DiverCity Podcast: Talking Diversity and Inclusion in the Financial Services Industry

In this episode, Host Julia Streets is joined by Stacy Lentz, LGBTQ+ activist, speaker, and co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and Eve Ellis, wealth adviser at William Blair. Together they chart the path of LGBTQ+ activism from the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement to obstacles to change in our current social and political climate. They discuss PRIDE, privilege, marginalisation, creating change through authenticity and the future of LGBTQ+ activism through policy change, accountability and corporate involvement.

In this episode we discuss transitioning two very different perspectives. Host Julia Streets is joined by Josephine Hughes, a BACP Accredited Counsellor, business mentor and parent of transgender children and Liam Paschall, a transgender man committed to promoting understanding, inclusion, and allyship. They share their personal stories about the journey of transitioning and discuss policies and practices around gender identity and equality to create a trans-inclusive workplace. They explain the importance of focusing on the uniqueness of the individual, balancing inclusion with intersectionality. Together they examine the current social and political climate regarding transgender people and share their thoughts, insights and practical advice for gender creative parenting.

Recorded live at the Women in Payments ASEAN Symposium, in Singapore on 25 October 2023, with senior leaders, rising stars and industry experts from across the ASEAN region in attendance. Our host Julia Streets is joined by Danielle Sharpe, Chief of Staff to the Global Head of Transaction Banking for Standard Chartered Bank, Sanjeev Chatrath, Partner, Financial Services & Asia Pacific Payments Leader at EY and Kristy Duncan, Founder and CEO of Women in Payments. The panel discussion explores trends and developments across the ASEAN region, gender dynamics, the power and potential of intersectionality, and the importance and influence of male allyship.

As we continue our international conversations, in this episode we look toGhana. Host Julia Streets is joined by Darryl Koku Mawutor Abraham, the Growth Director in Africa of Taptap Send and Kingsley Abrokwah, Chief Enabler and Chief Executive Officer of Kudigo. Together they discuss how tech is providing payment solutions across the continent by a generation of early adopters. They share their thoughts and insights on different aspects of diversity across the Diaspora, how tech is being immersed in the education system, and how this could develop talent to fulfil the talent pipeline outside of Africa.

