PATRONS & JUDGES
Lord Victor Adebowale
Yvonne Coghill CBE, FRCN
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE
Cedi Frederick
Patricia Miller OBE
Professor Kevin Fenton CBE
Professor Bola Owolabi
Dr Marie Gabriel CBE Hon DHsc
Professor Dame Donna Kinnair
Wol Kolade CBE
Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu
Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL
Lord Victor Adebowale
Lord Victor Adebowale became Chair of the NHS Confederation in April 2020. Before this, he was CEO of Turning Point, a social enterprise providing health and social care interventions to approximately 100,000 people on an annual basis.
Lord Adebowale is also Chair of Social Enterprise UK, Co-Founder and Chair of Visionable UK Ltd, and founding Chair of Collaborative CIC. He is Founder and Director of Leadership in Mind and a non-executive director at the Co -Operative Group. Victor is the founding Vice-Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and has been since 2021.
Victor served for six years as a Non-Executive Director on the board of NHS England. He has chaired a number of commission reports into: policing, employment, mental health, housing, and fairness for The London Fairness Commission, the Metropolitan police, and for central and local government. More recently – in 2023 and 2024 – Lord Adebowale has been a joint chair of the BMJ Health Commission. In 2000, he was awarded a CBE for services to the unemployed and homeless people, and became a crossbench peer in 2001.
Victor is a visitor at St Catherine’s College, Oxford and Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln.
He is an honorary fellow at the Royal College of Psychiatry and the Royal College of GPs. In September 2023, Victor was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Public Health Award and become an honorary fellow at the Royal Society of Public Health.
Victor has an MA in Advanced Organisational Consulting from the Tavistock Institute and City University.
Yvonne Coghill CBE, FRCN
Yvonne Coghill CBE, FRCN commenced nurse training at Central Middlesex Hospital in 1977, qualified as a general nurse in 1980 and went on to qualify in mental health nursing and health visiting. In 1986 she secured her first NHS management job and has since held a number of operational and strategic leadership posts.
Yvonne has recently retired after 43 years in the NHS. Her last role was as the Director of Workforce Race Equality, NHS London, prior to which she was the Director for the Workforce Race Equality Implementation Team in NHS England/Improvement. She is a member of the board at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States, where she helped develop their inclusion strategy. Yvonne has delivered lectures on inclusion and diversity at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She continues to work closely with world expert on health and race, Professor D. Williams, of Harvard University School of Public Health.
In 2012 Yvonne was appointed as a Magistrate to the North London bench. She has been voted by colleagues in the NHS as one of the top 50 most inspirational women, one of the top 50 most inspirational nurse leaders, and one of the top 50 BME pioneers. In December 2017 she was included in the HSJ top 100 influential leaders list.
Yvonne was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare in 2010 and was appointed to the position of Director for WRES implementation in June 2015. In 2018, she was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing, a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list, an honorary fellowship from King’s College London, honorary doctorates from Middlesex and Buckinghamshire New universities and voted one of the top 70 most inspirational nurses in the NHS over the last 70 years. In January 2019, Yvonne became Deputy President of the RCN.
In the summer of 2020, Yvonne led on the development of a race equality strategy for London and was invited to be a senior fellow at the Institute of Health . 2020 also saw her once again be voted one of the top 50 most influential Black people in the NHS. Yvonne is on the board of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and co-chairs its international experts’ group. Since retiring Yvonne has set up her own company, Excellence in Action, and continues to work across the NHS, with the police and with colleagues in higher education.
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE is the first Chief Midwife for the International Confederation of midwives internationally. Professor Jacqueline has a passion for supporting midwives and health systems to ensure that all women and gender-diverse people receive the best care and experience optimal health outcomes. She served for four years as the first Chief Midwifery Officer for the NHS in England and was one of two National Maternity Safety Champions appointed by the Department for Health and Social Care.
Jacqueline is a registered nurse and midwife, and a visiting Professor of Midwifery at Kings College London and London South Bank University. She has held senior positions in clinical practice, education, leadership, and management including: Consultant Midwife, Director of Midwifery, Head of Nursing, Senior Lecturer, Curriculum Leader, Lead Midwife for Education, and Professor of Midwifery. She has supported the education of Midwives Internationally through conference contributions and publications.
