EMPower Community – Empowering Employee Voices

UK Power Networks’ EMPower Community is unique, bringing together individual network groups to form a vibrant employee-led platform dedicated to ensuring diversity and inclusion across all dimensions: including age, disability, gender, LGBTQ+, and race. With over 450 members, the network has experienced a remarkable 35% growth over the past year.

EMPower plays a pivotal role in supporting the organization’s Workforce Resilience Strategy particularly in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) efforts.

We are looking forward to sharing how the EMPower Community is delivering long-lasting positive change through:

• Policy Influence.
• Informing D&I Strategy.
• Raising Awareness.

The EMPower Community’s initiatives showcases our unwavering commitment to advancing inclusivity within our organization. Our presence assures employees of our dedication to making inclusion an everyday reality for all. We take pride in our achievements and are excited about the journey ahead as we champion positive change and foster a workplace where every individual is valued.

About the facilitators 

Patrick Clarke

Born in St Thomas, Jamaica, Patrick Clarke relocated to London in 1969 as part of the Windrush generation, rejoining his family. Today, he stands as the Director of Network Operations at UK Power Networks, the UK’s foremost electricity distributor. Under his leadership, a team of 6,000 oversees a £700m yearly budget and ensures the power supply to over 20 million residents and businesses in the southeast of England, encompassing London.

With a career spanning over 45 years, Patrick is esteemed for his relentless commitment to aiding those less fortunate in realizing their professional and life goals. His journey included a pivotal stint with the Met Police in the mid-1980s, a period that fortified his resilience and enhanced his interpersonal expertise.

For his remarkable contributions in both the business and societal realms of the UK, Patrick has been lauded with numerous honours:

• Ambassador for London for Leadership and Diversity by Prince Charles (2008)
• OBE recipient (2012)
• Honorary Doctorate in Engineering (2014).
• Moreover, as an author, he penned “Made in Britain,” with 12,000 copies in circulation.

Central to his leadership ethos are his deeply-held personal values.

Liz Nash

Liz has always been passionate about developing talent and creating inclusive workplaces. She started her career at Ernst & Young, where she learned a lot about early careers programs. Liz moved to UK Power Networks’ Talent Acquisition team in 2018, where she continued to demonstrate her commitment to helping people.

In 2021, Liz took on a new challenge as Employee Engagement Manager, leading UK Power’s Networks efforts towards making it a great place to work. Under her direction, the company kept its place in the top 10 of the prestigious 25 Best Big Companies to Work for list.

Motivated by her desire to keep growing, Liz became the Learning & Development Manager, leading initiatives in EDI, social mobility, and leadership development. Under her leadership, UK Power Networks reached 2nd place in the 2023 Inclusive Top 50 UK Companies List and earned the National Equality Standard and Investors in People Platinum again.

Liz has an unwavering commitment to creating a diverse and strong workforce, where everyone feels valued, respected and can participate fully in individual and organisational goals.

Harshil Sumaria

Harshil Sumaria is a Forecasting Engineer in the Network Insights team within UK Power Network’s Distribution System Operator (DSO), which aims to use smart technology to enable UK Power Networks to deliver a network ready for the future. He was shortlisted as a finalist in the Business Green Sustainability Executive of the year and the Institute of Engineering and Technology Young Pioneer of the Year in 2022. He chairs the organisation’s award-winning Employee Resource Group, EMPower and was shortlisted last year as UK Power Networks’ as ‘Everyone Matters Champion’. Alongside this, Harshil is the DSO’s union representative for Prospect.