Inspire inclusion within the project profession to attract and retain a diverse workforce webinar

The APM Women in Project Management SIG and APM Scotland Branch are pleased to have brought to you the first of its events marking International Women’s Day 24
#InspireInclusion

There is extensive research on the benefits of embracing workplace diversity that leads to higher project and organisational performance. Simply focussing on recruiting a diverse workforce is not enough to expect that people will automatically collaborate, connect, resolve conflicts, or innovate as a cohesive unit. To generate exceptional outcomes, people need to work in an inclusive atmosphere where they can belong, contribute and thrive.

Studies show a profound connection between inclusive leadership and employee experiences of inclusion that result in employees feeling more valued, trusted, authentic, and psychologically safe at work.

As a project professional, you will need to develop competencies to lead your team inclusively to attain the results that your project and organisation requires.

This webinar on Tuesday 5 March discussed inspiring inclusion within projects and programmes, with practical tools and tips that you can implement to improve your inclusive leadership skills to support diverse recruitment and retention strategies.

Webinar resources

The panel members have kindly allowed their open conversation presented material to be made available for viewing. The slides on Slideshare and the webinar recording on YouTube is now available in our APM resources area and also embedded below for reference.

This webinar content is suitable professionals with any level of experience.

Speakers

Keynote speaker
Kay (Kalpna) Sanders, CEO, CITI Limited

Bel French, Project Manager, Gleeds Ltd

Yetunde Adeshile ChPP, RPP, FAPM, FRSA, MBA, The Next Chosen Generation CIC, CEO,
RJ Emmanuel Ltd, Director,
APM Board Trustee

Association for Project Management (APM) Board Member of Trustee, Yetunde is a Chartered Project Management Professional (ChPP), a Fellow of APM (FAPM), and a Registered Project Professional who has a wealth of experience delivering major projects in government, private, and not for profit sectors at a senior level. As a project professional Yetunde owns and is the director of R J Emmanuel Ltd, a company that delivers project management & leadership consultancy, coaching and training for all business sectors and individuals.

Alongside her project management profession and being an APM Board of Trustee, Yetunde is also a Conservative Councillor for Vange, Basildon. Yetunde was the first black woman to stand as a conservative candidate, confirmed and signed in as a borough councillor in Basildon. Yetunde was appointed as Deputy Mayor of Basildon after one year of being elected as a councillor, making her the first woman, and woman of ethnicity to be appointed to the position.

An advocate for youth development, women's empowerment, equality, diversity, and inclusion, Yetunde founded and serves as CEO of The Next Chosen Generation CiC. Supporting underprivileged young people, predominantly from black, Asian, minority, and ethnic backgrounds (BAME). Yetunde is a Director and Vice-Chair at Basildon Side by Side, a community organisation aimed at bridging the equality divide in the borough. In addition to supporting communities nationally her projects extend internationally. Yetunde’s other achievements include being elected as the President of Nigerians in Community, Essex (NiCE), facilitating positive change and integration for the Nigerian community in the UK and Nigeria.

As a tireless change activist, Yetunde supports and leads in different spheres. Her activism has led her to winning the National Diversity Awards 2023 in the category of race, faith and religion. She also won the EPRA Inspirational women leader 2023 award.

Sacha Hind, Senior Programme Manager, Network Rail

Sacha is a Senior Programme Manager delivering complex change programmes in the railway and a member of the APM People Specific Interest Group.

With over 20 years experience in people leadership in male-dominated industries, Sacha understands the importance of inclusion within the workplace and the benefits diverse teams bring. She has a particular interest in gender equality, supporting young people into work and social mobility.

Jenny McLaughlin, Project Manager, Heathrow Airport

Jenny has worked within the airport industry for over 20 years. This began at East Midlands Airport as an Environment and Safeguarding Officer achieving ISO14001. The last 16 years have been at Heathrow Airport in a number of departments including Environment, Airside and now Infrastructure as a project manager.

Jenny has delivered a number of business changes, from new aircraft de-icing process, introducing new IT applications, building a remote coaching gate in the middle of a live terminal, to significant maintenance work to the Northern runway.

Jenny is dyslexic and has ADHD and believes that “the way that my brain is wired differently is an asset”. Jenny is a speaker at a number of industry events on ‘Systematic Inclusion’, bringing to life the criticality of accessibility if we are to truly ‘Build Back Equitable’. This is most evident in being a key player in creation of RIBA Inclusive Design Overlay published earlier this year.

Finally, Jenny is a Governor for Harrow Richmond and Uxbridge College, and leading the Heathrow Inclusive Learners Partnership to ensure equitable pathways for learners to gain experience, internships and work.

Jenny advocates that each person should have an equitable seat at the table and creating a safe environment to challenge and improve the way we interreact and build the world around us.

Webinar Facilitator
Laura Ewen, Director - Major Projects Advisory Practice and Capital Excellence & Controls Team, KPMG

Laura is a Director in KPMG’s Major Projects Advisory practice and Capital Excellence & Controls team – a multi-disciplinary team of cross-sector experts in complex project delivery.

She is an outcome-focused, complex programme and project management specialist. Passionate about culture, diversity, innovation, collaboration and enabling a one team ethos.

Laura has over 17 years’ experience with over 12 specialising in supporting clients to deliver major transformation in programme delivery environments – faster, cheaper, greener and better. She helps make strategy real and has extensive experience working with senior leadership teams to deliver the right programmes in the right way, with a sharp focus on affordability, deliverability and VfM.

Laura has worked across a range of public sectors leading projects to deliver programme maturity, transformation PMO, strategic planning, capability improvement, operating model, programme assurance and complex stakeholder management. She also brings extensive experience of working closely with Executive Committee members of KPMG and as Programme Director has led high profile investment programmes to drive growth and greater collaboration. Laura is particularly interested in the human side of projects and has recently become a volunteer of the APM People SIG. Prior to joining KPMG in 2017, Laura developed her craft in project and programme management at CH2M, now Jacobs, with experience in London, Bristol and Denver, U.S.

Previous presentations and webinars can be viewed on the APM Slideshare and YouTube channels.

Follow @APMEvents for upcoming event information.

X hashtags: #apmwebinar  #apmwipm  #APMScotland

International Women's Day 2024 hashtags:
#InternationalWomensDay2024
#IWD2024 #ChooseToChallenge #WomensRights #GenderEquality
#InspireInclusion

APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition reference
Section	Description
3.2.6	Diversity and Inclusion