The Judges

Social Partnership Executive

@MirandaITV

Miranda is responsible for the development and implementation of ITV’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

During the last seven years Miranda has been integral to defining ITV’s diversity and inclusion strategy.  She has successfully implemented and developed diversity initiatives and programmes, which have supported ITV to attract and retain a diverse workforce and ensured ITV remains an inclusive and accessible employer.

Miranda works extensively with senior stakeholders at broad level, HR, commissioning and technology, to ensure that diversity is infused at all levels across the business by identifying strategic solutions to addressing on and off screen diversity.

Within that role Miranda drove the diversity agenda, working to build confidence around the disability agenda, future proofing the business, maintaining ITV’s brand reputation across the diversity agenda and working to ensure ITV is a diversity leader beyond the Media Industry.

Here current role as Social Partnership Executive see’s Miranda working closely with ITV’s commissioning team and ITV Studios programme makers to drive through the business diversity strategy to be more inclusive within production and increase diversity both on and off screen.

About ITV

ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster, operating the largest commercial family of channels in the UK. In addition to traditional broadcasting on our channels, we deliver our content on demand through numerous platforms, both directly and via ITV Player.

As the biggest production and distribution company, ITV Studios makes, distributes and sells over 40,000 hours of high quality television around the globe. We have over 4,000 colleagues in the UK and in offices across America, Australia, Germany, France and Scandinavia.

Partner

Andy started his career straight after school by working as an Engineering Design Apprentice. After completing an HND in Computing, Andy spent the next few years working in IT consultancy, project management and IT management. In 1998 he joined Price Waterhouse in London as an IT Security Consultant.

Andy was then admitted into Partnership on the 1st of July 2006. Andy is now the Lead Partner for the International Aid Development Consulting practice in PwC. Working primarily with the Department for International Development (DFID) and other international donor organisations, they use the Global network of PwC member firms and associated subject matter experts to improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. Andy is also part of a team that is responsible for the development and delivery of Leadership, Culture and Talent programmes within PwC and with Clients, with a focus on helping individuals to be the best that they can be, and helping our clients create working environments that encourage people to be the best they can be. Andy co-developed a programme called ‘Building Strength in Leaders’, this programme leverages both positive and cognitive psychology to help leadership teams build strength in preparation for and following traumatic business change. At the heart of the programme is a workshop that Andy developed a few years ago for the PwC Global Talent programme – Genesis Park, this workshop is called “Genius. Power. Dreams” (www.geniuspowerdreams.com) and aims to help individuals and teams understand and respect their unique strengths and talents, understand how to use them more often, and finally to consider their legacy of life. Andy is the sponsoring Partner for the firms inclusive business network, GLEE@PwC. This is an inclusive business network for gays, lesbians and everyone else, it’s open to everyone including clients and those in our extended networks and you don’t have to be gay or lesbian to join it, you just need to be passionate about valuing and exploring difference as something we all have in common.  (www.pwc.co.uk/glee) He is also a School Governor and Trustee for Diversity Role Models and Action Break Silence.  

Senior Assistant Director for London Kasia Allan is Senior Assistant Director for London for the UK’s premier business lobbying organisation, the CBI. She is the lead representative for the CBI’s business-to-business gender diversity initiatives. Kasia is responsible for leading the CBI to act as a facilitator in the gender diversity debate, to connect policy recommendations with tangible business solutions, and to promote best practice sharing. She has spoken at numerous roundtables and conferences alongside both business and government leaders. She is also responsible for some of the CBI’s largest corporate relationships, primarily in retail, media, engineering and property sectors and heads up the Business Development function for the Greater South East. Kasia joined the CBI in 2011 from The Stroke Association, where she oversaw all UK preventative health campaigning. Prior to this she worked for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, in Scotland. She holds an international business degree from the Australian National University and in her spare time enjoys running and attempting DIY (not at the same time!).  

Chief Executive of The National Diversity Awards Group/I Spoil U Media Ltd

Paul Sesay is the Chief Executive of The National Diversity Awards Group and I Spoil U Media since 2006, with a vision of everyone having a fair and equal chance in society with regards to jobs, education and training.

With over ten years of experience within the Diversity and Equality field, Paul has worked with many organisations and local communities to help people from various backgrounds to achieve and empower disadvantage groups throughout the UK. Paul’s company The NDA Group produces various initiatives to combat inequality within jobs, education and training, such as The Diversity Group Job Site, Recruitment Fairs, School Workshops as well as Informative National Careers Directories and Wall Displays.

Another part of Paul’s vision is to make sure companies are up to date on the latest equality legislation with products such as Diversity E-Training and Equality Conferences. Organisations can be sure that The NDA Group will keep them up to date on Diversity issues.

Over the past four years, The National Diversity Awards Group has grown in stature at a considerable rate. This is down to Paul’s dedication of diversity issues and experience of being discriminated against; because of this Paul has a personal knowledge of what people need to do to gain the confidence to pursue their ultimate career.

Diversity and Inclusion Specialist

Sharon Pegg is a Diversity and Inclusion specialist currently leading The Co-operative Group’s agenda on D&I.  Sharon has worked in both Public and Private sector leading on equality for Bradford and Bingley PLC, East North East Homes and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.  Sharon has been credited with achieving results which enhance cultural change.