She is Co-Chair of the Maternity and Neonatal Advisory Group for the Race and Health Observatory in England, a member of the Women of the Year management committee, Midwifery Ambassador for the charity Saying Goodbye and until recently, a trustee for the RCN Foundation. In 2015, Jacqueline was selected from over 100 nominations for inclusion in the Nursing Times’ Leaders list, which celebrates nurses and midwives who are pioneers, entrepreneurs, and inspirational role models in their profession.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) recognised Jacqueline as one of the most influential people in health each year from 2020-2022.
In celebration of the NHS’ 75th anniversary in 2023, Jacqueline was recently recognised by the Nursing Times as one of 75 nurses and midwives who have contributed in a significant way to the National Health Service.
Professor Jacqueline is also a CAHN patron. She says: “My determination to improve health equity is influenced by the vast and unacceptable inequality in health outcomes and experiences of Black, brown and socio-economically disadvantaged people. In my role as Patron for CAHN, I pledge to utilise my experience of health promotion, ill health prevention, equity policy and strategy and maternity care to support CAHN in meeting its equity ambition.”
Cedi Frederick
During a career that has spanned over 40 years, Cedi Frederick has held a number of senior management and Chief Executive positions across the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. In addition, with over 30 years’ experience on the boards of housing, social care and sporting national governing bodies, several housing associations and voluntary organisations, Cedi has held Non-Executive Director and Chair roles within the NHS and a university Governor role. Cedi is currently Chair of NHS Kent and Medway, Chair of the Health and Europe Centre, and is a Non-Executive Director of Sage Homes.
Cedi is owner and Managing Director of Article Consulting Ltd, a company that works with the ‘leaders of today and tomorrow’, the CEO of Consiliaris Digital Systems, a health tech start-up, and runs a successful executive coaching and mentoring practice.
In 2015, Cedi was recognised as one of the ‘1,000 Black & Asian Heroes 1950-2010’ by Our Heritage TV. In addition, on four separate occasions, Cedi has been named as one of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Black People; described as an ‘unsung hero of the Third Sector, who has changed as many lives in his life outside of work as he has in his job’. At present Cedi also co-chairs the ground-breaking London inspire Programme, focused on improving the health of Black Londoners.
Patricia Miller OBE
Patricia Miller OBE is the Chief Executive Officer for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board. Responsible for overseeing complex health services and health improvement programmes for local communities. Patricia has over 30 years’ experience of working in the NHS and holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Management.
She is a graduate of the Aspiring Directors Programme for the East of England, the Breaking Through Leadership Programme, the Athena Leadership Programme for Executive Women, and the Collaborative Leadership Programme at the King’s Fund.
Whilst working in the NHS Patricia has remained passionate about improving the lives of patients and staff in ways that matter to them. Patricia has a strong focus on equality, diversity, inclusion, and health inequalities. She is currently Co-Chair of the Chairs and CEO Ethnic Minority Network, and member of the NHS England’s Health Inequalities Oversight Group. Patricia is also a member by distinction of the Faculty of Public Health.
Patricia was named as one of 25 Rising Stars of the NHS in 2013 and one of the top 50 CEOs in 2019, the same year in which she was awarded an OBE for services to the NHS. In 2020, Patricia was named amongst the top 50 BAME figures who will exercise the most power and/or influence in the NHS and health policy.
Professor Kevin Fenton CBE
Professor Kevin Fenton CBE is the President of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH). He is a senior public health expert and infectious disease epidemiologist who has worked in a variety of public health executive leadership roles across government and academia in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Professor Fenton’s specialist interests include tackling health inequalities, infectious disease prevention and control, climate justice and urban health. Kevin is the Regional Director for London in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Within this role, he is also the statutory public health advisor to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority, as well as Regional Director of Public Health for NHS London.
Kevin acts as the government’s Chief Advisor on HIV and Chair of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group for England. As President, Kevin works closely with the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges, UK Local Government Association and a wide range of partners who have interests in Public Health. Kevin is committed to working with all four nations of the UK and FPH members across the world.
Professor Bola Owolabi
Professor Bola Owolabi (MRCGP, MFPH Hon, FRSPH) is Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England (NHSE). She also works as a GP in the Midlands. Bola has a particular interest in reducing healthcare inequalities through integrated care models, service transformation, and using data insights for quality improvement. She has spearheaded NHSE’s Core20PLUS5 approach to narrowing healthcare inequalities.
