Provide in-depth information about you and your current job role
As Director of Resourcing, Skills, Learning and EDI at Thames Water, I lead the strategic direction for attracting, developing and retaining the talent needed to deliver for our customers and communities. My remit spans recruitment, early careers, skills development, learning, social mobility and inclusion, ensuring we build a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve and has the skills, talent and workforce readiness required both now and in the future.
I lead a team of around 100 colleagues and am responsible for setting the strategy and direction across these areas. While I am proud of the progress we have made, our achievements are the result of a highly committed team who bring our strategy to life every day through delivery, partnership and innovation.
My approach has always been to position diversity, inclusion and social mobility as a business imperative rather than a standalone initiative. We know that addressing skills shortages and creating sustainable talent pipelines requires us to widen access to opportunity and engage with talent pools that have traditionally been underrepresented in our industries.
Since joining Thames Water, we have significantly expanded our early careers and skills programmes. Our apprenticeship offer has grown from three apprenticeship pathways and around 15 annual starts to 43 apprenticeship pathways and more than 100 starts each year. We have also introduced a highly successful summer internship programme, graduate programme, internship and supported internship programmes, all designed with inclusion at their core. These programmes have delivered strong representation from ethnically diverse groups, women, care leavers and other underrepresented talent pools.
In the last year alone, more than 35% of successful candidates recruited through our talent programmes and recruitment activity came from untapped talent groups. This has been achieved through a deliberate strategy focused on inclusive recruitment, social mobility and reducing barriers to employment.
Alongside this, I lead Thames Water’s EDI strategy and framework, working closely with our Employee Resource Groups to drive education, engagement and awareness throughout the organisation. Together, we deliver a year-round programme of activity that supports colleagues, celebrates diversity and helps build a more inclusive culture.
Learning also plays a critical role in this agenda. We have worked to ensure learning is accessible and inclusive, recognising that colleagues experience different barriers and learning needs. Our approach focuses on creating opportunities for everyone to develop, grow and succeed regardless of background or circumstance.
Ultimately, my role is about creating an environment where people can thrive, ensuring diversity and inclusion are embedded into how we recruit, develop and support our people, and helping Thames Water build a skilled, diverse and future-ready workforce.
Why do you feel you have been selected for the Head of Diversity & Inclusion Award?
I am genuinely humbled to have been nominated for this award.
I see this nomination not only as recognition of my individual contribution, but also of the collective efforts of the talented teams, leaders, Employee Resource Groups and partners I work alongside every day. Creating meaningful and sustainable change requires collaboration, commitment and shared ownership.
In my role, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to influence strategy and drive organisational change at scale. My focus has been on ensuring inclusion is embedded into our business practices rather than treated as a separate programme. Whether through recruitment, skills development, learning, early careers, social mobility initiatives or culture change, the goal has always been to create equitable opportunities and remove barriers that prevent people reaching their potential.
I believe this nomination may reflect the impact of the work we have undertaken to position diversity and inclusion as a critical enabler of business success. By widening access to skills and employment opportunities, we are helping address workforce shortages, strengthening talent pipelines and improving organisational performance while creating greater opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Beyond Thames Water, I actively contribute to industry discussions, employer boards, conferences and events to share best practice and encourage other organisations to adopt inclusive recruitment and talent strategies. I am passionate about demonstrating that diversity and inclusion should not be viewed as an optional initiative, but as an essential component of building sustainable businesses and stronger communities.
What diversity initiatives have you implemented within your workplace across the following diversity strands: Age | Disability | Gender | LGBT+ | Race | Religion & Faith
At Thames Water, our approach is built around embedding inclusion into everyday business practices while supporting this through education, awareness and colleague engagement.
A key part of our approach is our network of Employee Resource Groups, which are supported by my team and aligned to our wider EDI strategy. Together, we deliver a comprehensive programme of activity throughout the year, including events, awareness campaigns, educational sessions, panel discussions and cultural celebrations covering disability, neurodiversity, race, ethnicity, gender, LGBT+, religion and faith, social mobility and wellbeing. These initiatives create opportunities for colleagues to learn from one another, share experiences and build a more inclusive workplace culture.
Alongside this cultural activity, we have introduced several practical and measurable initiatives designed to improve inclusion throughout the employee lifecycle:
- Introduced enhanced EDI monitoring throughout recruitment to better understand representation and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Redesigned recruitment processes to encourage greater participation from underrepresented groups.
- Introduced redacted CVs to help reduce unconscious bias during recruitment.
- Implemented a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates who declare a disability and for care leavers who meet the minimum role requirements.
- Enhanced our disability recruitment processes and candidate experience, resulting in a more than 30% increase in applications from candidates declaring a disability.
- Continued to expand apprenticeship, internship, graduate and supported internship pathways to create alternative routes into employment.
- Strengthened hiring manager training to ensure inclusive recruitment practices are consistently applied.
We have also developed and implemented our Respect at Work training programme, which forms part of a wider EDI learning framework. This programme addresses inclusion, race, bullying, harassment and workplace behaviours and has been delivered across the organisation for approximately 18 months. More recently, the programme has been updated to align with changes in employment legislation and continues to receive highly positive feedback from colleagues.
The aim is not only to raise awareness, but to create safe spaces for learning, conversation and understanding, helping colleagues develop the confidence and skills needed to contribute to a respectful and inclusive workplace.
What impact have these initiatives had on your workplace?
The impact has been both measurable and cultural.
Our most recent colleague engagement survey achieved a 71% engagement score, representing an improvement on the previous year and reflecting the importance of creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, respected and able to contribute.
Our focus on inclusive recruitment and social mobility has resulted in more than 35% of hires coming from untapped talent pools, helping us widen access to employment opportunities while addressing critical skills shortages.
We have also seen positive growth in applications from underrepresented groups, including an increase of more than 30% in applications from candidates declaring a disability following changes to our recruitment processes and candidate experience.
The expansion of our early careers programmes has created significantly more opportunities for diverse talent to enter the organisation, particularly through apprenticeships, internships and supported employment programmes.
Feedback from our Respect at Work training programme has been consistently positive, with colleagues reporting increased awareness of inclusive behaviours, greater understanding of bullying and harassment, and increased confidence in creating respectful and supportive working environments.
Perhaps most importantly, diversity and inclusion are increasingly viewed as part of how we do business rather than a separate agenda. We continue to make progress, and while there is still more to do, we have established strong foundations for long-term and sustainable change.
Have you or your company received any accolades as a result of your work surrounding equality, diversity & inclusion?
Both Thames Water and I have received recognition for our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Personally, I was honoured to receive the Inspirational Leader Award at the Ethnicity Awards 2025, recognising my contribution to advancing inclusion, social mobility and workforce diversity.
As an organisation, Thames Water has achieved recognition through a number of external awards, accreditations and commitments, including:
- Recognition through the Faith at Work REDI Index.
- Success at the Women Utilities Network Awards, recognising initiatives that support inclusion and progression across the utilities sector.
- Achievement of Disability Confident Leader (Level 2)
- Commitment to a range of social value and inclusion pledges, including the Armed Forces Covenant, Care Leaver Covenant, Homelessness Covenant, Refugee Employment initiatives and other social mobility commitments.
These recognitions reflect a sustained organisational commitment to creating opportunities, removing barriers and building a more inclusive workplace.
