BCG’s purpose is to unlock the potential of those who advance the world.
In that spirit, BCG Diversity Drivers is a network of leaders in the UK and Ireland who demonstrate success in accelerating diversity and inclusion within businesses, institutions, and society more broadly.
These leaders are a part of a select community who all have a multiyear track record of promoting diversity and inclusion and have led the improvement of the recruitment, advancement, or retention of underrepresented minorities in their companies, or who have established an inclusive culture with measurable results.
Contact us to nominate a Diversity Driver from your network or organisation.
Our Diversity Drivers are committed to not only driving impact within their own spheres of influence but also helping others to do the same. Our Diversity Driver Downloads series showcases the unique approach our Drivers have taken within their own organisations to accelerate diversity and inclusion.
We apply our consulting power to codify best practices and enable others to learn from the best. These step-by-step guides enable other organisations to build their own capabilities from the Drivers’ achievements, helping improve diversity and inclusion across UK businesses—from large multinational companies with dedicated diversity and inclusion teams to small startups with limited resources.
In his 30 years of experience in international finance, Neelesh Heredia recognised a lack of awareness concerning mental health, physical health, and caregiving. By educating HSBC’s workforce, combatting stigmas, opening conversations, and ensuring colleagues were properly supported, Neelesh raised consciousness and built a sense of community.
Sergio Panday observed a lack of ethnic diversity at many companies during the 15 years he spent in corporate banking at ABN AMRO. In 2020, he founded Roots Inspire, a fully digital mentoring platform that connects diverse corporate talent in the UK and Netherlands with leaders from ethnic-minority backgrounds to support the former’s development toward senior leadership.
Ella Rabener, cofounder of Scalable Capital and a BCG Digital Ventures managing director and partner, is a serial entrepreneur with deep experience in marketing, e-commerce, and financial services. She advises organisations to step beyond their typical customer base and think of new ways to attract harder-to-reach, but potentially loyal and valuable, audiences.
Jacqueline de Rojas CBE is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. As president of techUK, Jacqueline shapes policy and creates conditions for the tech industry to thrive. In 2017, under Jacqueline’s guidance, techUK launched a “Returners Hub” for individuals looking to return to work. Its goal is to help organisations shift workplace perceptions and shake off the stigma around extended career breaks, as well as maximise the potential for diverse talent to return to the workforce.
Geff Parsons, now managing director at Macquarie, saw very few LGBTQ+ people bringing their whole selves to work earlier in his career. Galvanized by the statistic that 62% of university graduates go back in the closet when they start working, Geff launched the Pride network at Macquarie, which reaches out to all LGBTQ+ characteristics. He also started an programme of events and communications for allies, as well as policy initiatives, mentoring programmes, and recruitment drives.
Sarah Carroll, managing director at MUFG, has more than 30 years’ experience in corporate banking. She became passionate about gender diversity in the industry after feeling that there was a ceiling for women during her early career. This download is for any company wanting to build inclusion as a key pillar of its culture by launching a network.
Bukola Adisa, founder of Career Masterclass and former managing director at Barclays, has been passionate about social justice since childhood. She moved to the UK from Nigeria in 2006 and has since been heavily involved in advancing BAME diversity. This download is for those looking to set up a training programme for diverse groups of employees, or to empower grassroots initiatives.
Charmian Caines, managing director and senior partner in our Consumer and Retail practice, became motivated to develop women’s initiatives after noticing an absence of women in leadership early during her career. Since then, she has been a pioneer for part-time working models and created several initiatives to support and retain female talent. This download is for any global company wanting to build an inclusive culture, retain female talent, and develop strong female leadership.
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