Internationally, Bola was a member of the Danish Ambassador’s Tour De Health – a ten-nation healthcare policy leaders’ summit. Additionally, she was the UK representative on the Commonwealth Fund / Academy Health Tour 2023,exploring equity in national health policy across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. She was previously National Speciality Advisor for Older People and Integrated Person-Centred Care at NHSE, where she led the Anticipatory Care workstream of the National Ageing Well Programme. She collaborated with teams across NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Covid-19pandemic response.
Bola is an alumna of Ashridge Executive Education / Hult International Business School and holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Leadership (Quality Improvement). She also received an NHS Leadership Academy Award in Executive Healthcare Leadership for Clinicians. Bola is an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham. She is also a Vice President of the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH).
Dr Marie Gabriel CBE Hon DHsc
Dr Marie Gabriel CBE Hon DHsc, with over 20 years’ NHS Board experience, is currently the Chair of the NHS North East London Integrated Care System, Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and an Associate NED for the UK Health Security Agency.
She is also a Commissioner on the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity. Regionally, Marie is Co-Chair of the London People Board and is a member of the Greater London Authority’s London Health Board, where she is also the London Mayor’s Champion for Tackling Structural Racism. Marie contributes to her local community as a trustee on two charities: West Ham United Foundation and East London Business Alliance.
Her previous Chair role was at East London NHS Foundation Trust, which is internationally acknowledged for its systematic approach to quality improvement and service-user participation. Through this and her current role, she has participated in IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) events, including delivering workshops on the Board’s role in quality improvement. Prior to this, Marie chaired commissioning organisations with budgets of up to £3bn and with her first non-executive role, she became Vice Chair of an acute trust. Marie’s employment background is in local government and the not-for-profit sector, with senior executive experience in social justice, regeneration and equity.
Marie’s contribution to the NHS was recognised through the award of her CBE, her contribution to her local community by the award of Freedom of the London Borough of Newham and her contribution to football by inclusion on the Premier League’s Black Power List. More recently in 2023, Marie received the award of Honorary Doctor of Health Sciences from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and she has been included in the Health Service Journal’s 100 list of the most influential people in health.
Professor Dame Donna Kinnair
Professor Dame Donna Kinnair is the Chair of Runnymede Trust and a trustee of the Burdett Trust for Nursing. She is a Non-Executive Director at East London Foundation Trust and The Royal Free Hospitals London. She was the Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) until June 2021.
Professor Kinnair has had an extensive career in healthcare, with positions she has filled in the past including roles as a clinical director, where she was responsible for delivering strategy and policy. She has worked in education and clinical practice in a variety of roles in the UK and internationally.
Donna is a renowned clinical leader tasked with leading several transformations in care. Donna served as nurse/child health assessor to the Victoria Climbié Inquiry and advised the PM’s Commission on the future of nursing and midwifery in 2010. She was made a DBE in 2008 for services to nursing.
Wol Kolade CBE
Wol Kolade CBE is a Managing Partner of Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity firms.
Wol’s extensive private equity experience is fuelled by his passion for entrepreneurialism and its benefits to the wider economy. He has a deep interest in healthcare, education, and improving diversity in the private equity industry.
In 2021, Wol received a CBE for services to the financial industry in the Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours and became the 25th inductee into the ‘Private Equity Hall of Fame’ at the Real Deals Private Equity Awards.
Through numerous high-profile board roles, Wol nurtures bold strategies that drive innovation and impact. He was previously a Chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association in 2007-2008, a Council Member from 2002-2009, and Chairman of the Responsible Investment Advisory Board from 2009-2010.
Wol formerly served as the Chairman of the Guys and St. Thomas’ Foundation, which has assets of £1bn, making it one of the largest medical charities in the UK. In 2018 he was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the joint NHS England & Improvement Board and more recently, as trustee of Somerset House Trust. He is also a co-]founder of the 10,000 Black Interns Initiative.
Wol initially trained as an engineer, having studied civil and structural engineering at King’s College, London. After obtaining an MBA from Exeter University, he spent three years with Barclays before joining Livingbridge. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2014.
Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu
Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu was inspired to become a nurse at the tender age of four because, whilst she was in care, a “wonderful nursing nun” treated her childhood eczema in an expert and sensitive manner. Born in Birmingham in 1947, she identifies as being of Irish/Nigerian heritage. Dame Elizabeth started work for the NHS as a school nurse assistant in Wolverhampton at the age of 16.
Elizabeth put a substantial amount of her life into her work as a nurse, health visitor and tutor working with Black and minority ethnic communities in London. “People from diverse cultures are not always valued and still sometimes just seen as problems”, she says.
In 1979, Dame Elizabeth helped to establish in Brent the first nurse-led UK Sickle & Thalassaemia Screening and Counselling Centre. In 1988 she was awarded a PhD from the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL). From 1990-1997 she worked at the Institute of Child Health, UCL as a Lecturer and subsequently, as Senior Lecturer in Community Genetic Counselling. She has written extensively and is a co-author with Professor Karl Atkin of the book ‘The Politics of Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia’ published in 2001 by the Open University Press.
In 2001, Elizabeth was awarded a CBE for services to nursing. In 2004 she was presented with the Royal College of Nursing Fellowship (FRCN) for her work in the development of nurse-led sickle cell and thalassaemia counselling services and education and leadership in transcultural nursing. In 2022, Elizabeth was honoured with the Order of Merit and a Damehood (DBE) in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. The Queen’s Nursing Institute awarded her a Fellowship (FQNI) in October 2017.In July 2018, as part of the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of the National Health Service, Elizabeth was included in the list of the 70 most influential nurses and midwives in the history of the NHS.
Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL
Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL is an actress, singer, presenter, author, businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician. She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London in 2008 and was listed in the 2020 Powerlist as one of the Top 100 most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.
Baroness Benjamin has spent some 53 years in the entertainment industry, receiving numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Special Lifetime Achievement Award and an OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting.
She was president of the Elizabeth R Commonwealth Broadcasting Fund and a governor of the National Film and Television School for 17 years, championing their diversity and inclusion policy.
Baroness Benjamin has written over 30 books including the best-selling Coming to England, which is now part of the UK National Curriculum. Floella’s autobiography, What Are You Doing Here? won the 2023 Parliamentary Book Award for the Best Autobiography by a Parliamentarian.
In 2006, Floella became the first Afro-Caribbean woman to be appointed as Chancellor of a UK university – the University of Exeter, where there is now a statue to celebrate her chancellorship.
In 2010, Floella became a Lib-Dem peer and has successfully got legislation through for the Children’s Performance Act and for the resurgence of children’s television production output by commercial broadcasters.
She chaired both the Windrush Commemoration Committee, overseeing the creation of a National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station and the Windrush Portraits Committee for His Majesty the King to celebrate Windrush 75. Baroness Benjamin is actively involved with numerous charities, including the Sickle Cell Society, Transplant Links and is Vice-President of Barnardo’s.
Floella was made a Dame in 2020 for services to charity and was appointed into the Order of Merit in 2022, which was one of the late Queen’s last wishes.
She was chosen by King Charles to carry the Sceptre with Dove at his coronation.
Judges
Suman Prinjha
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE
Marcus Riddell FCIPD
Bernadette Thompson
Cindy Butts
Jaspal Roopra
Molly O Sobola MSc CMgr FCMI
Sue Bedward
Dr Adaugo Onyeador
Dr Chris Agbo
Estephanie Dunn
Suman Prinjha
Dr. Suman Prinjha is Associate Professor / Senior Research Fellow at University of York, where she works at York Trials Unit and NIHR Research Support Service (RSS). She is a qualitative researcher with over 20 years’ postdoctoral experience, and a BACP-registered (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) psychotherapist.
Suman leads research into health inequalities, ethnic-minority health, and patients’ experiences of illness and healthcare. She is Co-Investigator and EDI theme lead on an NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research)-funded programme grant, leading work on the inclusion of Bangladeshi, Black African and Caribbean communities in a clinical trial on COPD.
