone is willing to share their knowledge and expertise; take on other people’s work if someone lacks capacity and have a good laugh with each other.
“My role keeps me on my toes, and I feel very lucky to be in a position where I’m constantly learning new things and adapting to the needs of my members.”
Join Inclusive Employers3) What do you love most about your role?
One of my biggest passions in life is horses. I have been taking riding lessons since I was young, I have found them to be good for my mental and physical health. I also follow many different equestrian sports, like horse racing, dressage and showjumping. The best part of my role is that I get to work with members in the equestrian space and help them to progress on their inclusion journey, while also getting to talk horsey at the same time!
4) What is a typical day like for you?
I don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day for me. One of the aspects of my role that I enjoy most is the variety: one minute, I could be delivering training on anything from inclusive recruitment to antiracism; the next minute I could be reviewing policies through an inclusion and diversity lens; the next I might be delivering a webinar. My role keeps me on my toes, and I feel very lucky to be in a position where I’m constantly learning new things and adapting to the needs of my members.
5) What’s been your most memorable moment in your inclusion career?
In a previous role, I ran a series of listening sessions for Black and mixed-heritage employees to understand the specific challenges that they were facing when it came to workplace inclusion. During one of the sessions, I received feedback from an attendee that this was the first time they had felt truly listened to. While that was quite heartbreaking to hear, it felt good to know that I had offered them a safe space to express their feelings and concerns.
Do you have more questions for the Inclusive Employers team?
If you would like to know more about working with us and have a question for the team please use the form below to get in touch.
Grow your team
When you become an Inclusive Employers’ Member you grow your I&D team.
Your account manager works with you to understand your goals, your challenges and achievable next steps.
Do you need more support for your inclusive culture to thrive?