Andrew provides leadership of the Marketing Communications business unit at UCAS. His responsibilities include setting UCAS’ strategy for engagement and communication with higher education providers, applicants, schools, and parents. The business unit manages all of UCAS’ channels for engagement and change and has responsibility for UCAS’ relationships with higher education providers. Prior to joining UCAS Andrew was Managing Director of a London based management consultancy specialising in business change and transformation. Andrew has enjoyed a varied career in sales, marketing, human resources, dot.com and organisation development. Andrew has a degree in psychology and an EMBA from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)

Public Policy Adviser on Diversity

Dianah has worked in the field of diversity and inclusion for many years. She is the Public Policy Adviser on diversity for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development which is the leading professional body in the UK on people management and development. She directs the Institute’s diversity research programme and leads the development of good practice guidance on diversity to help employers make progress in this challenging and complex field. She also leads the Institute’s public policy work on diversity to help shape Government policy and legal provisions such as the Equality Act 2010.

She has driven a range of research on diversity and inclusion issues including managing diversity and the business case, tackling discrimination on the basis of age and disability, issues related to equal pay, harassment and bullying, as well as race, work–life balance and employing people with criminal records. Recent work has focused on managing the challenges of an ageing workforce, the integration of talent management and diversity, practical guidance on gaining traction on progressing diversity and inclusion in business and framing the future of work through flexible responses to employment practices. A frequent speaker at events she has addressed audiences in many European countries and has undertaken work for the Singapore Government on managing an ageing workforce. She was invited as a global thought leader on diversity and inclusion by the Society of Human Resource Management in the United States to take part in an initiative to inform the progress of diversity and inclusion in business. In addition she frequently sits on advisory boards related to the conduct of academic research. She was awarded an OBE for her services to diversity, in the Queen’s birthday honours list in 2006.  

Martin Hilditch is an award-winning journalist who specialises in housing policy. He has run numerous campaigns for Inside Housing magazine, including Safe as Houses, which called for fire and gas safety improvements in social housing and won campaign of the year at the 2010 British Society of Magazine Editors awards. He was named business writer of the year by the Professional Publishers Association in 2012. He is deputy editor of Inside Housing magazine.

Max is a mother, a grandmother, a teacher & a trade unionist: four very important roles. She studied molecular science at Warwick University and has been a teacher of Physics and Chemistry since 1977, hoping to pass on her love of science to young people. She is co-author (as Max Baker) of Access to Advanced Level Chemistry. Max is still working with young people encouraging them to study STEM subjects (Science Engineering Technology and Maths) at University and is a Science Ambassador. Max was part of the national STEM Equality & Diversity Group and works with networks of women scientists. She also contributed to the TUC Science Paper encouraging greater participation in and understanding of science and represents the NUT on various bodies including the British Science Association and the Girls and Physics Advisory Group. Max was elected to the Executive of the General Teaching Council for England and was lead member for Equality & Diversity for the GTCE. Max has been a local lay activist of the National Union of Teachers for as long as she has been teaching. She was elected to the NUT Executive in 1996 and has held a number of positions on committees and advisory groups. She chaired the NUT Domestic Violence Working Party and was the first woman to be elected as an officer of the NUT Strategy Finance and Communications Committee.  Max has represented the Union on many occasions and has worked closely and in solidarity with other trade unions. She was a member of the TUC Women’s Committee from 2003 – 2014 and chaired the 2012 TUC Women’s Conference. She is a trustee of Schools Out UK whose organisations include LGBT History Month and Educate and Celebrate.   In 2012 she was elected as an Officer of the NUT and became President in 2014. This makes her very proud indeed.

Disability Equality Specialist

Experienced strategic manager of exemplar, nationally recognised services to the public. 

Having operated at Board level for the last 17 years, Mark is skilled at negotiating and performance managing multi million pound public sector contracts from both sides of the funding fence, building external partnerships to achieve mutually beneficial delivery of products, with equality, diverse practice and fit for purpose output a standard feature of his work.  Mark has many years experience and detailed knowledge of management of voluntary and public sector organisations and shared the lead for the DRC’s much praised Learning Disability Action Group and its award winning public services.  Mark also has in depth experience of fundraising from a diverse variety of sources to support both core and project related work.  Mark works at expert level in community care and discrimination law. Mark is an adviser (and former Chair) to the national voluntary organisation Assist UK www.assist-uk.org , a part time consultant to Disability Rights UK, sits on the First-tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber, is a visiting lecturer at the University of Nottingham, is a judge for the National Diversity Awards www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk , the Excellence in Diversity Awards and is Director of Disability Solutions Worldwide www.disabilitysolutionsworldwide.com

Vanessa started her career as a teacher in adult education and has worked with examination bodies and the qualifications regulator developing and delivering all levels and types of qualifications, standards and assessments. She is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute. Since joining CIH in September 2014, Vanessa has taken responsibility for the organisation’s work in developing and maintaining professional standards for CIH members and the wider housing industry. She leads the development, delivery and award of all CIH qualifications and the operation of CIH as a nationally-recognised awarding organisation.

“I’m delighted to be an judge for the Excellence in Diversity Awards.  We know that many housing organisations are doing some great work in this area, but we also know that more needs to be done. That’s why we have challenged housing organisations to improve the diversity of their leadership through our presidential commission.  Initiatives like these awards can highlight the good work that is already being done and encourage others to improve.”