Inclusion and diversity have been a focus for many organisations in recent years yet progress is slower than many had hoped or anticipated. Whilst confusion or fear of causing unintentional offence is holding some people back, others feel they don’t have a voice (particularly in cultures/companies where alternative views aren’t valued), or are sick of only being heard intermittently. Why is there no concrete evidence of change and why do 1 in 3 employees in the UK feel as though they do not have a sense of Belonging at work?

We are delighted the welcome the co-authors of Belonging, a new book released in November 2020 on the Key to Transforming and Maintaining Diversity, Inclusion and Equality at Work which argues that both men and women need to be active participants in the conversation if any meaningful progress is to take place.

Co-authors Sue Unerman, Mark Edwards and Kathryn Jacob will discuss what they discovered through their research and case studies for the book and share how organisations and individuals can go beyond policy changes and training days to positively create a culture of belonging in the workplace for everyone. They will explain why every single person in the organisation needs to play a role and share specific tips and techniques that can help champion Belonging.

As the foreword writer Karen Blackett OBE, UK country manager for WPP, puts it, we need a recognition that “diversity is not a problem to fix. Diversity is the solution.”

Kathryn Jacob, CEO, Pearl & Dean

In previous roles she has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Outside of her role at P&D, she sits on the development board of RADA, the board of AOC College Sport, the Council and Board of the Advertising Association and the board of SAWA, the worldwide cinema trade body. In 2016 she co-authored “The Glass Wall” with Sue Unerman.

 

 

 

 

Sue Unerman, Chief Transformation Officer, MediaCom

In a world that is changing faster than any of us can quite get used to, business needs people who can not only see the next change coming, but can also explain it to the rest of us.

Sue is one of these rare people. She’s a “clarifier”. In the rapidly changing world of media, Sue has been ahead of the curve for three decades, and remains at the forefront of the industry’s evolution. She has helped advertisers such as Mars, DFS, Direct Line Group, CRUK, Tesco, Universal, and Sky to connect with consumers by bringing a succession of new ideas to the advertising and media industry. She set up the first strategic planning unit in a media agency, pioneered the use of Integrated Communications Planning, foresaw the dramatic shift from the age where advertising messages were “pushed” out towards consumers to the age we live in today when brands and consumers are in constant dialogue, and was instrumental in broadening the limited world of advertising into the wider world of “content”.

In her current role she drives transformation for MediaCom and their clients.  The annual Transformation Week festival brings leading edge developments to MediaCom’s clients (in 2020 there were over 3000 delegates), and Sue is currently spearheading MediaCom’s Agile transformation.  She is a qualified Scrum master, and Agile practitioner.

 

Mark Edwards, Mindfulness Coach

Mark coaches individuals to help them find a greater purpose and trains companies to be more inclusive and collaborative.

Mark has trained, coached and facilitated leaders and managers, salesforces and editorial staff, ad execs and engineers, marketing professionals and civil servants. Some recent clients include: MediaCom, the Home Office, Spotify, The Economist, IHG (Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza), Renault and Bauer. He has also worked with leaders and future leaders from Jaguar Land Rover, Asda, Thames Water, Eon, J Murphy & Sons, Grosvenor Estates, several Civil Service departments, and many more

Frieda Lewis, Chief Commercial Diversity Officer, Broadridge Financial Solutions

Frieda Lewis has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.  Throughout her career, Frieda has held many senior executive positions.  Prior to joining Broadridge, she served as President of IFMG Securities Inc., a division of Sun Life Financial. A third-party provider of financial services to banking institutions nationwide.  Prior, she was the Chief Operating Officer for Bankmark, a division of Mellon Financial.

Prior to this position, Frieda had a 16-year tenure with Fleet Financial Group.  During her long service, she served as President and CEO of Fleet Brokerage Securities and its wholly owned subsidiary Fleet Clearing Corporation.  Fleet Brokerage Securities was a national discount brokerage firm servicing over 400,000 customers with $5.5 billion in customer assets.  She was also responsible for implementing a complete restructuring of the company which resulted in record earnings.

Ms. Lewis joined Broadridge in 2008, serving as the Managing Director of Global Relationship Management. She is responsible for coordinating significant global relationships that cross multiple lines of business.  Her goal is to deepen and extend the client relationship through understanding their strategic thinking and tactical needs.

In 2017, Frieda was appointed Chief Commercial Diversity Officer to enhance the company’s record of diversity both inside and outside the organization. She serves as a business catalyst, executing a diversity strategy that enables Broadridge to win in the global marketplace. She is credited with launching the Women’s Leadership Forum at Broadridge.

Frieda earned a B.S. in Psychology from City University of New York at Lehman College and an M.B.A. from Baruch College.

Lewis is a member of the Board of the Women’s Bond Club and the National Investment Company Service Association (NICSA).  She also serves as a Governing Member of the Wall Street Women’s Alliance, member of the SIFMA Diversity Committee and a member of the Bank Insurance & Securities Diversity Committee Board.

Duncan Edwards, CEO, BritishAmerican Business

Duncan Edwards is the chief executive of BritishAmerican Business, the leading transatlantic trade organization of some 500 companies, which has an ongoing mission to support policies and action which protect and enhance the environment for trade and investment in, and between, the USA and the UK; he is also the chief executive of the British American Business Council, the umbrella organization of more than 20 chapters across the USA and UK.

Prior to this, Duncan Edwards spent over 30 years as a media executive in London and New York of which 27 years were spent at the Hearst Corporation.  His most recent role at Hearst was president and CEO of the international magazine and digital media company, a business with activities in more than 60 countries which he led to record levels through acquisition and organic growth.

Edwards is an experienced cross border negotiator and deal maker with experience of M&A and dealing with regulators in all major markets and a particular expertise (in addition to the UK and USA) on China and Russia which he has visited dozens of times. A British citizen, he currently lives in New York and Connecticut where he can often be found on long runs in the hills.

 

Date	Tuesday 26th January 2021
Time	4:00 pm – 5:00 pm GMT / 11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
Host	Zoom – link will be sent to registered guests