In our first episode of Series 16, we begin with a special extended episode focusing on antisemitism, the ‘oldest form of hatred in the world'. Host Julia Streets is joined by Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism and national newspaper Journalist, Nicole Lampert. Together they chart the rise of antisemitism and the exclusion of Jewish people in the diversity discussion. They discuss how to provide both practical support and demonstrate inclusion for Jewish people within the workplace, and the power and importance of networks and allies.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Sophie Creese, Founder of MotherBoard, and Eleanor Mills, Editor in Chief of noon.org.uk. They explore the current landscape of women at work; the ages and stages of women in the workforce: from mothers to ‘Queenagers', which now includes five generations. They discuss opportunities for women in midlife, the wasted economic and skills potential, the (not so) ‘great break up' and the reality of gendered ageism. They discuss policies and best practice around reproductive health for employees, particularly during pregnancy, the requirements for returning mothers and recognises the midlife pinch facing women before they emerge into the ‘sunny uplands' post-menopause.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Billie Simmons, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Daylight, a queer-owned and queer-run members-only neobank and Geffrye Parsons, Founder and CEO (‘Chief Empathy Officer') of The Inclusion Imperative, a best-practice Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) consultancy. They explore how financial services can create a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ people. They look at the importance of focusing on the intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community. With the changes in the social and political climate, they discuss the compelling need for psychological safety, with a sharp focus on the mental health and the wellbeing of the community. They discuss how this includes employees working within the industry globally, as well extending this consideration beyond to its customers.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell, CEO of 10,000 Black Interns Foundation and the 10,000 Able Interns Foundation, and Philiip Olagunju, Head of corporate finance at PEM, the oldest and largest independent accountancy practice in Cambridge, UK. They discuss advocating for the unrepresented through both structured internships and organic connections. Together they explore regional differences outside the capital and beyond regional cities, the differing degrees of acceptance across the country, call out the barriers to change and consider how best to drive better inclusion for all.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Ed Warner, founder of the inclusive design business Motionspot and Ross Hovey, Accessibility Guru, Accessibility Consultant and Lloyds Banking Group Disability Role Model. They explore the importance of inclusive design to serve talent across all protected characteristics, with a particular focus on intersectionality, neurodiversity and different stages of life. The discussion leads to why there we need broader EDI strategies that incorporate an inclusive design mindset. Together they discuss the value of more diverse and all embracing workspaces, designed for wellbeing and belonging, so individuals can thrive, free from potential barriers and obstacles.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Dorien Nuñez, Speaker, Author, Researcher, Consultant and Principal and Co-Founder of The OMNIResearch Group and Paris Prince, Director - Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for The Intentional Endowments Network. Both from the United States, Dorien shares his experience of five decades on Wall Street and together they chart the changes through diversity, equity and inclusion. They explore furthering the ESG debate within financial services and make fascinating comparisons between the US and the UK. Paris takes the diversity discussion to new bounds with his views on JEDI and both offer listeners practical suggestions to drive real change.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by David Goldenkranz, Educator, DEI Facilitator, Coach and Consultant and Simeon Greaves, Wealth Manager at Coutts. Together they talk about leadership and where the power lies. In parallel, they discuss intersectionality through the lens of race and sexual orientation; self-identification and ways to create safe spaces within the workplace. They address the role of men and the future of work, the direction we are heading without male allies, a greater gender balance and a more inclusive workforce.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Toby Mildon, Diversity & Inclusion Architect and founder of Mildon, a consultancy and advisory business, and Johnny Timpson OBE, principal of Johnny Timpson Consulting and Non-Executive Chair of specialist military insurance brokerage Absolute Military. Together they discuss ways to improve access to financial products, resources and services and discuss the financial health of many people living with disabilities. They address how inclusivity on boards, changes in culture and inclusive language can bring about wide-reaching transformation. Lastly, they focus on the value of embracing intersectionality to enhance the diversity discussion and ultimately drive greater inclusion.

We kick start Series 15 with a special Youth takeover episode. Host Julia Streets is joined by Chloe, Sirad, Megan and Harrison all of whom work as Young Consultants with the organisation Participation People. They share their perceptions of financial services and what we need to do as an industry to attract and portray financial services in an attractive light. They also highlight the value and importance of representation and inclusion as we market our products and services and the group talks about career opportunities and the barriers young people from different backgrounds believe they may face. It's a really insightful discussion and they offer lots of ideas to inspire the industry, one of which is a clear call for financial education. Finally, the young people turn the tables and ask Julia some questions!

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Dr Rajiv Prabhakar, Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance at the Open University and Sian Williams, previously Director of Policy and Innovation at Toynbee Hall, now the new CEO of Switchback. Together they look at the financial inclusion going mainstream, and the persistent problems those on low incomes face, particularly, access to wealth. They discuss the importance of financial education and why for some, cash is the safest budgeting tool. Together they navigate the path to inclusion which incorporates a customer duty from the financial services industry, to create financially inclusive products, resources and services.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Danny Harmer, Chief People Officer for Aviva Plc. As an ally, Danny shares her views about the privilege of allies, how allyship can drive meaningful change and the ways in which advocates and active bystanders can support and amplify the diversity and inclusion agenda. Together they explore the generational range within the financial services industry, the impact and effects of office attendance and hybrid working models, and leaves us with a compelling analogy from Star Trek to boot!

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Bukola Adisa, Founder/CEO of Career Masterclass and Joseph Williams, Founder and CEO of Clu. Together they look at some of the barriers to entry into the workforce for ethnic minorities, refugees, and people with disabilities, and how social mobility could sustain the pipeline of the current skills gap. They discuss perception bias and the impact of microaggressions within the workplace, and the positive and negative effects of call-out culture, and offer practical tips using a 4D framework to address this. They summarise with thoughtful and measured suggestions for change and community empowerment, to create a workplace culture that will enhance the appeal of working within financial services.

