With a strong background as an organisation development practitioner across a breadth of organisations and industries, Alli leads the inclusion and diversity agenda at Bupa Global, India & UK. Since 2018, she has worked with the team at Bupa to establish the essential building blocks to create an inclusive organisation where everyone is welcome, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work.

I think one reason I’m so passionate about I&D and creating spaces where people can thrive as themselves without editing who they are, is that as a kid I was pretty quiet and this often resulted in me being bullied by the ‘cool’ kids. Years of trying stay under the radar and making myself invisible meant that for a long time, my self-confidence was incredibly low and this travelled with me into adulthood until…. I remember a conversation with one female manager. I’d just joined the company and we were looking at a competency framework to build a development plan. She asked me to rate where I thought I was in terms of capability, and of course I immediately pointed to the lower end of the spectrum. She said ‘I don’t see that at all. I think you are here’, pointing to the top. She said ‘Someone has done a real number on you haven’t they.’ And in that moment I had someone who believed in me, challenged me, helped me grow and role modelled how a woman could be a strong leader whilst staying true to her authentic self. I’m still quiet (a proud introvert, emboldened by Susan Cain’s brilliant book!) but also reflective, thoughtful, insightful, resilient, tenacious, gently challenging and always trying to be that champion for others.