29 February 2024
Green Park Business Leaders Index 2024 | FTSE 350
SHORT FILM | Diversity and Dementia - Working with Alzheimer's Society featuring Dr Kamel Hothi OBE
As Green Park compile its 2019 BAME 100 Business Leaders report - which showcases some of the country’s most talented and successful black, Asian and minority ethnic leaders - for release on 11th September, we decided to find out more about some of our 2018 leaders – and why they were a natural choice for our list.
In a new series of fascinating films, we meet three exceptional people, hear their stories and explore their remarkable achievements and expertise.
Though each and every leader in our 2018 index has their own amazing story, we’ve chosen to focus on three extraordinary individuals: Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE, Daniel Taylor MBE and Dr. Nneka Adebulokwe OBE. Each film takes us into the leader’s world and provides a fascinating insight into their thoughts, work and aspirations, as well as the reasons why they are such inspirational role models for the younger generation.
We focus first on Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE, a trailblazer in the world of banking, who continues to make an impact through her work with numerous charities.
The Alzheimer’s Society is a cause that’s particularly close to Dr. Hothi’s heart and she now acts as an ambassador for the organisation. In an exclusive Green Park interview, she told us about the challenges that Alzheimer’s and dementia bring to the workforce and why hiring diverse people is more important than ever.
Diversity and dementia
It’s predicted that by 2021, there will be a million people living with dementia in the UK. It’s an alarming statistic, which has many hidden impacts for society and the workforce. With women making up 60%-70% of dementia carers, a significant number of talented women are obliged to leave their jobs. Clearly, this reduces diversity in the workforce – but why is that important? For Dr. Hothi, diversity is essential for a perspective that’s in tune with today’s society.
“When you have diverse people… they are more empathetic. They understand what that empathy brings to the table as well as to employees and customers.”
Diversity - the bigger picture
Dr. Hothi believes the added insight that diversity brings is essential in today’s globalised world. With more people moving across international borders, employers need to reflect their workforce and understand who their employees are.
“The reason diversity hiring is important is because the world is changing,” says Dr. Hothi. “People are travelling globally. You’ve got to be aware of where your talent is coming from.”
An increasing number of organisations such as Transport for London have recognised this shift and have hired diverse boards accordingly. But while such progress is encouraging, it’s only a step forward, as Dr. Hothi stresses:
“We’ve been talking about diversity for a long time and we know the business case: a diverse board will add 30% to the bottom line. But a recent Green Park report says it will take until 2066 to get really diverse boards.”
With the help of outstanding BAME leaders such as Dr. Hothi, Green Park will continue to move the dial on diversity. For more insight into Dr. Hothi’s work, watch our video.
Focus on Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE
From cashier to director to strategist and programme architect: Dr. Kamel Hothi’s OBE rise through the banking world has been nothing short of spectacular. As she’s broken through glass ceilings, Dr. Hothi has shaped the industry through all kinds of pioneering initiatives. She has also brought her drive and expertise to a range of charitable organisations, acting as a Trustee, Advisor or Non-Executive Director. Passionate about introducing a new style of more inclusive leadership, Dr. Hothi has influenced many with her views on cultural inclusion and wellbeing.
SHORT FILM | Why inclusion matters - featuring Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE, TLC Lions & Just Eat
As we count down to the launch of Green Park’s 2019 #BAME100 Business Leaders on the 11th of September at Somerset House, we’re catching up with some of the stand-out figures from 2018’s #BAME100 list, including Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE. In this, her second short film, Kamel shares fresh insight into her work as a non-executive director of TLC Lions, an exciting and rapidly expanding organization created to inspire change in the workplace.
Dr. Hothi & TLC Lions
TLC Lions is a collection of motivational speakers who share their inspiring stories to help organisations improve employee engagement and well-being. Since its inception little over a year ago, TLC Lions has thrived, amassing over 65 clients in the UK and globally. As a non-executive director, Dr. Hothi has been focusing particularly on Diversity & Inclusion and how TLC Lions can influence organisations.
“I’m looking at culture and Diversity & Inclusion through emotional engagement. I tap the top – the CEOs and Chairmen – to see how they can really understand diversity.”