In honour of World Menopause Month, host Julia Streets is joined by Sam Simister, co-founder of GenM and Rachel Lankester, founder of Magnificent Midlife. Together they focus on redressing the balance and creating a more positive discussion about the menopause, while also focusing their attention on some key areas of concern, for example gendered ageism and the negative narrative in general. They offer lots of best practice inspiration and practical insights to improve corporate behaviour in order to change the narrative around menopause. This positive conversation seeks to reframe this stage of life as being less of a taboo concern and more of a transition where women can ultimately flourish.

In this second conversation, which forms part of a two-part special episode celebrating and understanding neurodiversity, host Julia Streets is joined by Dan Harris, CEO of Neurodiversity in Business. Dan shares how it is important to welcome, maintain and retain neurodivergent talent. They discuss the realities of self-disclosure through the recruitment process and the role of Human Resources and employee networks. Dan explains how practical changes can be made within the workplace and how awareness is not the end goal, instead it's about creating a culture of acceptance.

In this first conversation, which forms part of a two-part special episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Lou Anderson, Senior Sales Development Representative at Connectr to discuss neurodiversity. Lou shares her personal journey, of living and working with Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), talking about the language of neurodiversity, and the effects of late diagnoses in women. The discussion dispels many of the myths and misconceptions around neurodiverse people and expounds on the compelling reasons for hiring neurodiverse talent; these superheroes can have a hugely positive impact on workforce teams by bringing unique skill sets and offering fresh ways of thinking.

To kick off Series 14, we are joined by two titans of tech, Russ Shaw, Founding Partner of London Tech Week and London Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London and an advisory member for Founders4Schools, and Dr Sue Black, technology evangelist, digital skills expert and Professor of Computer at Durham University. In this two-part interview, we discuss the importance of allyship, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and the fantastic story of the campaign to save Bletchley Park! We also learn about where each guest is specifically focusing their time to drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the technology industry, and explore how to fill the current skills gaps being faced by the industry.

As we close Series 13, host Julia Streets is joined by Eli Albrecht, Associate Attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and George Bettany, Co-founder of Sanctus. Together they share their personal and professional insights exploring the value of balance, rest and mental health and offer suggestions about how to navigate the balance in demanding professional careers. They discuss the practice - and realities - of observing Shabbat, and explore traditional and contemporary wellbeing and mental health practices that help people achieve high performance and avoid burnout along the way. The conversation leads to setting boundaries around the practice of faith, as well as the power of strong corporate role models speaking about their personal mental health journey.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Jeremy Seeff, partner at Epstein Rosenblum Maoz (ERM) and Director of LGBTech, and Nava Swersky Sofer, a board member, CEO and consultant on innovation, entrepreneurship, venture capital and technology transfer. Together they discuss the vibrancy and innovation of the rise of the tech industry in Israel. They look at the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance through the lens of various stakeholders, and discuss how initiatives can strengthen the LGBT community within the workplace and increase female leadership on boards.

In this episode we focus on black and ethnic minority enterprise and investment. Host Julia Streets is joined by Eric Collins, CEO and Founding Member of Impact X Capital Partners and Host of Channel 4's The Money Maker and Ali Kazmi, Founder of Ethical Equity. Together they discuss how investing in black and under-represented entrepreneurs will be a socio-economic game changer for the future. The conversation hones in on ethical start-ups and Sharia compliant investments. Together, they reason why tech is important for business start-ups and how recruitment and education continue to feed the pipeline for inclusive representation within business and financial services.

In this episode we focus on fintech and the emergence of tech talent in the South West of England. Host Julia Streets is joined by Sam Seaton, CEO of Moneyhub and Stuart Harrison, Director of Fintech West. Together they highlight the unique qualities of the South West region and the differentiation from other areas of the UK. They explain why fintech will continue to be a game changer by recruiting diverse talent for a better gender and racial diversity balance and set out some of the initiatives they are undertaking to drive and inspire change.

