BRIG SUMMIT 2024: what’s changed? Keynote speakers
The Birmingham Race Impact Group is hosting its Bi-Annual Race Impact Summit on Wednesday, 30th October, focusing on the persistent issue of racial inequality. The event will explore whether promises to address racism post-George Floyd have led to real change or simply fallen victim to performative actions or the "Woke Culture Wars." With ongoing scapegoating of marginalised communities such as Black, Asian, Refugees, Muslims for political gains, and the summer far-right racist riots, the question remains: “What’s Changed?”
Tickets are available here.
This thought-provoking summit will feature a range of speakers engaging in debates examining the past, present, and future of Birmingham as it strives to become an Anti-Racist City. We will be announcing all our speakers over the coming weeks. Some of these include:
Timi Okuwa
Timi Okuwa is the CEO of the Black Equity Organisation (BEO) and has been with the charity since its launch, initially serving as Director of Partnerships and Programmes. In this role, she established key relationships with organisations like Sky, Mission 44, and the Ford Foundation, driving its foundational fundraising efforts. With a background in business consulting at EY, Deloitte, and the Department for Business and Trade, Timi has worked with major institutions to spearhead change initiatives. A former magistrate for 11 years, she brings this wealth of experience to BEO’s mission of fostering opportunities and driving impactful change.
Dr Shabna Begum
Dr Shabna Begum is the CEO of the Runnymede Trust. She joined the organisation in 2021 as a Senior Researcher, later becoming Director of Research before taking on the Interim CEO role. Her work has driven key projects, including research on police in schools, the cost-of-living crisis, women of colour in the workplace, and racism in migration debates.
Prior to this, Shabna was a secondary school teacher in London for over 20 years. She recently completed her doctorate and published From Sylhet to Spitalfields: Bengali squatters in 1970s East London.
PROFESSOR DAVID MBA
Professor David Mba became Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University in October 2023, where he leads the University’s strategic vision and aspirations. He has spearheaded the development of the University’s Strategy for 2030 and Beyond, working with the Executive Team to ensure these goals are achieved.
Before joining BCU, David was Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Knowledge Exchange, and Enterprise at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Prior to that, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at De Montfort University (DMU), where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and Media. He has held other senior roles, including Dean of Engineering at London South Bank University and Associate Dean at Cranfield University’s School of Engineering.
David is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is committed to social justice. He is a trustee of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, a member of Advance HE’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion advisory group, an advisor to the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers, and a board member of the Hamilton Commission, which aims to increase Black representation in UK motorsport.
David holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cranfield University, where he received the Lord King Norton Gold Medal for his outstanding doctoral thesis. His research, funded through commercial, EU, and EPSRC projects, has led to over 300 publications in journals and conferences.
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE is Chair of the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Integrated Care Board (BSol ICB), first taking on the role in January 2023 and becoming permanent Chair in January 2024. He was the first Non-Executive Director (NED) in the UK specifically appointed to lead inequalities at BSol ICB. Patrick received an OBE in 2012 for his work on health inequalities and ethnic minority communities and a lifetime achievement award in 2019 from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation for his advocacy work.
A former NED for several NHS trusts, Patrick also founded the Majonzi Fund in 2020 to support commemoration events for Black and racialised communities affected by COVID-19. He chairs the Walsall Together Partnership Board and was appointed Honorary Professor of Cultural Heritage and Community Leadership at Wolverhampton University in 2021. Patrick co-authored 100 Great Black Britons and was named one of Britain's top 20 campaigners by British Vogue. He is a prominent broadcaster, speaker, and writer on healthcare, cultural heritage, and race.
Dr Martin Glynn
Dr Martin Glynn is Winston Churchill Fellow, a criminologist, dramatist, screenwriter, children’s author, and data storyteller with over 40 years’ experience of working in criminal justice, public health, and educational settings. Dr Glynn is currently a senior lecturer in criminology at Birmingham City University, and is a member of the Crime Writers Association (UK).
AMRIT sandhu
Amrit is the Insight, Policy, and Strategy Lead at Birmingham City Council, where she helps drive data-based decision-making. Her team manages the Birmingham City Observatory, an open data platform that provides insights into key challenges the city faces.
Amrit led the development of the Race Disparities Dashboard, working with BRIG to highlight racial inequalities across five key areas: housing, education, employability, criminal justice, and health & well-being—issues identified as crucial by Birmingham’s communities.