At the RSS, Suman provides support to researchers on EDI and research inclusion. She is a member of the Diabetes UK Research Steering Group, NHS England National Healthcare Inequalities Network, and a registered member of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE is the Chair of the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Integrated Care Board (BSol ICB). Patrick initially took up the role on an interim basis in January 2023 and was appointed as permanent Chair in January 2024. Patrick was the first Non-Executive Director to be appointed at the BSol ICB and was appointed to specifically lead on inequalities (in fact, he was the first NED lead for inequalities to be appointed in the country). He received an Order of the British Empire in 2012 for his work on tackling health inequalities and ethnic minority communities. In 2019, he was awarded a lifetime achievement award for campaigning and advocacy work by the Sheila McKechnie Foundation.
Patrick is a former Non-Executive Director for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Healthwatch England. In 2020 Patrick, established the Majonzi Fund, which provides grants to families and community organisations to hold commemoration events for individuals from Black and racialised communities who have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic. Alongside his work for the BSol ICB, Patrick also chairs the Walsall Together Partnership Board working to create happier partnership working in the locality.
In August 2021, Patrick was appointed by Wolverhampton University as Honorary Professor of Cultural Heritage and Community Leadership for the Department of Community Development. In 2020, Patrick was selected by British Vogue as one of Britain’s top 20 campaigners and was included in the 2020 power list of the top 100 influential Black people in Britain. Also in 2020, Patrick co-authored 100 Great Black Britons. Patrick is a sought-after broadcaster, public speaker and writes blog posts and articles for the national and international media on healthcare, cultural heritage and race.
Marcus Riddell FCIPD
Marcus Riddell FCIPD is Chief People Officer at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. Prior to this he was Interim Chief People Office and Deputy Chief People Officer at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Before joining Essex Partnership, Marcus was Director for Strategic Partnerships at NHS Professionals, a role that followed a series of roles at NHS England and NHS Improvement. In addition to being Head of Equality and Inclusion for Evidence and Policy during the pandemic, Marcus led the Covid-19 Risk Assessment Delivery Unit and efforts to increase staff Covid-19 vaccination uptake.
Marcus’ earlier work in healthcare focused on temporary staffing and supply at the Department of Health and Social Care, and subsequently, NHS Improvement from 2017-2020.
Marcus’ career began in 2006 at the Department of Communities and Local Government as an administrative assistant, before he eventually filled Private Office roles for both Labour and Conservative Ministers. Marcus later moved to the Ministry of Defence as the Policy Officer for the Pakistan Desk. He subsequently moved to the Home Office to focus on domestic counter-terrorism.
Marcus is the former Chairman of Kori, a community charity in north-east London which provides services for disadvantaged children from predominantly BAME and low-income backgrounds.
Bernadette Thompson
Bernadette Thompson OBE is a pioneering leader in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), serving as Director of EDI at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. With 23 years’ experience in the Civil Service, she has influenced the inclusion landscape in UK Government Departments such as the Ministry of Justice and Home Office.
Bernadette’s strategic acumen has shaped inclusion strategies, fostered diversity, and driven cultural transformation. Recognised for her leadership, she has innovated strategies to promote accountability, engagement, and diverse talent pipelines.
Bernadette co-chaired a cross-government race network, earning multiple awards. As a trusted influencer, Bernadette engages employees at all levels, inspiring their potential. A sought-after speaker, she addresses diversity, inclusion, organisational culture change and leadership.
In 2020, Bernadette won the Workplace Hero category at the national Investing in Ethnicity Awards and, in 2021, the ‘We Are The City’ Rising Star Champion award. That year, she was also honoured with an OBE. In 2023, Bernadette was named one of the top 100 D&I inspirational leaders in the UK.
Beyond her professional achievements, Bernadette has been a Community Governor at a local infant school for over 18 years. She volunteers at major sports events and is a trustee for King’s College Charity and Black Inclusion Week, making a significant community impact.
Cindy Butts
Cindy Butts has over 20 years’ experience improving access to justice, tackling inequality, complaints handling and recruitment. She currently has a portfolio career. In February 2021 Cindy was appointed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to chair the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC). The Commission examined the issues of race, gender and class in cricket and delivered its landmark report – ‘Holding up A Mirror to Cricket’ in June 2023. In recognition of her transformative work Cindy was named one of six ‘Women in the Spotlight’ 2024 – hailed for having made an outstanding contribution to cricket and wider public life in the UK.
Cindy also served as a Lay Member of the House of Commons Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and is a Lay Member of the House of Lords Conduct Committee.
