The Kirklees Diversity, Equality and Innovation Conference will be for those invested in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in organisations or the community, with a focus on sharing ideas, best practise tools and resources on how diversity can lead to innovation. The conference aims to support businesses and organisations to create a culture in which everyone, regardless of their background, feels that they belong.
Conference Panelists
We are pleased to introduce....
CEO, Kirklees Local TV
Milton Brown
Since 1992 Milton has worked with the Commission for Racial Equality, Kirklees Race Equality Council, and the Football Association Race Equality Panel. Milton has committed over 35 years of civic engagement and social responsibilities. He has 30 years of working locally, regionally, nationally and internationally in the USA, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Jamaica, Italy and Germany, specialising in diversity, inclusion, equality, community cohesion, leadership, and organisational workforce development, coaching and mentoring. In 2011, for his work and commitment to equality, community cohesion, diversity and inclusion, he received a four-week Fellowship with the United Nations in Geneva for people of African Descent
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Assistant Principal Student Experience, Kirklees College
Polly Harrow
Polly has over 30 years’ experience in education and is a committed and passionate advocate for safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion. She is a trauma informed practitioner and a specialist in restorative practice. Polly is Assistant Principal Student Experience at Kirklees College, Chair of the National Association of Managers of Student Services and an associate with ETF.
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Manager, Culture & Learning Development, Paxman
Kathy Morris
Kathy Morris has been in the L&D industry for over 30 years. Working with large global organisations such as Thomson Reuters, Hays plc, and RSA Insurance Group in international culture transformation and leadership development, Kathy is also an experienced coach supporting business transformation. Since joining PAXMAN in 2016 her initiatives include performance and talent management, succession planning and in 2020, Diversity and Inclusion. Her focus is supporting the business and its people to increase engagement and to maintain a diverse and inclusive PAXMAN Culture through rapid growth and development.
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Group Head Diversity and Inclusion, Syngenta
Ruben Alejandro
Ruben is highly driven to create an inclusive and equitable environment for the diverse team in the Syngenta Group by focusing on fostering and promoting psychological safety, mental health, equal payment for equal jobs, and zero tolerance for racist and harassing behaviours. Ruben is a firm believer that everyone in the organization should embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion, since it will help keep the business thriving, and is the right thing to do.
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Senior Associate, Haddletons
Hugh Goulbourne
Hugh is a Senior Commercial Solicitor with 14 years legal experience In House and in Private Practice. Having qualified with a top ten international law firm, Hugh has extensive experience in data protection, commercial contracts and corporate governance across a range of sectors including energy, entertainment, financial services and insurance. Hugh’s excellent legal skills are enhanced by his experience of income generation, strategy development and team management in a range of senior leadership roles since 2011.
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Integration and Positive Change Manager, DASH
Suhaila Gayatiri Binti Abdullah
Suhaila is originally from Malaysia and a business graduate. She grew up in a multicultural society and therefore deeply understands the importance of community integration, she takes the “No Human Is Illegal” stance to her core. Suhaila moved to the UK in 2014 and has since been part of numerous projects and campaigns involving asylum seekers and refugees. She started volunteering at DASH in 2014 and has worked her way to her current position. Suhaila has been recognised as Expert by Experience Ambassador by Refugee Action and was one of the panel speakers at Refugee Action’s Expert by Experience Conference in 2019.
She also received the Kirklees Learners Award 2018.
Leader, Kirklees Council
Cllr Shabir Pandor
Cllr Pandor is the Leader of Kirklees Council, and the Regional Representative for the Local Government Association and has been a councillor since 2002. He is a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board and chairs the Business, Economy and Innovation Committee and also a member of the Yorkshire Leaders Board.
As well as being a member of the Co-op Council Innovation Network Executive Committee, he represents Kirklees on the Key Cities Group. Cllr Pandor is a member of Council of Europe and is involved with the work of the Monitoring Committee.
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Strategic Director for Corporate Strategy , Commissioning and Public Health
Rachel Spencer-Henshall
Rachel have been the Director for Public Health in Kirklees since April 2015 after working in Public Health for 10 years. In January 2019, She was successfully appointed to the Strategic Director for Corporate Strategy and Commissioning in addition to her Public Health role for Kirklees Council.
Rachel have a passion for improving outcomes and reducing avoidable differences in the health and wellbeing experienced by Kirklees people. She is committed to working in partnership and believe that building good strong relationships is the key to kind and effective leadership. Rachel is a firm believer in collaboration, and believes that we will achieve better results if we embrace a diverse range of views and expertise.
In her spare time Rachel enjoys walking and cooking, as well as being a first-time mum to her little boy called Leo.
Brand Ambassador and Director of Global Training, Paxman
Claire Paxman
More than 25 years ago, Claire Paxman’s mum, Sue Paxman experienced first-hand the effect that chemotherapy-induced hair loss had on her quality of life. The Paxman family discovered that this sense of patient helplessness was common. In fact, chemotherapy-induced alopecia remains one of the top five most distressing cancer treatment side effects, to this day.
Having cut her late Mum’s hair off aged 14, Claire set out to stop others from having to deal this most feared side effect. As Brand Ambassador & Director of Global Training, Claire truly lives and breathes her role as Paxman’s Brand Ambassador leading the way globally in education, training and awareness raising about scalp cooling treatment and the difference it can make to a patient’s cancer journey. Her passion in providing support and encouraging patients to self advocate is palpable, as well as driving partnerships with medical professionals, cancer support groups and charities around the world.
Paxman may have grown to become the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of scalp cooling equipment, but with cancer touching the lives of more people than ever before, the mission is far from over.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader Europe
Cummins
Evy Meirhaeghe
Evy is an experienced HR professional living and working in Belgium. She has an extensive experience in operational HR, labor relations and talent management working with large and small B2B and B2C manufacturing companies. Her background as a social worker and her Master studies in Gender and Diversity combined with nearly 20 years of working experience in Europe, Africa and Brazil enable her to tie academics and business reality together. Evy strongly believes everybody can make a difference to create a more inclusive habitat. She has a passion to drive change within organizations and to coach leaders to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment that truly make an impact on the lives of people.