Why inclusion matters
For Dr. Hothi, the issue we’re tackling now is inclusion. She makes a strong case for an open, welcoming workplace and believes the benefits include a more engaged and dedicated workforce:
“If you treat everyone equally, regardless of the colour of their skin, regardless of their culture, religion, background and sexual orientation, and let them be themselves at work, it will increase their confidence straight away. That’s because they think ‘I’m not being judged because of my voice or the fact I dress differently to you or because I have my hair a certain way because of my culture, or because I celebrate Eid or Diwali.’ They think ‘Because you allow me to be myself at work, I’m more committed to you.’”
In the video, shot exclusively for Green Park, Dr. Hothi speaks to a new TLC Lion, Anusha Nirmalananthan who has worked in the tech industry for over 10 years between the UK and San Francisco and is Head of Growth Data & AI at Just Eat and the former Head of Product at eBay. A Londoner with Sri Lankan parents, Anusha’s journey to a senior tech position is exactly the kind of authentic story that can inspire others and shift deeply ingrained mindsets. By drawing on her passion for science and computing, she overcame obstacle to do a job she loves at a highly successful internet business.
The TLC Lions' success story
Dr. Hothi’s influence is in no small part responsible for TLC Lions’ rapid growth. Founder & CEO, Gian Power is grateful and recognises the tremendous impact Dr. Hothi has had on his work. Gian says TLC Lions has gone from having a very small audience to reaching 20,000 people, and is looking forward to progressing further with Dr. Hothi’s advice, expertise and support.
With the help of outstanding BAME leaders such as Dr. Hothi and rising stars, Gian Power and Anusha Nirmalananthan - Green Park will continue to move the dial on diversityand inclusion. For deeper insight into Dr. Hothi’s work, watch our video.
About Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE
Dr Kamel Hothi OBE has been breaking glass ceilings in the banking world for over four decades from cashier to director, strategist and architect of numerous programmes and initiatives that have changed the shape of the banking industry.
She has led programmes such as the Lloyds Bank 250th anniversary, Asian Markets, skills volunteering across 85,000 colleagues. She now acts as Trustee & Advisor to Alzheimer’s Society, Teenage Cancer Trust and the Queens Commonwealth Trust. As well as a Non-Exec Director for two businesses including TLC Lions, Kamel is passionate about welcoming a new style of kind and inclusive leadership in organisations and having this impact nationally and internationally. Her passion for inclusion and diversity resulted in forming one of the first Women’s and BAME networks and chairing the government’s task force for supplier diversity ahead of the Olympic 2012 pitch. Her views on cultural inclusion and wellbeing have influenced many to follow.
SHORT FILM | Why not have a Board that reflects the customers? Daniel Taylor MBE FRSA | MDC GROUP
Less than a month away, on 11th September, Green Park will be revealing the identities of the 100 most successful and influential black, Asian and minority tthnic leaders in 2019. As always, the list will feature some of the country’s brightest BAME talent, such as award-winning designer and businessman, Daniel Taylor MBE. As final preparations for the 2019 report continue, we caught up with the 2018 BAME 100 figure to learn about his life and his thoughts on diversity. Many thanks to Daniel for an enlightening afternoon.
The path to success
Like many of his peers in the BAME 100 list, Daniel’s exceptional work ethic was apparent from an early age. Part of the Windrush generation who arrived in the 1950s, Daniel was highly driven to do well at school:
“In those days, you had to be successful education-wise, or as a black guy, a Caribbean guy, you could end up on the wrong side of the law.”
Daniel thrived academically, gaining A-levels and a Masters degree, which helped to earn him his first job as a Designer at Westinghouse. Even as a newly qualified graduate, he was determined to excel. “People within the business could see that I was very ambitious and wanted to succeed,” says Daniel. It wasn’t long before he’d moved to a new a company where he rose to European CEO. With success as his goal, Daniel says race never came into the equation:
“As a black guy, colour didn’t mean anything to me. Being smart and tenacious was where I was coming from.”
Fast forward to 1998 and Daniel had launched Metro, his own multi-award winning Design & Build company. Twenty years later and it’s a thriving family business, with Daniel’s daughter, niece and goddaughter occupying key, senior roles.