As we celebrate Chinese New Year, host Julia Streets is joined by Lin Yue, Senior Executive at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Rana Mitter OBE, Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China, and a Fellow of St Cross College at the University of Oxford. Together they discuss the common misconceptions about the Chinese economy and investment habits and choices of the Chinese. They look at leadership and the cultural nuances within businesses across China, the dynamic demographics of the Chinese diaspora and the opportunities to change the narrative through looking at intersectionality and commonality.

To kick off 2022 and Series 13, we celebrate the contribution of veterans. Host Julia Streets is joined by George Griffin, Customer Success Manager at Salesforce and Vice President of Vetforce, Michelle Osborne, Executive Director, Head of Emerging Talent and Military Veterans Affairs, JP Morgan Chase and David Wiseman, Grants & Programmes Director at the Invictus Games Foundation, Head of Programmes at the Royal Foundation and Co-Founder of Peak State: Mental Fitness. They discuss some of the common misconceptions around hiring veteran talent and from the wider military community and reflect on leadership attributes and the transferable skills which make valuable contributions to financial services organisations. Together they look at the importance of intersectionality, recruitment best practice, building networks and the value of the Armed Forces Covenant.

In this special episode, at the end of Series 12, we pause for thought after another busy year. Host Julia Streets is joined by Prabhmeet Singh, an award winning Senior finance professional, currently leading the Multicultural and Inclusion Network at Willis Towers Watson, and Sunaina Sinha Haldea, Global Head of Private Capital Advisory at Raymond James Cebile. They discuss the importance of networks and embedding environmental, social and corporate governance within the wider organisation. Together they look at corporate purpose through recruitment, mentoring, behaviours and biases of leaders. In addition, the discussion turns to the topic of the mental health of leaders through mindfulness and wellbeing practices and principles.

In this episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Norma Gillespie, CEO of Resource Solutions and Manisha Patel, Inclusion and Culture Advisor. Together they discuss the ‘great resignation' and the rise of Returners within financial services. They consider the different types of inequalities around when and why women have left the industry and why they now feel comfortable to return. Together they endorse the opportunities to raise the bar and support inclusive recruitment practices for Returners to become leaders, mentors, allies and to be active voices in discussions around inclusion, equality and diversity.

As we continue our international conversations, in this episode we look to Latin America. Host Julia Streets is joined by Angela Hurtado, Managing Director, Senior Country Officer for J.P. Morgan Colombia, and Juan Carlos Mora, Chief Executive Officer of Bancolombia. Together they discuss the dynamics and demographics of serving both rural and urban communities in Latin America; female empowerment, leadership and entrepreneurship; green finance and ESG. They share their insights on intentional and unintentional practices concerning recruitment and retention and to further female equality by focusing on women on boards. Together they believe that banking and financial services are key to promoting inclusion in society.

In this episode host Julia Streets is joined by Professor Atul K. Shah, a broadcaster and Lecturer at City University in the Department of International Politics, who has written many books on topics including ethical finance, accounting, risk, diversity and sustainability, and Anjli Shah, Investment Director at Aberdeen Standard Investments. They discuss Jain wisdom, sustainable and ethical finance in our current economic climate. Together they focus on leadership skills, the contribution of faith, and how ethical and belief frameworks are valuable in today's organisations and contribute to developing enlightened leaders.

In this episode host Julia Streets is joined by Margaret Franklin, President and CEO of Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) and Fiona Hathorn, board advisor and Founder and CEO of Women on Boards UK. They discuss the importance of reporting, transparency and accountability of boards and how to help diverse talent find its route to the boardroom. They consider why diverse boards and executive team representation add a competitive commercial advantage and ultimately drive economic prosperity. Together they endorse gender diversity – known as the universal diversity – setting out and welcoming the key principles of the new DEI Code from the CFA Institute. As the 'Social' and ‘Governance' in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies gain prominence, they recognise and support their drive towards removing the hurdles and legacy excuses for homogeneity.