Cindy has been called upon by various organisations to provide independent trusted advice during periods of crisis. In this respect, she has led several independent inquiries, reviews and investigations into organisational culture, equality and inclusion.
She previously held a Crown appointment as a Commissioner at the Criminal Cases Review Commission and formerly served as a Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Prior to this, Cindy was the Deputy Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) where she was responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Metropolitan Police Service.
Cindy is a former trustee for the charity Kick it Out,which is striving to eradicate all forms of discrimination in football.
Jaspal Roopra
Jaspal Roopra joined the Civil Service in 2002, having worked in the private sector (BT Plc) for 13 years. Looking for a new challenge, she changed sectors and joined the HR profession. After 20 years in the Civil Service, she left to become a HR Consultant and Executive Coach before joining the NHS in May 2023. She is currently Director of People at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and a member of the Hospital Executive Board.
Jaspal is a Chartered Fellow of CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) and holds a Diploma in Organisational Design and Development, and Executive Coaching. She is a trustee for the Charity for Civil Servants and sits as an Independent Member of the EDI Committee for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She also volunteers with the charity StreetKind UK, who support our homeless friends around London.
Jaspal has held a series of leadership posts with departments such as the Home Office, National Crime Agency and Department of Energy & Climate Change. In her last role, Jaspal was the HR Divisional Director responsible for Skills, Capability and Talent in BEIS, where she led an exciting portfolio which impacted on every colleague across the department, whether through learning and development programmes; proactive talent management, enhancing organisational capability; or by developing and embedding Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of policy creation, decision-making and the working environment.
Jaspal is an advocate for change, with the courage to skilfully facilitate difficult conversations. With a warm personality, she helps people feel at ease and encourages an environment of openness and trust. She is skilled at providing structured questions to help organise an individual’s thoughts, and has critical skills for helping clients set tangible objectives and their own personal accountability. She works with clients to help them lead teams through change, and to have the ability to self-assess and self-correct after their work together is done.
Jaspal’s key skills are driving operational excellence, culture change and partnership working. She was the Co-Chair of the Race to the Top SCS Network, where her focus was to champion ethnic diversity in support of the Civil Service’s ambition to improve diversity and inclusion at its most senior levels
Molly O Sobola MSc CMgr FCMI
Molly Sobola MSc CMgr FCMI is an accomplished Chief Clinical Physiologist in medical diagnostic services and a distinguished NHS leader. She recently completed a Level 7 Executive Leadership and Management Apprenticeship, demonstrating her commitment to professional growth and excellence in healthcare management.
Over several years’ work in clinical physiology, Molly has supported many students and health professionals in attaining academic and clinical experiences and expertise—many lead services across the country.
Molly was part of the looking at workforce development strategy for cardio-respiratory healthcare science apprenticeship within Guy’s and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, which has become embedded in staff recruitment. The apprenticeship programme has been instrumental in promoting workforce development and recruitment within the cardio-respiratory healthcare science field. By providing academic and clinical experiences, the programme equips aspiring health professionals with the necessary skills and expertise to excel in their careers, leading to improved patient care and outcomes across the country.
As an active member of the GSTT’s EDI Improvement Board and the Shadow Executive Board of her clinical group, Molly regularly contributes to staff development, strategic directions, and improvements for staff equity in the workplace.
Molly received a distinction for a significant project she undertook which analysed missed appointments across the NHS’ ten largest organisations, identifying systemic issues and proposing viable solutions.
Molly holds an MSc in Executive Leadership and Management, underlining her educational and professional prowess. Molly is also a chartered fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Molly’s career reflects her unwavering dedication to professional development and leadership in healthcare. Her role at DMAC International highlights her ability to steer and manage successful operations, proving her leadership and operational management capabilities.
Sue Bedward
Sue Bedward is the Founder and Director of Midlands Business Leadership (MBL) Academy Ltd, which was established in 2015. MBL Academy provides national qualifications for Business Enterprise Professionals and works closely with the awarding body SFEDI Awards and the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IoEE), to promote inclusion across the business support eco-system. The MBL Academy also carries out work to support the needs of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Business Owners.
Sue is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethnic Minority Businesses and a Director with the Ethnic Minority Business Network, driving forward the Inclusive business support agenda. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Black Pounds Project, a CIC set up during Covid-19 to assist BME business owners with access to resources, finance, information and advice for business support and enterprise growth.
