Our Leadership Team

Aggie Mutuma is the CEO and lead consulting director of Mahogany Inclusion Partners. She is a passionate, award winning Inclusion and Anti-Racism expert, People Leader and Executive Coach with a track record of supporting organisations as they build cultures where everyone can thrive.

She works with Exco leaders and their teams to deliver DEI and Anti-Racism strategies. Cross industry organisations she has supported include global FTSE100 organisations, consultancy firms, retailers, third sector and public sector organisations.

She is a trusted advisor for the CIPD and an engaging speaker, for many leading organisations, most recently for the CBI, and the CIPD Annual Conference 2020.

Aggie’s experience of HR leadership in large and small organisations, her experience as an executive coach, her expertise in diversity and inclusion and her warm, empathetic and engaging style all combine to make Aggie an excellent speaker and panellist.

Bridget is a Partner in Browne Jacobson LLP, a top 50 UK law firm, specialising in advising corporate clients across public and private sectors on complex insurance and risk-related matters and chairs the Forum of Insurance Lawyers DEI committee and is its Treasurer.

Bridget is committed to creating inclusive workplaces, co-chairing the firm’s DEI steering committee. As the Executive Sponsor for Race (BITC), she is the proud sponsor of the REACH staff network and REACH Mentoring Programme.

Chairing the Board of Trustees for ACCI (African Caribbean Community Initiative), embodies her commitment to addressing disproportionate mental health outcomes in the Black community.

Sope is a renowned executive coach, international speaker, and founder of MindsetShift. His unique ability to shift perspectives and install new mindsets enables his clients to navigate ambiguity and complexity confidently. Sope’s coaching style is collaborative, expansive, and results-oriented, partnering with clients to achieve their goals while challenging them to grow.

He has worked with various clients, including Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, startups, government agencies, and non-profits such as Google, HSBC, and Philips. As an in-house executive coach at Shopify, the world’s largest e-commerce platform, Sope guides individuals and teams through the fast-paced and ever-changing business environment.

Sope’s leadership development company, MindsetShift, focuses on exploring personal and professional selves, fostering high-performing teams, and creating inclusive and equitable cultures that thrive in uncertainty and change.

With his extensive leadership experience and background in finance, project management, and consultancy, Sope brings a unique perspective to navigating the corporate world. He is committed to supporting his clients’ growth and seeing more Black leaders in senior positions.

If you would like to see more from Sope Agbelusi, see below links to their website.

Bernadette Thompson OBE, currently the Director of Inclusion at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, boasts a distinguished career spanning Barts Health Trust and several pivotal government departments. As a forward-thinking HR professional, her expertise lies in Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Inclusive practices. Demonstrating a remarkable history of utilizing leadership skills and business acumen, Bernadette has pioneered innovative strategies, fostering accountability, and engagement in talent pipelines while catalyzing cultural transformations. Co-chairing a multi-award-winning cross-Government race network for five years, she holds a pivotal role as an influencer and trusted partner to senior leaders across diverse sectors.

Recognized for her impactful work, she secured the Workplace Hero award in the 2020 Investing in Ethnicity Awards and the “We are the City” Rising Star Champion award in 2021. Her exceptional contributions were further acknowledged with an OBE in June 2021 for services to Diversity and Inclusion, and in 2023, she earned a coveted spot on the top 50 Inclusive Companies Diversity Powerlist.

If you would like to see more from Bernadette, see below links to their socials and website.

Wande is a Technology Change Director who finds her purpose in driving positive transformation in individuals, organisations and her community. She is passionate about promoting inclusion for all and respecting diverse viewpoints to achieve maximum impact.

In her relentless drive to effect positive change and open up opportunities for individuals to grow, she is also an Executive Leadership and Career Coach; and the founder and chair of her organisation’s Black Heritage in Technology Network.

I chose to become a trustee because the aspirations for Black Inclusion week, which include creating a platform to drive action to enable true equality and empower people of Black Heritage, deeply resonate with me.

It aligns with other initiatives I’m driving in my role as Chair and Founder of the Black Heritage in Technology Network in my organisation and I believe I can help drive synergies and connections by partnering and collaborating with individuals, organisations, and allies who are ready for and committed to be the change.

It provides targeted interventions required to empower and drive action towards inclusion, which is absolutely critical now so that we can build a truly inclusive and equitable future.

Speaking topics – Any aspect of advancing Race Equality and Inclusion or Diversity and Inclusion more broadly

Gavin Lock, currently Legal Counsel at Burberry, is a creative commercial lawyer who has worked at a number of household brands across the sport, fashion and retail industries.

His journey from trainee solicitor to a pivotal legal figure reflects a dedication to excellence and innovation. Gavin’s academic prowess is evident from his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and distinctions in Law, Business, and Management MSc, and Graduate Diploma in Law from The University of Law.

A proven leader and advocate for inclusion, Gavin co-founded the award winning Browne Jacobson LLP REACH mentoring scheme – a scheme aimed at supporting aspiring Black lawyers to address under-representation of Black lawyers in law firms.

As a previous attendee at a number of Black Inclusion Week events, I have always admired the passion and commitment demonstrated by the BIW team in order to put on bigger and better events each year. The intention and message behind Black Inclusion Week really resonates with me on a personal level and the excitement and energy from the team made it an easy decision!

We must continue to drive and celebrate Black inclusion at every possible opportunity, keeping the conversation going all year round.