To celebrate the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics we honour the might and tenacity of every disabled athlete. In this special episode host Julia Streets returns to the ever important disability discussion. She is joined by eight time (at the time of the recording!) Paralympic champion Sophie Christiansen, who is also a software developer at Goldman Sachs. They Julia discuss the recruitment and employment of disabled people, flexible working, the application of the UK's Equality Act, best practice and the use of technology within financial services. In the second part of the interview, Julia welcomes Christiane Link, the Founder and Director of Ortegalink, an inclusion and accessibility consultancy. Julia and Christiane discuss mobility, disability culture and the importance of valuing disabled financial services customers and outlines best practice for recruiting and retaining disabled employees.

With an estimated 1.7 billion people in the world without access to financial products or banking, this episode looks at social inclusion through the democratisation of finance. Host Julia Streets is joined by Noha Shaker, Founder and Secretary General of the Egyptian FinTech Association and the elected Vice President of the Africa FinTech Network, and Professor Monica Singer, South Africa's Lead for ConsenSys, who was also the first CEO of South Africa's Central Securities Depository (CSD), Strate (Pty) Ltd which she set up in 1998. Together they discuss ways to create a more globally inclusive financial industry, the potential and opportunities for this, the next and future generations in Africa and the Middle East. They give emphasis to the importance of encouraging girls to pursue careers in tech, women-led businesses and the breakdown of bias against 51% of the world's population.

This episode discusses diversity and inclusion through data, leadership, insights and bias-free scientific intelligence. Host Julia Streets is joined by Rana Gujral, an entrepreneur speaker, investor and CEO at Behavioural Signals and Anna Tan, a leading Asian corporate transformation and leadership coach and consultant. This two part interview starts by considering data, behaviour, Artificial Intelligence, learning mindsets and the importance of linking these to diversity with Rana Gujral. In the second interview, Anna Tan discusses leadership, the mindsets of leaders, the science of diversity and inclusion, and how teams can achieve high performance by fully embracing diverse thinking.

This episode discusses the Socio-Economic Diversity Taskforce, backed by the UK Treasury and the City of London Corporation, with the mandate to increase socio-economic diversity at senior level in professional and financial services. Host Julia Streets is joined by Yasmine Chinwala, a partner at capital markets think tank New Financial and Chris Woolard, Financial Services Partner at EY and Chair of its Global Financial Services Regulation Network. They discuss the rate of progression to senior management, of ethnic minorities and women, looking at data from the Women in Finance Charter. They discuss the importance of socio-economic inclusion and share views on what the finance sector can do to appeal, recruit and retain staff from the widest and sometimes overlooked sections of society, through inclusive initiatives.

This episode focuses on a detailed discussion about educating businesses and creating the best experience for transgender and gender diverse people in the workplace; from coming out, transitioning and workplace benefits of trans employees. Host Julia Streets is joined by Celia Daniels, Chief Programmes Officer for Trans Can Work and Meaghan Crockett, Life Event Services consultant at Bank of America. They discuss the partnership between the two organisations in order to prepare and protect trans and gender diverse people in the corporate workspace, through policies and best practice. The three share views on the pending legislation in the United States and the invisibility of trans people in India.

This in-depth discussion focuses on the rise of the #StopAsianHate campaign and the United States Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, when President Biden signed the bipartisan Covid 19 hate crime legislation. Host Julia Streets is joined by Jeff Le, Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for Rhino from Washington D.C. and Nick Parker, Lawyer at Baker McKenzie from London. They thoughtfully navigate through the uncomfortable but long overdue conversation around discrimination against East Asians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the lack of representation from a corporate and personal perspective. They continue by addressing how stereotypical perceptions of the ‘model minority' can deter career progression, and the importance of how changing the mindsets of managers and leaders can lead to positive change and inclusion.

This in-depth discussion focuses on the India Work Equality Index, India’s first comprehensive benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) inclusion in the workplace. Host Julia Streets is joined by Ram Sinha, Co-Founder of Pride Circle, India and Vicky Hayden, Head of Global Partnerships at Stonewall, UK. They discuss civil society from an LGBT perspective, representation in products and services, benchmarking and standards of business conduct across the world. The three share views about the importance of inclusion, the value of collective initiatives and why indexes matter, examining the challenges and realities of upholding global values and how this translates into local impact.