Sue is also a NHS Non Executive Director with the Board at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health FT. Her extensive knowledge and experience in Organisational Development and Leadership spans more than 20 years of her career within the NHS and in running her own business consultancy practice.
Sue holds a Master’s degree in Coaching and Mentoring and is a member and Associate Consultant working with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) Globa. Sue is passionate about all things people, organisational development and mental wellbeing, and has an ambitious drive to bring about systemic change by supporting personal and professional growth which upholds humanity, integrity, equity, inclusion, fairness and respect.
Sue is an accredited HLM 360 Feedback Facilitator, a trained Insights Discovery practitioner and a Mediation Facilitator. Her work has been recognised with the 2019 award for Inspirational Woman of Excellence by the Women’s Economic Forum – All Ladies League West Midlands, and she has garnered recognition as an Inclusive Leader in the 550th Celebrations of GuruNanak 2019 #WestMids550 Leaders, by the Centre for Sikh Studies and Natwest Bank.
Dr Adaugo Onyeador
Dr. Adaugo Onyeador studied Pharmacology and then Medicine at University College London. Dr. Onyeador completed foundation training in Norfolk and core surgical training in Kent. I joined the industry at Galderma as a Medical Science Liaison ,working on the dermatology and aesthetic portfolio. Dr. Onyeador then went on to work in Rheumatology and then Oncology as a Medical Advisor at Novartis. Adaugo is currently a Senior Regional Medical Advisor at Amicus, the UK medical lead for Fabry disease.
Adaugo volunteers to support the incredible team behind TEDxEuston, which aims to challenge the often skewed perception many hold about Africa. For almost 10 years, she hosted the event with over 600 guests and talks, garnering up to 2 million views on YouTube.
Dr. Onyeador is passionate about tackling health inequalities, and in recent times, co-ran Alafia, an organisation which educates the African and Caribbean community about health issues which disproportionately affect them.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Onyeador launched a podcast, Debunking Medical Myths, where she discusses misconceptions linked to a variety of health issues, ranging from the coronavirus and vaccines to diet fads and fillers.
Recently, Dr. Onyeador was invited to work with Black Pharma as a host and panellist for webinars and their summit.
Dr Chris Agbo
Dr.Chris Agbo, MBBS, MRCP, FWACP, MSc, FHEA, FAcadMEd is a Consultant in Renal and Acute Medicine.
Dr. Agbo is the Clinical Lead for Strategy and Transformation, Acute Kidney Injury Services and Simulation Lead at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr. Agbo is the President of the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG).
Estephanie Dunn
Estephanie Dunn RN, RHV, RM, RSCN, Cert Ed (Adult) RNT, DPSN, BSc Hons Nursing Science. MHSM
Diploma in Health Service Management.
Estephanie Dunn trained initially as a general nurse and worked in a range of clinical settings before moving into nurse education at the University of Northumbria.
She returned to clinical practice as a Lecturer Practitioner in Child Health and moved into General Management as Senior Nurse/Business Manager for Children’s Services, then General Manager for a city-wide Adult Learning Disability Service. Estephanie worked for 18 months on a secondment to Durham and Darlington Strategic Health Authority and focused on the closure of a long-stay hospital for people who have a learning disability, with a specific focus on ensuring that primary and secondary health needs were identified and managed effectively as they moved into community-based supported living settings. During this time, she completed the Next Generation Leadership programme led by Rob Greig at King’s College London.
Estephanie worked as a Director of Nursing within a PCT prior to working with the DH Turn Around Team, followed by interim Director and Project Manager roles across the public and independent sector.
During this period, she became a member of the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) Strategic Equality & Diversity Panel. This group later merged with the Home Office Panel, which worked on the MacPherson Report and launched the review 10 years after the death of Stephen Lawrence. Estephanie became the Deputy Chair of this merged panel.
She joined the RCN on the 17th March 2010 as Operational Manager for the Northern Region and took up the post of RCN Regional Director for the North West Region on the 22nd August 2014.
Estephanie became a trustee of a newly formed cancer charity ‘Yes I Can’ in 2023 and has been closely associated with and supportive of, ‘A Taste of Africa’, a charity based in Teesside for many years.