As we wave goodbye to a month that saw the annual marking of Juneteenth (19th June), Windrush Day (22nd June), and the sentencing of Derek Chauvin who murdered George Floyd, conversations around racial equality continue to hit the headlines. From everyday communities and the education system through to the workforces that keep the country moving, understanding the need for better representation has never been more important.

BPFS Black Leaders Network is a collective of established leaders from across the region’s business, financial and professional services sector that aims to encourage healthy debate across the sector. This latest webinar will be chaired by Alex Tross (pictured), Commercial Director at Centrick and one of the network’s founding members.

Alex will be joined by Julian Obubo, Partner and Brand Strategy Director at Manifest; a brand communications agency with offices in London, Manchester, Stockholm, Melbourne and New York where he also heads up the diversity and inclusion programme. Alongside Diane Vernon, who after 25 years in the corporate sector founded EmployabilityUK; a charity that raises the aspirations and work readiness of young people, with a particular focus on equality and diversity.

Completing the line-up is Mark Martin MBE, an Advanced Skills Teacher in Education and Computer Science and founder of UK Black Tech. He was awarded an MBE in 2019 for services to education, to technology and to diversity in UK technology, and continues to advocate for home-grown talent, digital skills and education equity.

Speaking ahead of the discussion, chair Alex Tross comments: “For too long, the BPFS sector has avoided difficult conversations around attracting and retaining diverse talent. It’s so important that we take a long, hard look in the mirror and admit that we’re nowhere near where we should be when it comes to both welcoming fresh talent into the sector and having the right representation at the top. Both are equally as important so exploring why there isn’t enough racial diversity is crucial, but we must also hold ourselves to account and actually take action.

That’s what I love about BPFS Black Leaders Network; we have created a group that is like-minded in its desire to create lasting change, but also does the work to create and sustain these opportunities. This webinar series has not just welcomed some of the sector’s finest leaders, but we’ve been able to shine a light on the organisations already doing great work and reaping the benefits from more diverse workforces.”

Founded by Joel Blake OBE (front page pic), CEO of GFA Exchange and President of the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce, BPFS Black Leaders Network is encouraging positive engagement around diversity and inclusion. Other founding members include Alfred Bartlett (Rapleys), Amos Simbo (Black Professionals in Construction), Dr Karl George MBE (The Governance Forum), Jonathan Miller (Birmingham Food Council), Mac Alonge (The Equal Group), Matt Burton (Corporate Banking), Sharniya Ferdinand (Natwest Group), Tara Tomes (East Village. PR), and Yetunde Dania (Trowers and Hamlins).