Bringing together an extraordinary lineup of C-Suite corporate executives, ethnic minority business leaders, global thought leaders, and influential speakers who are ready to inspire, share their expertise, and drive meaningful conversations on a wide range of topics, fostering innovation and diverse perspectives.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Corporate Speakers
Amy Walker
COO, OutBritain
They actively work with CEOs and leadership teams to embed human rights and climate justice in business strategy, operations, customer success and marketing practices.
Spotify’s former Global Head of R&D Operations, Amy is a non-binary lesbian global business leader. They are passionate about innovative technologies, with a background in delivering cutting edge conversational AI, live chat and audio solutions.
Anant Patel
Strategic Buyer, Nestlé UK Ltd
At Nestle, he is looking after Locally sourced Direct Materials. He has developed and launched the Nestle Wheat Plan – which is a programme to drive Regenerative Agricultural practices with the Farmers, linked to Nestle’s Net Zero ambitions.
He enjoys working in diverse teams which bring several benefits such as innovation, creativity, and promote inclusivity and engagement across all team members. He is an advocate for developing and coaching individuals to enable them to fulfil their potential.
Aylin Basom
CEO, Supplier.io
Supplier.io is the market-leading SaaS provider of supplier diversity and ESG data and management solutions. Aylin has over 15 years of experience in technology, working with global customers, building high-performing teams and delivering SaaS solutions to companies across industries and markets.
She is an advocate for supplier diversity and ESG, a contributor, and promoted researcher on the State of Supplier Diversity and Supplier Diversity Benchmarking. She has been selected as Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Tech and is a Member of Young President’s Organization.
Ben Ngobi
Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Director, Accenture
Ben leads the Global Procurement Sustainability Program, responsible for embeding ESG into purchasing decisions.
Ben participates in several nonprofit organisations in the areas of supplier inclusion and sustainability. He was apart of the team that attended the Climate Conference in Paris, setting ambitious supply chain goals which were achieved on time.
Casey Oakes
Head of Community Impact, Google
Casey is a former WBENC board member and currently serves on the boards of WBEC-DMV, NYC & The Next Gen Chamber of Commerce.
Casey has a long and varied history in supplier diversity leading corporate programs as Director of Global Supplier Diversity for Marriott International and GSK and in the Non-Governmental Organisation space where he served as Vice President of Corporate Relations the NGLCC.
Byron Dixon
Founder and CEO, Micro-Fresh®
Byron began his career as a lab technician, developing leather finishing products for ECCO in Denmark. In 2006, Byron created the winning formula that becomes Micro-Fresh®- An innovative technology used globally by manufacturers and retailers to protect and preserve the freshness of their products.
In 2014 Byron completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 businesses programme and went onto win many awards himself and for the company. Most recently, being named amongst the UK's top 50 most ambitious business leaders in 2022 by the LDC.
Denis Ford MBA MCIPS
International Sourcing Leader EMEA, Corporate Indirect Procurement, Cummins
With over 40-year career in engineering, Denis joined Cummins 18 years ago to take up the challenge of procurement of indirect services for Europe and Middle East.
He has held multiple roles included Global Category Leader for Real Estate, New Construction and Capital Equipment, International Sourcing Leader Asia Pacific, and now International Sourcing Leader EMEA.
Cait Kavanagh
Head of Supply Chain Sustainability & Diversity, Fidelity
With over 20 years in Financial Services, Cait has implemented strategic solutions across business and technical projects.
Always an advocate for social inclusion, equity and diversity, Cait is delighted to lead Fidelity International's Responsible Supply Chain program; to strive to continuously increase spend with diverse owned suppliers.
Farida Gibbs
CEO, President and Founder,
Gibbs Hybrid
Gibbs Hybrid is an award-winning Consulting and IT/Business Services firm offering a "hybrid approach" assisting corporations with Project Outsourcing, Staff Augmentation and Workforce Solutions across UK, US, Europe, Middle East & Africa.