Why diversity matters
Daniel sees diversity as essential to UK business today. He believes that as the country’s manufacturing industry has declined, a new culture of thought leadership has emerged to take its place. And it’s here that diversity can really make an impact, driving innovation and collaboration:
“We’re a country full of ideas – inspirational ideas. BAME gives a really different perspective because BAME tends to be international. And when you put that into the mix, that’s when you really collaborate.”
With this in mind, Daniel is keen to champion difference and inclusion at the highest level:
“Why not have a Board which reflects my customers? That’s where we’ve got to keep fighting and push people up.”
About Daniel Taylor MBE FRSA
An award-winning interior design specialist, Daniel Taylor MBE is the founder and CEO of Metro Design. Established in 1998, the company has won a steady stream of prestigious projects and built up an impressive global clientele. Daniel is also a founding trustee of the Creative & Cultural Skills Council and founder of the Creative Apprenticeships Task Force. A long-time supporter of the Aleto Foundation, Daniel has served on every leadership programme since 2013 and joined the Board of Trustees too.
Watch the video to hear more from an exceptional 2018 BAME 100 leader.
SHORT FILM | “Imagine if we had a mosaic of cultures in our leadership teams" Dr Nneka Abulokwe OBE
Green Park will be unveiling its third annual #BAME100 report at Somerset House. In the run-up to the launch of the 2019 BAME Business Leaders, we took the opportunity to showcase some of 2018’s most successful and influential black, Asian and minority ethnic leaders.
They include Dr. Nneka Abulokwe, the founder of MicroMax Consulting and the Chair of the Board Nominations Committee for the Information Systems Audit Control Association (ISACA). The first black woman to sit on the Board of a top European digital transformation organisation, Dr. Abulokwe is passionate about diverse and inclusive representation within the leadership and management.
She kindly took time out to tell Green Park more about her views as well as the influence of her upbringing in the UK and Nigeria.
Formative years
As Dr. Abulokwe explains in Green Park’s exclusive video, she grew up in the UK and Nigeria, “born into diversity.” Her parents stressed the importance of “hard work, education, social skills and underpinning values” – a blend that has helped Dr. Abulokwe rise to the very top of her profession. Arriving back in the UK as a young black woman, Dr. Abulokwe helped to build the diverse country that we have today. “That’s the great thing about the UK,” says Dr. Abulokwe, “there are all these rich mixes within the UK population.”
The benefits of diversity in the workforce
For Dr. Abulokwe, the presence of this “a cultural smorgasbord” is very special – and something that organisations need to reflect if they want to get ahead:
“Imagine if we had this mosaic of cultures in our leadership teams. Take that down throughout the organisation and you have a more productive workforce. Because when your workforce resembles your client base, there’s a higher chance of achieving success.”
However, Dr. Abulokwe recognises that a truly diverse workforce isn’t possible without a company culture based on openness and acceptance:
“It’s incumbent upon an organisation to create an environment in which people feel included.”
The #BAME100 list
Dr. Abulokwe says being part of 2018’s BAME 100 list has given her access to an exceptional talent pool and she’s delighted to be among “seasoned, board-ready professionals who are making an impact not just in industry, but in society as well.”
We hope that this year’s BAME 100 participants also enjoy the networking opportunities that the BAME 100 report brings. Look out for the release of 2019’s report on 11th September.
About Dr. Nneka Abulokwe OBE FAPM FBCS
Over the course of a dazzling 25 year-career, Dr. Nneka Abulokwe has delivered all kinds of innovative high-profile digital tech initiatives. She’s worked for some of the largest multinational digital transformation organisations in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and America, becoming an Executive Director of a €3.7 billion organization. She now advises boards on digital, tech and governance as strategic enablers.
Dr. Abulokwe earned her doctorate at Cranfield School of Management, UK. She has received several professional awards and prestigious fellowships – ranked 9th in the EMpower Financial Times BAME Executive & Role Models 2018; Fellow, The Association for Project Management (FAPM) and Fellow, The British Computer Society (FBCS). She is a Freeman of the Technologist Livery Company (WCIT).
Back to website