EDLEEN JOHN

Edleen is an engaging, open, and thought-provoking consultant, trainer and facilitator who shares her experience and knowledge of the challenges, benefits and solutions to diversity and inclusion within organisations. Her experience over the course of her career has impacted and delivered across the corporate, charitable, and public-sector spheres in both an Executive and Non-Executive capacity. She carries out analysis and shares pragmatic and tangible solutions for institutions and organisations to change the representation and culture at every stage of the employee life-cycle.

Edleen has shared her insights via multiple platforms, including podcasts, media interviews, at school/university campuses, diversity conferences and as a trainer and speaker at events for some of the world’s largest companies – with all sessions aiming to inspire, challenge and educate.

Aside from her extensive career experience in Diversity and Inclusion, Edleen brings her lived experience to the table also. She is a British-born Sierra Leonean, with a long-term health condition, who grew up in South-East London after moving back from Sierra Leone to the UK as a toddler. She attended local non-selective comprehensive schools, before completing her MA(Cantab) in Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge and it was through experience of her own personal life journey that her passion for diversity and inclusion was born. She started her career as an Investment Banker at Lehman Brothers working in Debt Capital Markets and has held a variety of revenue-generating and support-function roles across the Financial Services sector including Insurance Broking at Lloyd’s of London, Graduate Recruitment at Nomura, Vice President at Morgan Stanley, Director and the Co-Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Social Equality at KPMG and most recently as the International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director at The Football Association.

Alongside her day job, Edleen is a School Governor and Vice Chair of the Governing Board at a community special school for young people with severe and profound disabilities, a Director of Tech Talent Charter, an International Trustee for Restless Development, a Senior Independent Director of The Amateur Football Alliance, the Co-Chair for British Dodgeball, a Non-Executive Director on the Advisory Committee for England for Ofcom, a Women In Football Membership Committee Member and an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Practitioner and Panel Member for NASA.

Aside from successful career milestones such as being the youngest person to be promoted to Vice President within HR EMEA at Morgan Stanley or being the youngest and only Black Director in the People function in the time she was at KPMG, Edleen has a number of accolades to her name including being a ‘We Are The City’ Rising Star in HR and Recruitment ; a Yahoo! Finance EMpower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leader; a Top Ten BAME Inspirational Leader, a Football Black List Award and a shortlisted National Diversity Award winner for a Positive Age Role model.

For more information and recommendations, see Edleen’s LinkedIn page here.