Farida is an ambassador for MSDUK, sits on the WBE Council of WEConnect International and was appointed by HM Cabinet Office to the SME Business Advisory Panel.
Giles Flaxton
Responsible Business & Innovation Lead, Cushman & Wakefield
Giles provides Facilities Management services across EMEA for corporate clients, and has been with the company since 2011.
Giles's newly created role will allow him to develop Cushman & Wakefield's thinking around Responsible Business, Social Value and DEI.
Gori Yahaya
Founder and CEO, UpSkill Digital
With over a decade of experience, he has engineered and led award-winning digital learning and social impact programmes that have upskilled over 250,000 people globally, covering regions across Europe, Africa, and Asia, both in-person and virtually.
He is an evangelical advocate for diversity and inclusion with a mission to support people of minority ethnic backgrounds to boost career progression and develop relevant skills for the future workplace.
James Garforth
Delivery Project Executive, IBM
James is at the helm of delivery for IBM's procurement outsourcing business, predominantly catering to growth accounts across the EMEA region with an extensive decade-long experience including sourcing Technology for IBM.
A constant collaborator with diverse suppliers and an active participant in MSDUK events, James is presently driven to enhance the profile of supplier diversity programmes by harnessing IBM's influential footprint within the BPO practice.
James Lloyd
Procurement Leader, CBRE
James has held roles in both mature blue chip environments and greenfield procurement setups; in manufacturing professional services, shipping and FM sectors.
James currently leads procurement for CBRE UK Advisory Business Segment, CBRE are the global leader in commercial real estate services & investments. In addition to being a proud member of MSDUK Board of Directors.
Jean Chawapiwa
Head of Member Services, MSDUK
Jean is passionate about entrepreneurship development, with experience as the Country Director for WEConnect International in South Africa.
Jean's experience also includes the Vice President of External Affairs and Communications for Rio Tinto, as well as sitting on varied Industry Boards and Chambers of Commerce.
Justin Lambert
With over 20 years of experience working in Procurement as well as roles in MSDUK as Chair of the Board and WEConnect as a Director, Justin believes that creating opportunity and promoting the use of suppliers from disadvantaged groups is key to the future success of Procurement teams.
Currently Justin is working with MSDUK as a partner bringing his many years of Procurement and Supplier Diversity experience developing an exciting new concept for Corporates.
Lorenzo Bell Jr.
Global Associate Director ESG and Enablement Services, EY
Lorenzo is responsible for leading and implementing the global growth strategy for EY’s ESG and supplier diversity initiatives.
He oversees the design and implementation of the strategy, policies, processes, and solutions to develop and include diverse entrepreneurs in EY’s supply chain and client solutions.
Jason Trimiew
For 20+ years, Jason has worked at the intersection of the marketplace and social impact in international micro-finance, community and economic development, venture philanthropy, and supplier diversity.
Under his leadership since 2016, Meta has spent more than $8B cumulatively with companies owned and led by entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds; providing goods/services that span marketing, network infrastructure, facilities management and more.
Director, Global Supplier Diversity,
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Jenny Garrett OBE
Award-winning Career Coach, Author and Leadership Trainer
Together with her team, they deliver impactful development to support women and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds to progress at work, as well as supporting majority group leaders to make inclusion happen.
She is also co-founder of a social enterprise Rocking Ur Teens which connects corporates with a pipeline of future talent. Jenny’s latest practical and empowering book is Equality vs Equity, tackling issues of Race in the workplace.
Krystle Sands
Head of the Supplier Diversity, Meta
Krystle is responsible for driving diversity and inclusion within Meta's supply chain and creating economic opportunity for diverse-owned businesses. She is a leader who is committed to making a positive impact.
With 15+ years experience in various industries, especially the tech sector, she has gained a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with sourcing, procurement and supply chain management.
