Marc Allera

BT Group

(He/Him)
CEO, BT’s Consumer business and Exec Sponsor of the BT Ethnic Diversity Network.

As head of three of the UK’s leading communications brands – EE, BT and Plusnet – Marc runs the largest subscription business in the UK, with 25 million subscribers on the UK’s best and biggest mobile and fibre networks generating more than half a billion visits to its apps and websites every year.

Under Marc’s leadership, EE is on a journey to becoming the most personal, customer-focused brand in the country. EE will do more: offering services beyond the connectivity it’s known for, bringing customers new products and services in partnership with some of the world’s biggest and best brands, from gaming to security.

Marc believes a more personal business should reflect the customers it serves, with people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, religions, ethnicities, and experiences across the UK. By investing in ethnicity, EE is on a mission to enrich its workforce and empower a more inclusive society.

Empowering people through technology is at the top of Marc’s agenda, too. Having been first to launch 5G in the UK with EE, Marc is now driving the rollout of next-gen networks. Customer experience is also crucial: EE has been independently named the UK’s best network for 10 years running, while Marc has steered both EE and BT to their highest-ever NPS results, with complaints at an all-time low.

Previously, Marc was a driving force behind Three’s growth from start-up to major player in mobile. Prior to that, he was General Manager of Sega UK.

Sandy Sahota

HSBC UK

(She/Her) Sandy is a Senior Global Manager at HSBC working within the Wealth Management business. She has over 20 years’ experience of working within financial services leading teams in Wealth management, Mortgages and the Retail Network. Over the past 4 years Sandy has worked for the global team which has given her a perspective on how people in different countries focus on inclusion. Sandy is also co-Chair for UK Embrace, HSBC’s ethnicity ERG / employee network.

Sandy’s involvement in inclusion extends beyond the workplace as she is a Non-Executive Director on the board of Thera East, a charitable organisation that supports people with learning disabilities get back into the community. This is a topic close to Sandy as she has two brothers with learning difficulties and has experienced first-hand the challenges that families can face in this space. Sandy is also a Co-opted Governor at St Albans Girls School, where she supports the schools on matters around DE&I.

Michael Barrington Hibbert

10,000 Black Interns

(He/Him) The CEO of recruitment firm Barrington Hibbert Associates and one of the people behind 10,000 Black Interns, which is now being assessed by organisations in the UK to support their early careers.

Cordelia Osewa-Ediae

BT

(She/Her) Cordelia Osewa-Ediae is Group Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) Lead at BT Group. In her role she leads on a number of a targeted, evidence based DEI initiatives that aim to make the business more diverse, equitable and inclusive.
Previously, as a Senior DEI Consultant, she developed and delivered bespoke diversity leadership programmes for the National Grid and London Metropolitan Police; led a nationwide strategic review at the NSPCC; and supported organisations including Tesco, Clarks and Ministry of Justice by developing I&D strategies, carrying out policy reviews and shaping talent programmes. As a Clore Social Fellow, she acted as an adviser to the London Metropolitan Police’s ‘Police Now’ programme and the University of Greenwich’s ‘Brighter Futures’ social mobility initiative.

In the past she’s also been an Operations Director at a youth charity, and Business development manager at a digital inclusion charity. A trained coach and action learning facilitator, Cordelia is an RSA Fellow, ‘Future of London’ mentor and Vice Chair of a multi academy school Trust Board.