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Black Inclusion – The Past, Present & Future
October 15 @ 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
Inclusive Companies are delighted to partner with Penna to deliver a transformational roof-top event in honour of Black History Month (BHM), focusing on the Past, Present & Future. We would like to formally invite you and your colleagues to attend this occasion.
Date: Tuesday 15th October
Time: 09.30 – 13.30 (Lunch provided)
Venue: Rooftop, Penna, 10 Bishops Square, London, E1 6EG (Venue is 5 minutes from Liverpool Street Station, 10 minutes from Shoreditch High Street)
Featuring keynote speakers, a panel session, and dynamic performances, this event will not only celebrate Black History but delve into various aspects of Black History through time, looking at where we have been, where we are now, and where are we going?
During this session, we will reflect on historical efforts to reclaim narratives and listen to those who have fostered positive change within the corporate environment. Learn how businesses have benefited from embracing the true stories and perspectives of Black employees, leading to more inclusive and innovative workplaces.
This interactive event will provide a safe space to hold discussions, aimed at developing actionable plans to continue reclaiming narratives that empower and support Black colleagues.
Should weather permit, we will be hosting lunch on Penna’s rooftop terrace with incredible views of the London skyline. Make sure to reserve yourself a place as we connect, share ideas, and build meaningful professional relationships.
Please note this year we will be charging a minimal fee for tickets to attend our event. The money from tickets sales will be donated to The Fire Fighters Charity in memory of Wayne Brown.
Itinerary
09.30 – 09.45
Delegate Registration
09.45 – 10.00
Samadora Mansaray, HR Director, Penna
Nabil Verdickt, Head of Performance Media & Analytics, Penna
Welcome & Introductions
10.00 – 10.15
Spoken Word Performance by Zara Dieobi
10.15 – 10.45
Josh Preye Garry, Author, Public Speaker, Educator, Historian, Leader – Reclaiming the Narrative
10.45 – 11.00
Interval
11.00 – 12.00
Panel session – The Present – How inclusive leaders are creating equitable workplaces
Panel Chair: Paul Sesay, CEO & Founder, Inclusive Companies | George Agyemang, Executive Director, Penna
Serena Simon, Director of Communities, Westminster City Council
Stuart Love, CEO, Westminster City Council
Dr Heather Melville OBE, Partner at Stork & May, Trustee & Senior Advisor, Entrepreneur, Chancellor of York University
Deborah Harris, FCA, Audit Committee Chair & Lay Member Council, The Nursing & Midwifery Council
12.00 – 12.45
The Future – Guided discussions around the room
The time for change is now! We all have a duty to drive change and set a course for a better, more inclusive future. During this segment we will share ideas and investigate what the future holds.
12.45 – 13.30
Lunch & Networking (Roof Top Terrace)
Guest speakers
Paul Sesay | Inclusive Companies
Paul Sesay is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the National Diversity Awards, Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers, Inclusive Awards and Inclusive Companies since 2006. Paul’s business acumen has mainly been with a social focus.
With over fifteen years worth of experience within the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion sector, Paul has worked with some of the largest organisations in the world on their diversity and inclusion profiles.
He has also worked within local communities to help people from various backgrounds to achieve and empower disadvantaged groups throughout the UK. Paul’s initiatives have helped thousands of organisations and individuals get recognised for their hard work and dedication to diversity.
Stuart Love | Westminster City Council
Stuart has been Chief Executive at Westminster City Council since 2018. His previous role was Executive Director for City Management and Communities. He is the co-chair of the Chief Executive’s London Committee’s Tackling Racial Inequality Group London and a Business In The Community mentor. Under his leadership the following initiatives have been launched in Westminster City Council:
• Diverse shortlisted candidates• Inclusive recruitment• Reverse mentoring• The Black on Board governance training programme designed to mentor junior council officersStuart has ensured that the council publishes all of its pay gaps, not just the gender pay gap and has used this to address the gender and ethnicity pay gaps that exist in the organisation. During Stuart’s time as chief executive the demographics of the council have changed significantly to represent the communities it serves and representation at senior levels in the organisation has improved significantly.Stuart’s focus as chief executive is on people and culture, with equity, diversity and inclusion being at the core.
Serena Simon | Westminster City Council
Serena is a passionate and experienced disruptive leader in the field of community engagement/development, strategy, empowerment and inclusion.
She has worked with diverse and marginalised groups for over 20 years, championing their voices and addressing their needs. She has a strong track record of delivering innovative and impactful projects that tackle social issues such as anti-social behaviour, hate crime, violence against women and girls, and racial discrimination.
She is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of her/department and organisations work and has developed and implemented policies and strategies that foster a culture of respect, dignity and belonging for everyone, supporting this work across Westminster -the council and the place as well as wider in the Local government- as one of the leads under the London Councils Tackling Racial inequality group and the chair of the LC Community engagement forum.
Serena is currently the Director of Communities at Westminster city council, where she oversees a range of services and initiatives that aim to enhance the quality of life and wellbeing of residents, businesses and visitors in the heart of London, particularly proud to be leading the charge around tackling the shocking life expectancy gap within Westminster by reducing inequalities. A key leader in the organisational commitment to anti-racism as well as the work to improve equity through ridding the organisation of ethnicity and gender paygaps, Serena leads with her heart on her sleeve.
Serena is a keynote speaker across a national and international field and an active member of the Health led work to bring about improvement in the quality of life of patients and communities.
Josh Preye Garry
Growing up Josh Preye Garry struggled to see how and where he fitted in. Despite having no substantial support network, Josh worked hard and his passion for teaching and educating was born. Currently heading up the History Department at Platanos College, Josh is on a crusade to drive forward the conversation around Black History, and why it is integral to British History. In addition to leading on an A-level module on African American Civil Rights, Josh has played a key role in developing a Key Stage 3 curriculum that reflects the backgrounds of his student body, contributed to a new GCSE, and co-authored a GCSE course that explores Black British History. Proud recipient of a fellowship from the Historical Association, Josh is a shining example and a display of hope to a generation of young people who will follow in his footsteps.
Dr Heather Melville, OBE CMgr CCMI FCBI Partner, Stork & May Trustee and Senior Advisor, Entrepreneur Chancellor of York University
Heather’s career spans over 40 years across Financial, Professional & Technology Services, with a specific focus on international trade, entrepreneurship and corporate banking. Heather is a business thought leader and an innovator with a notable track record of building high performing diverse teams.
She has acted in an advisory capacity to FTSE CEOs across a multitude of industries and sectors. She is a highly respected and sought after public speaker, having addressed C-Suite leaders, senates, royalty, and global business audiences worldwide.
Heather has won many accolades, including being listed on the Black Powerlist, as one of the 100 most influential black people in the UK. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), whose purpose is to open channels of opportunity for black executives to positively impact business and communities, and the CFO’s Diversity Forum for Business in the Community (FTSE100).
Heather is also Patron of Women in Banking & Finance (WIBF) and in June 2024 she became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.
In 2017 Heather was awarded an OBE for her services to Banking and Financial Services. In 2022 she was inaugurated as the Chancellor of the University of York.
Heather has acted as a Senior Advisor to a number of financial services, as well as a Trustee on the Board of Enfield Enterprise and until recently (following a 7-year tenure) was a Trustee on the Board for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). She now sits on the committee for Companions and has recently been elected to join the Everyone Economy Committee.