A proud Brummie, Amrit is passionate about improving her community. She has previously worked as a Senior Policy Officer at the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, collaborated with local universities in higher education, and began her career as a graduate intern at Birmingham Children’s and Women’s Hospital. She also served as a Trustee for a social mobility charity and chaired the Ambassadors group at her former secondary school in North Birmingham.
Richard Parker
The Mayor of West Midlands Combined Authority, Richard Parker is the recently elected Labour and Co- operative Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Richard previously provided strategy, policy and governance advice to the public and private sector. As a Partner at PwC he helped broker the deal, working with Council Leaders, that led to the creation of the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2016. He remains passionate about devolution and is currently working on policy interventions that will improve opportunity, fairness, diversity and inclusion across the West Midlands.
Dr howard haughton
Dr. Howard Haughton is a distinguished scholar known for his contributions to finance, technology, mathematics, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. He holds a PhD in Mathematical Computer Science from Wolverhampton University and advanced finance qualifications from the Universities of York and Oxford. Dr. Haughton has chartered qualifications in risk, portfolio, wealth, and treasury management and has held key roles at Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank, and JP Morgan, as well as regional financial institutions in the Caribbean.
Currently, he is a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, focusing on computational finance, AI-driven financial modelling, and risk analysis. He has developed an AI/ML policy framework to promote ethical and inclusive practices across UK sectors. Dr. Haughton also advises governments and financial institutions on corporate governance, treasury management, risk management, and sustainable economic development.
An advocate for diversity in mathematics, he has spoken at the Black Heroes of Mathematics events and writes for *Mathematics Today*, highlighting the contributions of Black mathematicians. As Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and Inclusive Leadership Lead Consultant at The Diversity Trust, he promotes inclusive leadership frameworks and workplace well-being, insights he shares in his book, *Woken Leader*. Additionally, as Chair of Sporting Equals, he fosters diversity in the sports sector. Dr. Haughton's work significantly influences various fields, establishing him as a key figure in promoting diversity, inclusion, and sustainable practices both in the UK and globally.
Karl george mbe
Karl George MBE is a governance thought leader and partner at RSM UK, where he heads Governance and is part of the ESG advisory practice. With over 30 years of experience in governance, compliance, and strategic development, Karl has worked across private, public, and voluntary sectors.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and the creator of The tgf Governance Code, The RACE Equality Code, and The Effective Board Member Programmes, which have trained thousands of board members globally. Karl holds an honorary doctorate, is a visiting professor at Birmingham City University, and is the author of Governance 3.0 and the Amazon bestseller The Effective Board Member. His work has impacted organisations across the Middle East, Caribbean, and beyond.
Simon foster
Simon Foster was initially elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2021. He was re-elected PCC in May 2024 and will serve a four year term. He has lived, worked and brought his family up in the West Midlands for 35 years. Simon has been a legal aid solicitor for 35 years. He has worked in a Community Law Centre and in private practice. He was a partner in a legal aid law firm for 22 years. He has specialised in Housing and Public Law. He has represented people who are at risk of eviction from their homes, those living in poor housing conditions and the homeless. He is married with 3 daughters.
Pat Carvalho
Pat Carvalho joined Birmingham Metropolitan College as Principal in June 2021. She has been in Further Education for over 30 years and a senior manager for 15 years. Further education has always played a part in her life, providing the training for her first career as a medical secretary at a local Birmingham college, then helping her enter university as a mature student where she majored in Philosophy and then an MSc in Artificial Intelligence before going on to do a PGCE.
Since joining BMet, Birmingham has become a majority minority city and the youngest city in Europe and BMet as an anchor institution has a crucial role in influencing and bringing about real and sustainable change for all the communities it serves in collaboration with it’s partners. For example, setting targets to increase achievement for Black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups as a pledge to the Birmingham Race Impact Group and Chairing the Birmingham Post-16 Executive Board part of Birmingham City Council’s Childrens and Families Directorate.
Collaboration is a key focus for Pat and she is proud of her work within the Colleges West Midlands Group (e.g., Chair of the EDI Steering Group) and being part of AoC reference groups (SEND and Students). She is also a Trustee at UCAS where she advocates for FE on the board.
Councillor Saima Suleman
Councillor Saima Suleman was appointed as Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism in May 2023. Working with colleagues in the Cabinet she has pledged to work with and for every single community to deliver the services our citizens deserve. She is especially committed to Digital Inclusion and Art Equity, to remove barriers and to ensure that everyone can thrive in the city. Saima is committed to improving the lives and life chances of the people of Birmingham.