In light of the recent #StopAsianHate campaign; this in-depth discussion focuses on East Asian visibility and representation within financial services. Host Julia Streets is joined by Millie Gillon, the Global Head of Client Experience, MD Retail Banking, Standard Chartered and Sun-Hee Park, an International Capital Markets lawyer and founder of the East Asian Lawyers Organisation. They unravel the pejorative and appropriate ethnographic language and definitions of the East Asian community worldwide, and the theory and practice around role models and representation. The discussion moves on to the psychological safety of groups, networks and forums, such as the East Asian Lawyers Organisation, and the portrayal of East Asians as the invisible or ‘model minority’.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Sir Kenneth Olisa, Founder and Chairman of Restoration Partners, Founder and Chairman of the Aleto Foundation. Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, Patron of Thames Reach and Paul Sesay, CEO at Precedent Group, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies Limited, Black Leaders, the National Diversity Awards and the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. In this wide ranging discussion they discuss the importance of prioritising the recruitment, selection and promotion of alternative talent - particularly in tech - as key to navigating challenging times and rebuilding the economy. They talk about the risks of bias in redundancy decision making, the significance of black male role models in the context of tackling institutional racism, the value of board diversity and the competitive advantage that social mobility can bring.

For our international Women’s Day episode, host Julia Streets is joined by Yvonne Thompson CBE, Entrepreneur, Campaigner and Activist and Vanessa Vallely OBE, Managing Director of WeAreTheCity. Together they share their experiences of the changing face of entrepreneurship and business over the decades. The discussion sets out priorities when building back businesses in 2021, considers key steps to gender parity and explores the impact of Covid-19 on the female workforce. They talk about new models of leadership and the important attributes required to be successful. The conversation turns to social inclusion and the value of entrepreneurship, corporate intrepreneurs and the importance of involving women and ethnic minorities in idea generation and business decision-making.

In this extended episode in celebration of LGBT History Month, host Julia Streets is joined by Dr Daniel Conway, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster, and Jack Guest, Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Global Wealth & Personal Banking at HSBC. They start the discussion by charting the social and political history of PRIDE, then discuss the varied perspectives on the "corporatisation" of PRIDE. A complex topic, together they consider the realities, opportunities and challenges of promoting LGBTQ+ rights around the world. They discuss the varying degrees of acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees, how organisations can play a role in delivering international best practice, building and supporting communities, engaging with policy change and challenging homophobia. The discussion extends yet further to explore the importance of the intersectionality of PRIDE, comparing and evaluating the difference between sponsorship and advocacy, and why businesses must live up to the values they are claiming.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Dr Kamal Munir of Cambridge Judge Business School and Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, founder of Cobra Beer and President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). They discuss the Change the Race Ratio Campaign for greater racial equality in business and the importance of greater ethnic representation in universities. They share detailed insights about integration and creating inclusive cultures in which diverse talent can thrive. Together they reflect on the health, economic, political and social landscape of 2020 and share advice to business leaders to think about how to engage with the diversity conversation.

What better way to launch the 10th series of DiverCity Podcast, than for host Julia Streets to welcome guest Baroness Helena Morrissey DBE. In this far reaching discussion, they reflect on the 30% Club, which Helena founded in 2010, and discuss her role as Chair of the Diversity Project. Helena shares her insights and learning as an industry leader, considers the progression of women on boards worldwide, and expands on the requirements for organisational change. Together they explore Helena's perspectives on new hybrid working models, the importance of mentoring and the role of male champions. Finally, as she reflects on the past decade, Helena explains why financial firms must authentically prioritise diversity and inclusion in order to reap the rewards and harness the commercial and investment opportunities on offer.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Mitesh Sheth, Chief Executive Officer of Redington and Jayne Styles, co-lead of the Diversity Project’s Ambassador Programme. They discuss 'building back better' in the investment management industry and the role of consultants and investors in driving change. They share detailed insights about how best to attract and onboard diverse talent with particular consideration for ethnic minority employees and staff with disabilities. Together they share their perspectives about building and changing workplace culture, corporate and individual resilience and the importance of fully embracing D&I to ensure organisations are adaptable, a fundamental requirement for survival and growth. Reflecting on 2020, Jayne and Mitesh also observe how many firms are reviewing their purpose, taking into account lessons learned through this lockdown year.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Arlene McDermott, co-chair of the London Stock Exchange Group Proud network and Ethan Salathiel, coach, consultant, programme leader and entrepreneur. In this episode and timed to continue the support for Transgender Awareness Week Julia, Arlene and Ethan discuss what firms can do to make room for all LGBTQ+ employees, with a particular focus on individuals wanting to transition. They discuss the importance of senior and middle management leadership, the importance of intersectionality and how organisations can remove the barriers between various networks and communities . Together they recognise that for some it may still be concerning to be out and the importance of corporate culture in attracting, supporting and therefore retaining talent. As we head into tough economic times, they examine why maintaining LGBTQ+ issues as a high priority on the D&I and corporate agendas really matters right now.

