At the age of sixteen, I became a mother. Overnight, I experienced how quickly assumptions can be made about a person’s potential and how easily opportunity can be limited by stereotypes rather than ability. Whilst that chapter of my life was challenging, it became the defining moment that shaped my purpose. More than 35 years later, I have dedicated my career to ensuring others are not held back by the barriers, bias and assumptions that prevent people from reaching their potential.
For more than 25 years, I have worked in people, culture and organisational development and, through Jungle HR for the last 18 years, have helped organisations across the public, private and third sectors build workplaces where people and organisations thrive together.
I believe inclusion should be embedded into leadership, governance, strategy and culture rather than treated as a standalone initiative. This belief led me to create the award-winning TRIBE5® methodology and write my Amazon No.1 bestselling book Closing the Gap – 5 Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture, providing organisations with a practical framework to create inclusive, high-performing cultures and become Responsible Employers.
Alongside my consultancy, I have built a portfolio that enables me to influence change at organisational, national and policy level. I serve as Senior Independent Director within the NHS, am a UK Ambassador for UN Women UK, Parliamentary Steering Committee Member for the MODE All-Party Parliamentary Group (Modernising Employment), Chair of the ESG Workstream for the APPG for Women and Enterprise, Co-Founder of Nexus, a Chief People Officer Think Tank, and Board Adviser to Royal Holloway University.
My work has been recognised through an Amazon No.1 bestselling book, TEDx speaking, national media including the BBC, Forbes and The Sunday Times, and as a returning judge for the Business Book Awards. I am also proud to be Patron of The Bates Foundation, supporting educational opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Everything I have achieved has been driven by one simple ambition: to create opportunities for others. Whether influencing policy, advising Boards, developing leaders or helping organisations transform their cultures, my focus has always been the same—to challenge assumptions, remove barriers and create environments where every individual has the opportunity to belong, succeed and thrive.