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Louise Elizabeth Harries
Supplier Diversity Manager, GSK
Louise worked as the IBM United Kingdom, Ireland and Nordics Supplier Diversity Lead for 6 Years and it was during this time her passion for Supplier Diversity and making the world a more equitable place was ignited.
Louise works with certified minority-owned business enterprises (MBE), women-owned business enterprises (WBE), business enterprises owned by lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT), and business enterprises owned by people with disabilities (PWD) to drive spend to these Businesses.
Jay Rohman
Head of IT Sourcing, Lloyds Bank
Jay is leading the charge for implementing a Supplier Diversity Programme for the Group, holding the position of Inclusion & Diversity Lead for the procurement department.
Prior to his role at Lloyds Bank, Jay was a Senior Director at GSK, leading the IT procurement function globally. He discovered his passion for IT procurement at GSK, developing expert skills and knowledge.
Jerome Flint
Regional Director Europe and MENA, WeConnect International
Jerome is leading the Europe, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) team, with a mission to enhance partnerships between Member Buyers and Women-Owned Businesses and generate more opportunities for their economic growth in the global marketplace. 
Through his extensive work in the space of startups and entrepreneurship, he has played a leadership role in launching and growing multiple companies in Europe and MENA regions.
Lisa Moore
Responsible Procurement Manager, City of London
She leads the team working on Climate Action, Supplier Diversity, EDI and Modern Slavery in the City's supply chain.
Lisa has ten years of experience working in the public sector and recently led the expansion of the City's supplier diversity commitment to include diversity in ownership as well as size. This prompted the City Corporation to become the first governing body to join MSDUK.
Maria Campbel
Sustainable Supply Chain Manager, Goldman Sachs
In this role, she has responsibility for managing ESG risk within the Firm’s global supply chain and is focused on achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
Matthew Beddoe
Head of Procurement, Nestlé UK Ltd
Matt became Head of Procurement for Nestlé in 2016, where he transformed procurement in the market to become a true Business Partner.
Prior to this Matt was the Supply Chain Director for the Northern Region, Nestlé Purina simplifying the co-packing and distribution network. Matt has a passion for diversity and Inclusion, creating and leading Nestlé's Purpose in Procurement, and SD journey.
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Mayank Shah
Founder & CEO, MSDUK
Mayank's passion for supplier diversity began in 2002, and now with almost 35 years experience in entrepreneurship, he is considered a global thought leader in SD.
Mayank's enthusiasm and commitment to see ethnic minority businesses succeed, and corporations become more diverse in their supply chain, remains prevalent in his ethos today.
Naheed Afzal
Co-Founder and CEO, Contracts IT Recruitment Consulting
Naheed is bringing women and minorities to the forefront of technology. She is a multi- award-winning tech staffing specialist who have been connecting technologists with some of the biggest global brands for over 23 years.
Contracts IT’s main tenet has been to favor curiosity and inclusion over suspicion and exclusion - to reduce the diversity gap in technology, de-bias the hiring process and to provide equal access of opportunity & success to everyone irrespective of their background.
Nedra Dickson
Managing Director, Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Lead, Accenture
With strong expertise in Procurement transformation, Supplier Relationship Management and Supply Chain, she has managed over $4B in procurement operations spend. Under Nedra’s leadership, Accenture spends over $1B with diverse suppliers.
Nedra is responsible for finding sustainable and innovative opportunities with small and diverse-owned businesses globally. She works with her clients to help build a supplier diversity strategy creating Tier 1 and Tier 2 spend and successfully integrating them into the supply chain.
Rohit Bardaiyar
Executive Vice President, VDart
Rohit is responsible for strategic sales and managing key national accounts at VDart, a digital workforce solutions company. Since 2021, Rohit has co-founded TrustPeople, a BPM Workforce Solutions company and is leading the growth charter of the organisation, as their Chief Sales Officer.
Rohit brings more than 25 years of strategy, consulting, P&L and account management experience, partnering with both emerging and Fortune 500 technology companies.
