Diana Chrouch & Jane Findlay CMLI PLI &, Priya Shah & Romy Rawlings CMLI & Sarah Atkinson & Jane Fortescue & Donald Roberts & Kush Kanodia & Martin Pong & Dan Cook

Diana Chrouch, Diversity Means Business

Diana Chrouch is a Consultant for Diversity Means Business. A marketing specialist, Diana was awarded the Woman of Excellence Award by Wintrade 2019 for her tireless work in leading diversity and inclusion strategies. In particular, she was recognised for playing an instrumental part in the creation of the All Parliamentary Group for BAME Business Owners and is currently special advisor to the group. Diana is also Chair of National Policy for BAME Business for the Federation of Small Business and of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Worshipful Company of Constructors, City of London. 

 

Jane Findlay, President of Landscape Institute

Jane Findlay is a landscape architect, the Founding Director of Fira and President of the Landscape Institute. An experienced master planner and designer of large and complex projects, Jane has particular expertise in the design of healing landscapes for healthcare and has delivered some of the largest and most complex healthcare projects in the UK. Jane is a pioneering exponent of ‘place-making’ and the importance of health and wellbeing in the way that people experience buildings and the spaces we create within, around, and connecting places.

 

Priya Shah, BAME in Property

Priya Shah is a communications consultant and founder of BAME in Property, one of the foremost ethnic diversity networks in the built environment sector. She has been an RTPI Planner Magazine Woman of Influence for three years running, an Estate Gazette Rising Star, a Property Week RESI Trailblazer, and a Women of the Future Awards finalist.

 

Romy Rawlings, Vestre

Romy Rawlings is a Chartered Landscape Architect and UK Business Development Manager for Vestre, a Norwegian manufacturer of street furniture. Romy’s 25-year career has been based in the landscape sector, and she is passionate about the impact of good design upon those using outdoor space, believing that landscape architects are well placed to counter many of today’s global issues. Romy is Honorary Secretary for the Landscape Institute and Chair of their Diversity & Inclusion working group.

 

Sarah Atkinson, The Social Mobility Foundation

Sarah Atkinson is Chief Executive of The Social Mobility Foundation. In post, Sarah has led work to support and advocate for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through the pandemic. . Before joining SMF, Sarah was director of strategy, policy and communications for the Charity Commission. She built her career in communications and public policy and was previously head of public affairs at Nationwide Building Society. Sarah is a panel member for the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, a trustee of Endometriosis UK and a leadership fellow of St George’s House, Windsor. She writes and speaks frequently on social mobility and inclusive recruitment.

 

Jane Fortescue, FCPR

Jane Fortescue is a Senior Landscape Architect for FPCR. Jane specialises in social landscapes and has won numerous awards for public realm projects, including dementia spaces and play areas. Jane was also involved in the formation of Rainbow Places, a cross disciplinary LGBTQ+ network that developed from the Landscape Institute’s Diversity and Inclusion working group. Rainbow Places forges links with other related professional bodies to effect positive change and tangible improvements for LGBTQ+ people working within Landscape Architecture and associated industries.

 

Donald Roberts, ETLA

Donald Roberts joined ETLA as Director in 2020, where he leads the design arm of the business. A British Nigerian landscape architect, Donald is passionate about creating distinct and engaging landscapes that cater to diverse communities. He has worked on a number of award-winning and prestigious projects in London, including two large Build to Rent (PRS) plots within Quintain’s Wembley Park masterplan. Donald has worked for Gillespies, Churchmans, PRP, and Assael. He is also qualified in Theology and is currently studying Law.

 

Kush Kanodia MBA, Kaleidoscope Group

Kush Kanodia MBA is Chief Disability Officer for the Kaleidoscope Group. Kush is a disabled BAME social entrepreneur and systems leader, and in 2019 received the Entrepreneur of the Year - Asian Achievers Award. He was also featured 2nd in the Disability Power 100, the list of most influential disabled people in the UK. In 2020, Kush led the #NoWheelChairTax campaign to success and transformed NHS England by abolishing disabled car parking charges from 206 NHS hospitals - helping 2.5 million disabled people to access critical healthcare. Kush’s new campaign is to create a standardized and compassionate disabled parking policy for London and England. He was selected to be a torch bearer for the Paralympic Games in London 2012 for his dedication to disability rights.

 

Martin Pong, 10x Banking

Martin Pong is a Senior Product Manager at UK based fintech 10x Banking. One of the few East Asian LGBTQ+ advocates in the UK, Martin has been recognised by the Financial Times and Yahoo Finance for his work in improving ethnic minority representation within the community, including rollout of an intersectional global reverse mentoring program. Martin is committed to sharing best practice approaches to diversity and inclusion across the financial services industry, while also collaborating with numerous charities, youth groups and schools to support the future generations.