She previously served as the Chair of Economy and Skills Overview and Scrutiny Committee and led on various inquiries. This included an inquiry into Employment and Skills for Young People, ‘Something to Aim for;’ to reshape careers and mentoring provision to improve the confidence and resilience of young people.
A member of the Labour Party, she was first elected to Birmingham City Council in 2021 and represents Hall Green North. She is currently serving as the Birmingham Labour Group BAME Officer. Saima was raised in Birmingham and lives there with her family. Over the course of a varied career, she has worked in the Civil Service, in private industry and in the voluntary sector. Saima was also a Regional Equality Officer for one of the largest Trades Unions for the Civil Service and is committed to equality.
Sal Naseem
Sal Naseem is a recognised Policing and Inclusive Culture Expert and was the first South Asian and Muslim to serve as Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice on Inclusive Cultures and a sought-after public speaker. Sal addresses topics such as being a changemaker, leading with authenticity, male allyship, and the impact of Islamophobia.
Named one of the top 10 voices on discrimination globally by Favikon in 2024 and featured on the Diversity Power List 2023/24, Sal also won the national Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award from the FDA Union in 2023. He is listed among the top 100 most influential Muslims in the UK and is recognised by D&I Leaders as an inspirational inclusion leader.
Sal is a Senior Associate Fellow at the Police Foundation and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. With a law degree from the University of Glasgow, he has driven change in policing, focusing on issues such as stop and search, racism, misogyny, and police culture. An experienced decision maker and media spokesperson, he is known for engaging audiences on complex and challenging issues.
Sharonjit Clare
Sharonjit Clare is the Independent Chair of the Race Equalities Taskforce. Previously, she served as Senior Investment and Strategy Manager at Telent Limited, where she oversaw a £3.5 billion investment across multiple asset classes and managed governance and special projects.
Sharonjit also worked at Man Group, the world’s largest listed hedge fund manager, focusing on institutional and consulting clients. She has been recognised as a rising star in asset management, appearing on both the FN ‘40 Under 40’ and Chief Investment Officer ‘Forty Under Forty’ lists.
Additionally, Sharonjit is a co-founder of West Midlands Women’s Voice, serves on the Advisory Board of Women in Banking & Finance, and is an entrepreneur and private investor.
Mukhtar Dar
Mukhtar Dar is a cultural activist, artist, and archivist committed to social justice, anti-racism, and anti-imperialism. After a brutal racist attack in 1982, he co-founded the Sheffield Asian Youth Movement to defend communities against state-sanctioned racism and far-right violence. His activism also includes involvement with the Birmingham Asian Youth Movement, the Pakistani Workers Association, and grassroots campaigns like the Sheffield Defence Campaign and Manchester Black People's Alliance.
In 2023, Mukhtar co-founded Kings Heath United Against Racism following an Islamophobic attack on a local resident. He also co-founded Asian Defiance, a national movement aimed at uniting South Asian communities against far-right extremism and state racism in response to recent racist riots.
Mukhtar has held various artistic roles, including Artistic Director of The Drum Arts Centre and founding the Simmer Down Festival. He leads Kalaboration Arts, a radical Black arts development agency. His notable projects include the *Blacklash: The Struggle for Self-Defence* exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and *Partition of the Heart*, an immersive musical theatre production at the Midlands Arts Centre exploring the 1947 partition of India. Mukhtar’s work reflects his lifelong dedication to unity, justice, and resistance.
Mac Alonge
Mac is an impact-focused leader with over 15 years of experience advising top organisations. As CEO of The Equal Group, a consultancy specializing in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), he leads a multidisciplinary team on EDI transformation projects across various sectors. Previously, he spent a decade as a regulatory consultant in the energy and utilities sectors, working with firms like KPMG, National Grid, and the UK government.
Mac serves as a trustee for b:music, which oversees Birmingham's Symphony Hall and Town Hall, and the Lloyds Bank Black Business Advisory Committee, and he chairs the BRIG (Birmingham Race Impact Group) Metrics Working Group. He has a proven track record of providing strategic advice and delivering high-quality results for organizations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Wellcome Trust, National Trust, Greater London Authority, Thames Water, and Ofgem.
More keynote speakers will be announced over the next few weeks.
