Strategic Approaches to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - CMI Level 7

With a passion for learning; high standards; committed to social causes; grounded humility; an unerring instinct for developing potential. These qualities are amongst the hallmarks of Fitzroy’s 40-year career, and they continue to drive him as he develops his portfolio of work with individuals and enterprises.

He knows what it is to climb the career ladder. An HR Director at 29, a charity CEO by his mid-thirties, author of an award-winning research report, and a leader at executive and non-executive levels of SMEs and social enterprises over the last twenty years. Fitzroy has accumulated a wealth of knowledge in strategy, leadership development, coaching and mentoring.

A gifted communicator, Fitzroy is turning his talents to focus in two key areas. The first is to work with individuals to make career and life success meaningful through strengthening and expressing what he calls their ‘Achievement Mindset’. This will be delivered through a tailored support package of coaching and self-presentation, and is equally relevant to employed and self-employed professionals.

The second arises out of his experience as a child of the Windrush generation, and is about helping corporate enterprises get the best from inclusive leadership. Teams in today’s workplace need to know how to maximise the contribution and effort from everyone; this places a premium on relationships. The most successful teams are the most inclusive teams, and Fitzroy is highly skilled at working with groups to help them unlock high performance through inclusion.

Naomi Buthee is an experienced, CIPD qualified people management professional with experience of designing and deploying strategies across multiple sectors. Outside of her corporate experience, she works with various organisations and individuals, providing support and advice on a range of people and strategic issues. Naomi's knowledge, enthusiasm and energy brings her courses to life.

Tash (she/her) is an Inclusion and Diversity Consultant, presenter, speaker and LGBTQIA+ Activist, who is at the forefront of conversation. Tash uses her lived experience and identity as a Black queer woman to continue the focus on diversity and inclusion in society and in the workplace. She provides valuable insight into how to remove barriers associated with diversity and constructively ensure that opportunities can be accessed with equity in both the workplace and wider in our local and global communities. 

She is also co-founder of ‘Breaking the Distance’, a unique LGBTQIA+ travel and relationship blog, (alongside her wife, Marthe). Breaking the Distance aims to educate and promote positive LGBTQIA+ visibility, whilst also providing a safe space for people to be their authentic selves.  

Currently Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the European Coworking Assembly, Tash’s responsibilities lie in developing a working and actionable guideline for advancing EDI and creating safe spaces within the coworking industry. 

Originally trained as a Musical Theatre performer, Tash’s style of delivery is engaging, fun and positive, as she focuses on providing information in a way that allows participants to reflect and relate the content to their own lives. She is a believer in the power of story-telling and often incorporates her own lived experience into her delivery.   

Tash is a seasoned and experienced speaker and panel member on equality and diversity discussions, and has spoken at events for organisations including the Women’s Equality Party UK, International IDEA Project, Mercedes Formula 1 and Skyscanner. As well as being a Queer Leader for the non-profit, We Create Space.  

She is a Certified Diversity Professional from the North Hertfordshire College and is a Certified NLP practitioner from  iGNLP/ABNLP.  

Zara is a certified Executive Coach and has worked globally with a range of businesses and senior leaders, as well as emerging and young leaders. Her energetic, professional, and results-oriented approach – paired with her passion for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – has been critical to her diverse portfolio of roles and projects on which she has worked. Her 20 years corporate experience prior to consulting, includes having operated and led in global commercial roles as well as functional specialist roles in Talent, leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Organisational Development and Organisational Effectiveness. 

Zara has worked across both the public and private sector and has supported organisations in their development of more inclusive cultures through discovery, strategy, education, and coaching. One of her defining approaches is to work with managers and leaders as key levers of change with a view to creating the systemic conditions for success. 

She is passionate about the extraordinary benefits that DEI bring to business and society. Zara seeks to provide leaders with a deeper understanding of inclusion with respect to the personal and business benefits, and to help them develop strategies on how to avoid potential pitfalls, ultimately incentivising action. 

Alongside her client work Zara volunteers as a coach and mentor for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, supporting them with the knowledge, network, skills, and confidence to support their success and happiness. 

Her areas of expertise include Organisational Development, Talent Management, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Development, Coaching, Performance Enablement, Early Careers and Mentoring. 

Qualifications and tools: 

• Certified Executive Coach 2008 AoEC
• Neuro Linguistic Practitioner 2009 Pegasus NLP
• Be Talent Strengths Insights and decision Styles Accreditation, Zircon 
• Motivational Map Practitioner 
• Hogan Certified 
• Gateway to Team Coaching 2020 – Clutterbuck & Hawkins 

Sophie is a qualified HR Professional and specialises in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  She has over 15 years’ experience across HR specialisms including HR General, Recruitment, Pensions and Learning and Development. Sophie has over 8 years’ experience as an EDI Lead for large organisations and has developed and delivered their Equality Strategy, advised on policy development and undertaken multiple corporate risk assessments for organisations across the public, private, and third sector. 

Sophie is an established trainer on leadership, and both general and bespoke EDI subjects. She has delivered a wide range of training to employers and employees, including bespoke training to internationally recruited delegates regarding UK laws and customs regarding equality and inclusion. She has developed and delivered training sessions on inclusion to Chester University Students and has also worked with ILM, delivering programmes, examining and verifying assessment work. She is passionate about equipping organisations and employees with the competences needed to make their working environment psychologically safe, friendly and inclusive. She has an interest in the effects on culture within organisations, and helping employers avoid unnecessary litigation and disruption within the workplace. 

Sophie has skills and knowledge in a wide variety of subjects and has developed courses and delivered subjects in a range of areas including:  

• Leadership and Development,  
• Equality and Inclusion Training (General) 
• Unconscious Bias,  
• Neurodiversity 
• Bystander Training 
• Setting up and Engaging with Staff Networks 
• Bullying and Harassment 
• EDI Allyship(including bespoke such as LGBT+ Allyship or Carer Allyship) 
• Ethnic Leadership courses (that address the impact of race on career progression) 
• Management bespoke EDI courses including ‘Inclusive interviews’ and ‘Providing Reasonable Adjustments for Staff with Disabilities’. 

Joanna’s background is in Further and Higher Education, initially as a lecturer and manager but for the past 10 years, as an Executive Leader. She has a passion for teaching and learning, the power of education to fundamentally change lives and social justice. She is expert in Professional Development, External Partnerships. Curriculum, Quality, Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding and the Learner Experience. Joanna’s research interests have included policy enactment, the role of consultants in impactful change management and coaching/mentoring for highly preforming organisations. Joanna has successfully run her own consultancy for a number of years. 

A versatile business leader having held 5 divisional MD roles and been Chief Sustainability Officer within a FTSE 250 plc, followed by 6 years as Chief Executive within a private, family-owned business. Now operating as a consultant and business advisor assisting organisations improve their performance.

Tom has been responsible for delivering projects and services to customers in both private and public sectors including communications, defence, retail, health and logistics. Businesses Tom has led include construction, facilities management, property development, architecture, vehicle and plant asset management, recruitment and training.

He has a track record of driving transformation and improvement and is driven by an enthusiasm for customer service and responsible business.

Tom is a member of the Advisory Board to the Lincoln International Business School.