The role that brings most joy to me personally is acting as the Executive Sponsor for the Black Inclusion Group in EMEA, an employee led “Business Resource Group”, which is to support the recruitment, empowerment and advancement of Black employees; promote and foster allyship to maintain a diverse, inclusive and collaborative culture at Moody’s. 

The role on my business card is Managing Director, Commercial Group EMEA, which requires me to be accountable for the revenue and coverage for Moody’s Ratings in all countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

 What does DEI mean to you? 

Personally, DEI means “Inclusion” and Inclusion means working with a diverse range of colleagues, who come from all backgrounds and experiences, and who feel equally valued and represented throughout the company.  

It is important to me to work in an environment that values and maximizes the contributions of all employees, without limitation or restriction of any kind. 

What has been your biggest/proudest achievement to date?  

I am extremely proud to be welcomed by my colleagues within the Black Inclusion Group in EMEA as the Executive Sponsor, as this is a very humbling experience, and it is an honour that they include me in their important work furthering the empowerment and advancement of Black employees within the company. My role is a facilitator and an ally, and as such I am here to highlight and draw attention to the work that they do in this respect.  

Are there any initiatives you are excited to have worked on?  

There are three key initiatives of the EMEA Black Inclusion Group (BIG) that are exciting to engage with: 

1. Allyship (Stand for inclusion) initiative/business case: 

Focusing on what non-Black employees can do, as allies, to make a difference for Black employees, BIG have developed the Allyship business case that is fully aligned to the stand for inclusion global initiative within the company. As the regional sponsor for BIG business resource group, my role is to offer mentorship and guidance on how to further the conversation around inclusivity, when asked. Allies have the opportunity to play their part to ensure that the voices and experiences of Black employees are heard and valued. Allies are encouraged to actively seek out opportunities to promote and uplift members of the Black Impact employee group, whether it be through mentorship, advocacy, or creating space for open and honest dialogue. BIG offers non-Black employees an avenue to demonstrate commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace.  

2. Working with ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) 

The EMEA Black Impact Group nominated ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) to receive a grant funding of USD22,500, as a show of the support of the work ACLT are doing to raise awareness  to a cause that is one of  leading Blood cancer/disorder charities, dedicated to raising awareness of the severe shortage of donors of Black heritage in the United Kingdom on the stem cell (bone marrow), blood, and organ donor registers. Planned awareness campaign and collaborations with other employee networks within the company will occur throughout the year. 

3. Sponsoring Urban Synergy (supporting young people). 

In May 2024, the EMEA Black Impact group sponsored and participated in a charity by Urban Synergy to raise £25,000 together with other partners during the Urban Synergy Golf Tournament. It has been an honour and a privilege to act personally as a mentor for students in their program, which exists to guide and inspire young people reach their individual potential. As community impact is core to our mission, this mentoring program has been truly inspiring. Members of BIG have also been involved with other mentoring programs, such as the HER Capital mentorship program. 

Any individuals that helped you along the way? 

Florence Henderson, AVP-Inclusion, EMEA  

Florence is the power behind all of Moody’s Inclusion efforts in EMEA and has been a personal inspiration to me, gently encouraging me to do more active work, helping me understand the perspectives of my Black colleagues, and helping dispel fears and misconceptions that I previously held. To say that Florence is a powerhouse is an understatement, but when I say that she is incredibly modest and goes about her work quietly but effectively then perhaps you can begin to understand her influence on allies like me. 

David Tim Njoroge and Ousmane Gassama, the Co-Chairs of EMEA Black Inclusion Group, and their predecessors in role. 

David Tim and Ousmane have been so enthusiastic and supportive of me as Executive Sponsor that I find it difficult to put my thanks and appreciation into words. They and their predecessors as co-chairs have only been welcoming and helpful in the most effective way. I did not take this role on because I knew the answers, in fact, quite the opposite, I knew nothing. All I had was a willingness to listen and learn, to offer my help to an important cause that I passionately believe in, and they have, in turn, helped me enormously grow and appreciate the perspectives that I was blind to previously. For this I am eternally grateful. 

How do you believe everyone could be a better ally in the workplace?  

Allyship is a positive state of mind, rather than a tick box exercise. You will never be able to say, “I have been enough of an ally” or “there’s no more that I can do to be a better ally”. You simply have to change your mindset to say to yourself, “I am an ally, in everything I do and in every situation, I find myself in”. In this way, bit by bit, day by day, you become a better ally. 

The other great thing about being a better ally is that you increase your impact automatically, on an incremental basis, rather than having to make some grand gesture, which most people are not comfortable making in any event. Everyone can do this, it isn’t hard, and it is far from grandstanding or attention seeking. It is simply doing the right thing, every day.