Sara Ahmad
Associate Director, Global Marketing Procurement, Bristol Myers Squibb
Sara has over 20 years’ experience in Strategic Sourcing covering local, regional and global roles. In 2014, she joined BMS as the Head for UK & Ireland Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, then transitioned to the role of Global Advertising Category Manager and European Lead for Supplier Diversity in 2021.
Sara was awarded “Buyer of the year 2021” by MBN USA for her supplier diversity passion and efforts. Sara also sits on the MSDUK board, founding member of ESDP, SDIUK & Outbritain, and a council member of WeConnect.
Valentina Catalano
Business Partner, Wolverine Europe
With a sharp business acumen and a proven track record in brand management and international sales, she is working as a Business Partner for Wolverine Europe, a driving force behind impactful projects.
She is making waves in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) at Wolverine Worldwide, especially external relationships and supplier diversity. Before, she worked as a Brand Director at Wolverine Europe and Sales Manager at VF Corporation.
Natalie Tickle
Head of Programmes, Heart of
the City
Natalie is Head of Programmes at Heart of the City – a charity supporting SMEs to develop their responsible business and sustainability practices.
Natalie has 20 years of experience in the charity sector and responsible business roles.  She has spent 12 years within the insurance sector developing charitable partnerships that support local communities. 
Rondu Vincent
Executive Director, Global Supplier Diversity & Sustainable Procurement, Bristol Myers Squibb’s
Rondu is responsible for supporting the company’s procurement sustainability goals, including standards for suppliers relating to social responsibility, environmental stewardship, ethical practices and governance.
Externally, Rondu is involved with key supplier diversity organisations and has forged strong partnerships with a variety of national and international advocacy groups. He is also a mentor, coach and advocate to many EMBs.
Sian Ellis
Sustainable Sourcing Assistant Director, ESGS, EY
Sian manages EY’s ESG in a procurement programme focusing on decarbonisation, human rights and supplier due diligence. She is recently seconded into the EY Travel Meetings and Events team, focusing on sustainable aviation, hotels and events strategies.
She has a background in tea sustainability, living wages, supplier due diligence and supplier diversity and earned an MA in Human Rights from the University of Sussex.
Ninder Johal
CEO of Nachural
Ninder is the CEO of Nachural whose products and services include Music, Events and Publishing. Their range of brands include the Business Influencer Magazine, the Signature and Nachural Business Awards and Nachural Records.
They operate both nationally and internationally where they remain the only Asian label sellling 15 million copies of the track Munde to Bachke featuring Jay Z. Ninder is a NED, a judge on the Peel Hunt/Sunday Times Non-Executive Awards and a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands.
Selina McCole
Global Head of ESG, Goldman Sachs
Selina is the Global Head of Environmental, Social, Governance for Goldman Sachs's Operations and Supply Chain.
In this role, she has a responsibility for the firm's ESG strategy for its buildings, operations and supply chain. Focused on achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and building an inclusive and sustainable supply chain through the vendor diversity program.
Thanh Catachanas
Head of Collaboration & Acquisition, JCDecaux
A senior media professional with over 20 years’ experience working with regional & national brands on advertising and marketing campaigns across many channels. Her experience spans across radio, television and digital and she is currently the Head of Collaboration & Acquisition at JCDecaux UK – The world’s leading Out-of-Home advertising provider.
Leading on audience-led programmes including the Reach Programme, Thanh helps brands & partners use OOH's inherent inclusivity to enhance and mirror the communities in which it exists and supports EMBs to scale and grow using the Power of the Public Screen.
Victoria Poffley
Global Vendor Diversity Manager, Goldman Sachs
Having transitioned from a role in procurement in 2022, Victoria now oversees the firm's Tier 1 & 2 programs.
In her new role, Victoria drives progress towards the firm's public commitment of spending $1.5 Billion with small and diverse vendors between 2023 and 2025.