In this faith-focused episode, explored from Jewish, Christian and Sikh perspectives, host Julia Streets is joined by Zaki Cooper, Co-Founder of Faiths United, Wes Ilingsworth, Lead of the City Team at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate and Syra Sanghera, Analyst at Man Group and ambassador for City Sikhs and founding member of the Faiths United Network. Julia, Zaki, Wes and Syra discuss the complex topic of faith as an intrinsic part of personal identity, how it impacts how and for whom we work and organisational structures. They share ideas and best practice about how to create faith-friendly organisations and how to promote a culture of inclusion. Together they explore remote working and religious practices, the role of faith in garnering corporate resilience, the dynamics of faith and ethnicity, the challenges of intersectionality, and the legal, moral and economic reasons why diversity and inclusion matters right now.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Amy French, Head of Level39 and Rosie Turner, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at InChorus Group. The Fintech for All Charter is a commitment to increase diversity and inclusion across Fintechs, led by InChorus and supported by Level39, Innovate Finance, the FinTech Alliance and the Financial Conduct Authority. In this episode Julia, Rosie and Amy discuss how the charter will focus on the entire spectrum of D&I and consider the areas where greater inclusion is needed. They focus on The Charter’s concerning findings of aggressive behaviours and harassment, specifically how they have increased while working from home during Covid. How can concerns be raised and best addressed by organisations and leaders. Together they present the commercial case for greater inclusivity within Fintechs, the anticipated impact The Charter will have and how progress will be measured, based on both membership and cultural change.

Julia Streets interviews Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England. This episode, recorded shortly after Inclusion Week, outlines how the Bank of England ensures that diversity and inclusion is embedded in its culture, its commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as The Bank’s key areas of focus, which includes supporting staff during Covid-1 and the importance of social mobility. As one of the world’s oldest financial institutions, the Governor discusses the progress made, why diversity must remain a high priority, and sets The Bank’s expectations on firms to align and demonstrate similar commitment.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Jon Guy, Secretary General of the Islamic Insurance Association of London and Dr Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Professor in Banking and a Director of the Centre for Islamic Finance at the University of Bolton. The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Islamic Insurance Association of London (IIAL) have collaborated with the University of Bolton to launch an MBA in Islamic Insurance and Risk. Together, they discuss Shariah Law as it affects the principles of finance, insurance and risk management. They emphasise the importance of engaging with ethnic minorities to achieve the economic and international potential on offer, to dispel any misconceptions about career advancement and create centres of world class talent excellence. They also discuss the need for greater gender representation, how to improve, and how to cultivate ultimately inclusive-minded, enlightened leaders.

Host Julia Streets is joined by Rosemary Frazer, Disability Equality and Inclusion Consultant and Louise Newby, Director of Three Eggs Mental Health Training. Together they explore the resilience and realities of employees with disabilities and the compelling reasons for supporting employees and leaders with dedicated mental health programmes. They consider the challlenges of onboarding new graduates and the importance of a relentless focus on diversity and inclusion in this current climate. They discuss corporate attitudes towards disability within the financial services industry and how fintech is enabling change, and how good mental health drives greater productivity and problem solving.