Danuta Gray is the Chair of Direct Line Group and a Non-Executive Director of the fashion brand, Burberry. She started her career in the tech sector before holding a series of board roles. In this episode, Danuta explains how, despite her working-class background, she’s been given a number of opportunities which she credits for her success in business, and explains how she’s now working to pay that forward for others. She also explains how she is keen to get more women into leadership roles, and tells us about the work she’s doing to help businesses cater for neurodivergent people in the workplace. Find out more about Danuta and Direct Line Group here.Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Jon Lewis is CEO at consulting, transformation and digital services business Capita. Previously he was the CEO of Amec Foster Wheeler, and before that he had a 20-year career at Halliburton where he held a number of senior roles.In this episode, Jon explains why he’s always been passionate about meritocracy - why we in the UK need to start focussing more on potential instead of formal qualifications. He tells us how he’s fostered a strong, purpose-led culture in Capita since his arrival in 2017, and how this has become the company’s “north star” of how they operate. And he even offers invaluable advice for new CEOs too.Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Brian Duffy is the CEO of Watches of Switzerland. Previously, he served on several boards across the fashion, retail and sports sectors including several subsidiaries of Ralph Lauren. Brian is an ICAS Chartered Accountant and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University. Brian tells us about his childhood growing up on a council estate on the outskirts of Glasgow. He grew up with very little, but it was his drive and ambition to achieve more in life that got him to where he is today and believes others can achieve what they want to too. Brian also tells us about the Watches of Switzerland Foundation which launched a food bank support programme in 2020 in response to the pandemic and its ongoing work to support local communities through volunteering and fundraising. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Dominic Carter is EVP, Publisher of The Sun, a role he’s only recently taken on, following his time as Chief Commercial Officer at parent company News UK. He’s also a Trustee of the charity NABS, the support organisation for the advertising and media industry. Born to a Nigerian mother and British father, Dominic comes from a working class background, and spent his early education in Nigeria before moving to boarding school in England. As an award-winning advocate for diversity and inclusion, Dominic explains why diversity matters to a business like The Sun, and why it should be reflected in all areas of journalism, from the makeup of the newsroom, to the way they write and the opportunities they offer. In 1991 Dominic became the first black display sales executive on a national news brand, and has seen a positive shift in attitudes towards diversity over the years. In this episode he discusses how a strong and considered diversity strategy can promote significant buy-in from staff, he explores the many programmes The Sun has implemented to advance equality, and he explains why you can and should drive for change no matter your position in your organisation. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Tracy Garrad is the CEO at AXA Health. Tracy joined AXA from HSBC where she held a range of senior management roles. Prior to that she was at Abbey National and Santander.  Tracy grew up on a council estate in the North of England and after the death of her mother, she says she was forced to leave education to care for her younger siblings. In this episode, Tracy tells us how a chance encounter when she was 17, changed her life and gave her the confidence to succeed.  Tracy says she now feels a huge sense of responsibility to make a difference when it comes to social mobility. She tells us about the work she’s involved in to create more opportunities for people from all walks of life, regardless of their social status. Tracy also talks about what she believes still needs to be done to give women an equal playing field in the world of business. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

John Boumphrey is the Country Manager for Amazon's business across the UK and Ireland. John has been at Amazon since 2011 and worked across several roles including three years in Seattle as Vice President for the company’s Consumables Programs.  John grew up in the North West of England and says he had a “great childhood” with a huge emphasis on education. After studying foreign languages at University, John started his career working in management consultancy where he says he learnt the ins and outs of business.  In this episode, John tells us about the work he’s involved in at Amazon to put social mobility and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of the company. John also talks about why he thinks the key to social mobility lies in gathering and sharing data and focusing on education. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Ed Couchman is Regional General Manager, DACH, Netherlands, Nordics and UK at social media company Snap Inc. Ed previously spent 6 years at Facebook and before that, he worked in senior tech roles, including at Channel 4. Ed tells us about his working class background growing up in a town on the outskirts of Birmingham and reflects on a recent visit to his old high school. He also shares some of the initiatives Snap has brought in to ensure its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy is a success. Ed also talks about why he thinks it’s vitally important for companies to work hard to not only employ different people from all walks of life, but to retain that talent too. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Nick Mackenzie is the CEO of the UK’s leading pub retailer and brewer Greene King. Prior to joining Greene King in 2019, Nick ran businesses across the world including spending 17 years with Merlin Entertainment. One of Nick’s top priorities when he joined the business was making it a more diverse and inclusive workplace, from the pub floor, through to top tier management. Nick explains how he’s made it his mission to create “more opportunities for more people” within the business, through a number of initiatives such as creating apprenticeships with The Prince’s Trust. In 2020, shortly after the Black Lives Matter movement peaked following the death of George Floyd, the company’s historic links to the slave trade were exposed. Nick says since then he’s been more motivated than ever to implement a solid diversity and inclusion strategy. He speaks passionately about continuing to educate himself to make sure the business reflects the communities it operates in. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Steve Murrells is the CEO of the Co-op Group. He joined the organisation as the lead on food in 2012 and now heads every facet of the organisation’s business. Steve has a long history in retail, starting with an A Level Entry Scheme with Sainsbury’s when he was a teenager. Since then he’s climbed the ranks, working in various retail roles. In this episode Steve talks about his vision of an inclusive Co-op, where there’s no racism and no pay gaps. He’s campaigned on many issues including violence against shop workers, modern slavery, racial equality and food poverty. In his role as CEO, Steve looks to embody the business’s ethos - equal opportunities for everyone. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Alderman Vincent Keaveny is Senior Alderman of the City of London Corporation and a partner at the international law firm, DLA Piper. Vincent has held the office of Alderman for the Ward of Farringdon Within since October 2013 - then in 2018/19 he became Sheriff of the City of London. From November, he will take up a new position as Lord Mayor of London. As a lawyer, Vincent specialises in banking and capital market transactions and is Chair of Samuel Wilson’s Loan Trust, a charity which grants loans to young people for establishing and developing new businesses. Vincent says lawyering has taken a bit of a back seat in the lead up to becoming Lord Mayor and during his term, plans to make positive changes to offer opportunity for better social mobility. He wants to see a country full of people allowed to be the best of what they are, unencumbered by perceptions. Vincent strongly believes businesses that encourage diversity become better businesses and says socio-economic diversity is a concern of the city of London. He wants London to be the home of the best global talent.Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Charlotte Duerden is the UK Country Manager for American Express. Charlotte has worked for Amex since 1999, holding various roles in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. She has a keen interest in pushing equality within the workplace, with initiatives like The Women’s Charter and has a strong sense of community and service to others. Charlotte featured on a list of top 100 role models and while she’ll tell you she’s uncomfortable with the title ‘role model’, it set her on a mission to do even more through American Express for the next generation. Charlotte’s motivation for education stretches outside of the workplace - she’s also a trustee for the charity Friends of St Marcellin’s Children, and explains how the Zimbabwe orphanage the charity supports has even gone on to make the decision to build a school. Charlotte speaks passionately about wanting everyone to be able to walk in someone else’s shoes and through that, believes we could all be empowered to further equality. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Christine Hodgson CBE is Chair of Severn Trent Plc, and before that spent more than 20 years as Chair of Capgemini UK. She has a portfolio of non-executive roles in the private, charity and education sectors. She’s a senior independent director at Standard Chartered Bank, Chair of the Careers and Enterprise Company, Chair of the Blackpool Pride of Place Partnership, and works with the Prince of Wales charity Business in the Community. Through her work in Blackpool, Christine has learnt the importance of a ‘place-based approach’ when tackling social mobility, and in this episode explains why efforts should be focussed on improving areas of the country which are holding people back. Highlighting her support of degree apprenticeships, Christine describes the essential role both first-class education and work life preparation play in supporting the futures of young people. Christine has faith in education’s power to break the cycle of socioeconomic disadvantage, and says any businesses failing to tackle the issue are setting themselves up for failure - “We all have to play our part in the communities in which we live and work”. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Nick Owen is Chair of Deloitte UK, a trustee of Teach First and Macmillan, and a council member of Heart of the City. Nick’s interest in the importance and value of education began at school. He sees it as a massive contributor to social mobility, and backs this up with stark figures and statistics, and explains how the pandemic has eroded much of the progress we’ve made over the past 10 years. In an effort to play its part, Nick says Deloitte’s recruitment processes and apprenticeship schemes have been designed to level the playing field, so people from all walks of life have equal opportunities in the business. In this episode find out why academic achievement shouldn’t be the only factor contributing to success, learn how diversity in all its forms is good for business, and find out why businesses need to better understand their ‘fundamental purpose’. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Chris Stylianou is Chief Operating Officer, UK and Ireland, at Sky. He was awarded an OBE for services to diversity and the economy - though he’s keen to point out that it’s been teamwork, not the work of one individual, that has helped shape Sky’s progressive policies. Chris’ interest in advancing gender equality stems from what he saw during his early days at university - a passion that has strengthened over the years, watching his daughters grow up. He believes social mobility is a massive enabler for achieving broader diversity goals, and discusses the importance of being bold and brave when tackling issues of inclusion. There are many fascinating insights, including great advice on how to deal with “naysayers”, and how subtle changes to job adverts can promote diversity. At the heart of it all, Chris’ motivation is about doing the right thing - it’s as simple as that. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Clare Parsons is Chair and co-founder of strategic reputation management consultancy Lansons. Clare is also a board member for PROI Worldwide, a trustee of arts charity High Tide, and serves on a wide range of industry and not-for-profit committees. Clare’s father died when she was young and she was raised by her mother. She says it was her mother’s fortitude and belief that women can achieve anything that has allowed her to climb the ladder of success. Clare and her now husband set up Lansons 31 years ago with the premise of meritocracy at the forefront from the very beginning - a rather unique approach to business at the time. To this day Clare continues to ensure there are no barriers to entry, whether because of schooling, gender or race. Clare staunchly believes organisational diversity is what drives success in business, and that leadership needs to step up and show a willingness to change. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Kevin Ellis is Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC UK, and a staunch proponent of social mobility in business. Inspired by his father’s journey to become a qualified professional, Kevin joined PwC for a qualification of his own, and has stayed for nearly 36 years. He believes social mobility is not just a societal good, but also an economic necessity - serving as both a benefit to the company’s diverse client base, and as an accelerator and escalator for staff. Kevin is particularly proud of the opportunities PwC gives to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including the 9% of staff which grew up receiving free school meals. In this conversation Kevin discusses the “media blackout” around positive social mobility stories, and the issues that causes, he explains the importance of gathering diversity data, and he explores the role personal stories play in promoting the message of social mobility far and wide. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Sandra Wallace is an employment law specialist and partner at DLA Piper global law firm. Passionate about advancing equality, Sandra is also co-chair of the Social Mobility Commission. Born in Birmingham, Sandra spoke Patois at home, and had her first glimpse of discrimination at the age of 5, when she was told to “stop speaking like you do”. Despite the negativity she experienced because of her decision to study law at Wolverhampton polytechnic, Sandra quickly found a job and began to rise through the ranks. That’s why she’s keen to tell her story - to serve as a role model to others who’ve been told they can’t succeed. In this episode Sandra explores how her socioeconomic status has been the biggest hurdle in her life, more so than her gender or race - though she does explain how tiring it is that she still needs to address the issue of racism in this day and age. She explains how business can benefit from greater diversity, what the Social Mobility Commission is doing to push the agenda, and why it’s important for companies to readdress their recruitment practices.Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Tamara Box is managing partner of Europe and the Middle East at global law firm Reed Smith. She is also a founding member of the steering group for the 30% Club, which aims to improve diversity in UK boardrooms. Born and raised in Texas, Tamara was always encouraged to see education as a privilege. In a quest to learn alongside people from different backgrounds, she left Texas to study at the London School of Economics. Believing the idea of a meritocracy is a myth, she charts much of her success to lucky opportunities and a willingness to say yes. In this episode, Tamara explains why leadership requires diversity, and how her firm benefits from actively seeking people from different backgrounds, with different perspectives - “to have the best talent on a global basis, it needs to be diverse”. She also talks about how her clients are becoming increasingly interested in the firm’s diversity policies, which in part led the organisation to launch its racial equity action plan. Tamara explores the positive step forward the recent Black Lives Matter protests have had on our willingness to have open and frank discussions about diversity, and explains her aspiration for all young people - that every child is offered a glimpse into the “art of the possible”.Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Jo Whitfield is CEO of Co-op food, having previously worked for Matalan and George. Jo is the first female CEO of a major food retailer, an achievement she is both humbled and shocked by. Because of the lack of representation of female senior leaders in the food industry, Jo set up Grocery Girls, which aims to redress the balance. As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Jo has seen first-hand the impact of gender inequality. From a young age she saw how language was used to enforce compliance - “be a good girl”, “don’t cause a fuss” - and in her working life has seen how traits often displayed by men are viewed as preferable, undermining a woman’s contribution to the workplace. Jo says it’s important that we offer everyone the freedom of expression - “Our passions and our energies need to be fertilised and grown”. In this insightful episode Jo also explains how to reimagine education and the importance of careers support, why a diverse and unique background should be seen as an asset and a strength, and explains how the Co-op isn’t just a business, it’s a movement. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.

Steven Cooper is CEO of Hoare’s bank, a role he took on after spending over 30 years at Barclays. He’s spent time living and working in Africa and India, holds a number of non-executive roles, and is a commissioner on the UK’s Social Mobility Commission. Passionate about advancing the agenda, Steven took the role at the Commission because he wants to pay forward the support he received from the people who were willing to give him a chance. Coming from a working class background, his success came as a result of the opportunities he received from people who spotted his talent, allowing him to excel far beyond the levels he’d considered possible. In this inspiring conversation, Steven explores the need to reform education, the importance of a more joined up approach to tackling social mobility in the UK, and the business case for better diversity in the workplace. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.