Sandra Kerr is the National Director for Race for Opportunity which is a business led network of organisations from the private and public sector working and committed to race equality as part of their business agenda.
Sandra is particularly passionate about raising the profile of senior role models from diverse backgrounds to inspire the next generation and creating an inclusive environment.
Before joining Race for Opportunity Sandra worked in the Cabinet Office advising Cabinet Ministers on diversity and policies on race, disability, gender, and work life balance across Whitehall. Sandra also finds time to work as a consultant team adviser for the Work Foundation’s Leadership Programmes for senior leaders in the public and private sector.
Alan Christie leads policy development in the areas of economy, employment, education and social inclusion. His remit covers topics such as equal pay, poverty, education and skills, workplace integration, procurement and supplier diversity.
Previously Director of Private Sector Policy at the Commission for Racial Equality and Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Levi Strauss Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Richard Martin is a Partner with city law firm, Speechly Bircham LLP. Previously he was a partner at Gouldens and the Jones Day after the firms merged in 2003. He qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and since qualification has specialized in the area of employment law.
He advises employers and senior employees on all aspects of the employment relationship. His key areas of specialisation are handling high value claims for breach of contract, unfair dismissal and discrimination (including whistle blowing), and advising on the enforcement of restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations. He also advises regularly on the employment related agreements of business transfers. Richard works across a broad range of sectors including the defence industry, charities, recruitment, retail property and others but with a strong city and financial services focus.
He lectures on employment law at King's College, London.
Fleur Bothwick is director of diversity and inclusiveness, Ernst & Young. Fleur joined Ernst &Young in January 2007 in the newly created role of Director of Diversity and Inclusiveness for the UK region. In this role she was responsible for developing and driving the D&I strategy and programmes for the Firm in the UK. On the 1st July 2008 she took on the newly created role of Director of Diversity and Inclusiveness for EMEIA – Europe, Middle East, India and Africa which is an area covering 87 countries and 66,000 people.
Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Fleur had spent 18 years in the Investment Banking Sector. Fleur has a Masters in HR Strategic Management She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the LDA/London First Diversity Works Initiative.
Anni Townend is a leading consultant with over 20 years’ experience working with organizations as a facilitator, trainer, coach and counsellor. The focus of her work is on helping people to develop greater self-confidence, meaning and purpose, and to enjoy more positive and creative working relationships in which there is true respect and understanding. She is the author of Assertiveness and Diversity published by Palgrave Macmillan, September 2007. www.annitownend.com
Chris Sherwood has eight years experience of working in the disability field. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in the area of access for disabled people, organisational culture change, the Disability Discrimination Act and recruitment and employment.
Chris has worked as a Disability Equality and Access consultant and trainer to many leading organisations including Marks & Spencer plc, Chelsea Building Society, BT, Capital One, the European Commission, London Borough of Southwark, the Department for Work and Pensions, Prince’s Trust, West Midlands Fire Service, Age Concern and the National Trust. Chris has also worked internationally with Perspektiva (Russia) and the European Commission in Poland and Cyprus.
Chris developed Marks & Spencer’s Access Strategy and associated three-year action plan. He has also authored English Heritage’s five year Access Strategy 2008 – 2013 and associated action plan.
Honor Cohen has been Diversity Manager for Edexcel, the main educational business of Pearson PLC since April 2006.
Since joining Honor working with diversity champions across the businesses has developed and embedded a number of projects including the Scope Leadership Recruitment Programme.
Prior to working for Edexcel , Honor worked in the student movement, trade union and public sector in diversity roles.
Loraine Martins joined the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in December 2007 as the Head of Equality and Inclusion which is one of the five priority themes for London 2012. The focus of this theme is to ensure that the Olympic family delivers an inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games that promotes diversity and equality; and ensuring that local people from the 5 Host Boroughs and small and medium enterprises benefit from the largest regeneration initiative in Europe, ie the legacy of the Games.
Prior to working for the ODA, Loraine Martins was the first Head of Diversity at the Audit Commission and led on the implementation of equal opportunities and diversity within the Commission and through its regulatory and inspectorate functions for six years.
Loraine has been a management consultant with the Office of Public Management (OPM) and her work included strategic, organisational and board development in health and local government; regeneration, stakeholder engagement, public participation and community development.
Loraine has worked at a local, regional and national level as a paid member of staff and as a board member including the board of National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Loraine has managed a national development agency and a mental health organisation and been a senior manager in local government developing services for vulnerable adults.
Loraine is a co-optee board member of the Trust for London, which is part of the City Parochial Foundation (CPF); and a board member on the School of Social Entrepreneurs.
Jane Amphlett is a Partner in the Employment Group of Addleshaw Goddard LLP. The Group, comprising over 40 employment lawyers, provides a complete service dealing with all aspects of the employment relationship. Jane is recommended in Legal 500 and well known for her practical and strategic advice on the broad range of employment law issues. She runs Addleshaw Goddard's Equality Team and has advised many clients on equality and diversity, compliance with discrimination legislation and Tribunal and County Court claims. She is a regular commentator on employment issues at conferences and in the media. She is also Treasurer of the Employment Lawyers' Association.
