IoD Glass Ceiling Summit Gender parity on boards

Heather’s career spans over 40 years across financial, professional & technology services, with a specific focus on international trade, entrepreneurship and corporate banking. Heather is a business thought-leader and an innovator with a notable track record of building high performing diverse teams.
Heather has acted in an advisory capacity to FTSE CEOs across a multitude of industries and sectors. She is a highly respected and sought after public speaker, having addressed C-Suite leaders, senates, royalty, and global business audiences worldwide.

Heather received her OBE for services to business in 2017 and has recently been appointed as the Chancellor of the University of York. Heather is also the Patron of Women in Banking and Finance.

IoD Central Vice Chair

Inez founded and lead Mckenzie Brown Consultancy Ltd as the Managing Director, where she leveraged her 20+ years of experience as a lawyer. She now advise businesses on corporate governance, leadership, management, strategic planning and change management and has a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes for clients across various sectors and industries, such as health, education, business, and law.

Honey is a Brand Marketing Manager for Barclays Bank Group Brand and Sponsorship team. Brand Manager and social media expert, managing Barclays football channels to ensure our sponsorships are being activated in the most creative ways possible. Honey has held a range of roles in the organisation including roles in Business Banking and Insurance sectors of the bank. Honey pivoted from digital product management to Group Brand Marketing in 2022 in order to pursue a more creative-driven career. Honey is also passionately involved with the Black Professionals Resource Group where leads on all activity for black women in the organisation.

Melissa Snover is an award-winning entrepreneur and visionary in the world of food technology and additive manufacturing. She is passionate about developing innovations which offer solutions to her customers, challenge her competitors, and disrupt current market offerings. She is currently the founder and CEO of Rem3dy Health which pioneers personalised solutions across preventative and curative health under the brands Nourished (Personalised Nutrition) and Scripted (Personalised Medicine).

Professor Monder Ram OBE is the Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston University. One of the foremost international scholars researching ethnic minority entrepreneurship, Prof Monder Ram’s work has helped to shape the field over the past 3 decades. From his considerable research output to the founding of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship, Prof Ram has become established as a leading scholar and impactful researcher. His commitment to engaged scholarship has resulted in several social science inspired initiatives that have benefited diverse and overlooked communities. His research outputs are complemented by a lengthy record of external research funding awards from prestigious sources such as ESRC, NERC and Low Pay Commission as well as from national and regional public bodies. Prof. Ram has held visiting Professorships at Lund University and Turku University in Finland. He serves as an advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for BAME Business Owners and is a member of the Ethnic Minority Business Group at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Ranjit Dhindsa holds a number of management positions within Fieldfisher. She is a member of the Executive Committee which sets strategy for the firm, the UK Head of EPIC (Employment, Pensions, Immigration and Compliance) with teams in London, Birmingham, Belfast and Manchester. She is also the Office Leader for Birmingham, the firm's centre of excellence for Specialist Litigation and Business Transformation. She was previously a member of Council at Aston University and sat on its Audit and Risk Committee. She is currently a Special Adviser to a social enterprise business called Miss Macaroon. Ranjit is an Inclusion and Diversity Champion".

Stuart Cain is the Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Edgbaston Stadium, as well as a Director of Birmingham Phoenix (playing in The Hundred) and Central Sparks (women’s regional cricket team). He sits on the ECB’s Professional Game Group and has also previously been on the Board of UK Athletics, Swim England and the Rugby League World Cup.

He was formerly Chief Executive at Wasps RFC/Ricoh Arena and Managing Director of Commercial Media at the NEC Group where he ran national ticketing agency, The Ticket Factory.

Vanessa Dal Busco is Chair of IoD Glass Ceiling Group, Vice Chair IoD International Trade Group, Senior Vice President at Aldgate Ward Club, Liveryman and on the livery committee at Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights and studying her Master of Arts in Serious and Violent Crime researching Violence Against Women and Girls. Vanessa is CEO of Ad Lumin which works with leading brands and people on purpose driven communications.