Unconscious Bias

Diversity and Inclusion from The Leasing Foundation

The Leasing Foundation Diversity and inclusion initiative, encompassing sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, mental health, disability and age, helps companies in the finance industry to understand the business benefits of building inclusive leadership, management, organisations and teams. The initiative aims to help embed inclusion and diversity into hiring, performance management, succession management, leadership development and learning. The programme is led by Carol Roberts (Chair of the Leasing Foundation), Jo Davis (Locke Lord) and Emma Thomas (Siemens Financial Services), working with diversity champions from across the industry.To participate or learn more, contact Carol Roberts at The Leasing Foundation.

Panellists

Sasha Scott (www.inclusivegroup.co.uk)

The Inclusive Group is an established diversity consultancy that focuses on promoting inclusion & reducing unconscious bias primarily within the corporate sector. Sasha Scott runs the Inclusive Group & has facilitated learning & development to professionals within FS and professional services for the last 16 years. Sasha is considered a thought leader on diversity, bias, inclusivity & managing psychological health. After graduating in Psychology she spent 15 years within Investment Banking as a derivatives broker at UBS & LIFFE. Her first-hand experience of the financial sector has given her a unique insight into the commercial drivers behind reducing bias within the workplace and the critical need to promote & sustain inclusive workplace cultures across sectors in order to attract & retain talent. Sasha is passionate about authentic leadership development & thus a firm supporter of LGBT issues within the workplace.

Deborah Henley (http://vivacitygroup.co.uk/)

Over last six years, Deborah has worked with leaders and Senior Managers within the MOD, Accenture, AmEx, Goldman Sachs and First Gulf Bank, to help them enhance their influence and impact in the workplace. By defining their leadership brand, and communicating their message through story and through their own authentic presence - she helps them create truly diverse and inclusive culture. Her background is in clinical psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy and Neuro-linguisitics before moving into corporate life to Head up Relationship Development for EY's Financial Services clients. Her book “Your Leadership Story - how to use life experience to influence and inspire" is published in early 2018.

Barry Whyte

A self-confessed teenage geek, Barry taught himself the basics of coding from computer magazines in his bedroom. For the next ten years he was a furtive entrepreneur in the corporate world, firstly in advertising at Ogilvy & Mather then in consulting at Bain & Company.
Barry joined tech education startup Decoded in early 2013, leading growth from 7 people in a cupboard to a global team of over 100 in three years, scaling through international expansion to New York, Sydney and Amsterdam.
He is now founder of Veero, which will open London's first virtual reality cinema in 2018.
Barry is also a co-founder of Series Q, a non-profit with a mission to empower LGBT entrepreneurs; and sits on advisory board of EurOut at London Business School. He speaks at conferences, including Cannes Lions, London Tech Week and SXSW.
Barry holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, blogs for the Huffington Post, and makes seriously good homemade soup.