Essenta Insights

During mental health awareness week, I had the great pleasure to sit down with Adam Carey, the Founder of CorPerformance and Chief Health Officer of Ineos, to discuss the importance of well-being, my own journey with mental health, and how we at Essenta are helping both ourselves and our clients to better understand the impact of leading with compassion and the importance of treating people with respect. In the discussion we cover a wide range of preventative and responsive approaches to ensure good mental health which recognises the role of body-up alongside more traditional 'mind-down' approaches

I am particularly proud of what we have created at Essenta and success for us is approaching everything we do with dedication, focus, accountability, humility, and joy – constantly striving to go the extra mile to enhance people’s lives. 

In an industry that can suffer from its people being commoditised within cultures governed by fear, I was determined to lead a business that affords psychological safety to all its people and that actively encourages and supports balance. 

Every day I feel lucky to be part of Essenta and every day I am grateful that together we have created an environment of authenticity and empathy in which we can share vulnerability.

Essenta is the most diverse business I have worked in, and it is my priority as a leader to ensure that we provide an environment that promotes inclusivity and enables all to find purpose and meaning in their work.

During mental health awareness week, I had the great pleasure to sit down with Adam Carey, the Founder of CorPerformance and Chief Health Officer of Ineos, to discuss the importance of well-being, my own journey with mental health, and how we at Essenta are helping both ourselves and our clients to better understand the impact of leading with compassion and the importance of treating people with respect. In the discussion we cover a wide range of preventative and responsive approaches to ensure good mental health which recognises the role of body-up alongside more traditional 'mind-down' approaches

I am particularly proud of what we have created at Essenta and success for us is approaching everything we do with dedication, focus, accountability, humility, and joy – constantly striving to go the extra mile to enhance people’s lives. 

In an industry that can suffer from its people being commoditised within cultures governed by fear, I was determined to lead a business that affords psychological safety to all its people and that actively encourages and supports balance. 

Every day I feel lucky to be part of Essenta and every day I am grateful that together we have created an environment of authenticity and empathy in which we can share vulnerability.

Essenta is the most diverse business I have worked in, and it is my priority as a leader to ensure that we provide an environment that promotes inclusivity and enables all to find purpose and meaning in their work.

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast led by Chika Okeke, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In this episode, Chika speaks with Aston Martin’s DE&I lead Laura Ayoade about the interconnectedness of DE&I and mental well-being; a topic that’s often overlooked within the broader DE&I conversation. Chika and Laura discuss trauma within the DE&I subject matter, emotional tax, and how to support employees in an authentic way whilst engaging in storytelling activities which are so common within DE&I. The episode is rounded up by Laura sharing some top tips on how organisations can support well-being through DE&I. 

About Laura

In 2021, Laura joined the well-known luxury British automotive brand Aston Martin as their first equity, diversity, and inclusion lead.  With International experience and a global lens, Laura has worked in the Diversity and Inclusion arena for the past three years professionally, with a decade-long academic background in racial justice-related topics. She has consulted some of the UK’s largest organisations, helping them to embed best practices and thought leadership in diversity and inclusion. 

Enjoy the episode!

About our Essenta BOLD Podcast.

BOLD stands for the ‘Brilliance of Leading with Difference”. Through this podcast, we explore the most pressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) opportunities, and take a fresh look at how to maximize DE&I with a more progressive approach. 

Through sharing lived experiences, delving into research and best practice, and revealing practical tips, our guests will inspire you to unlock the power of diverse teams.

We believe everyone has a role to play in an organisation’s DE&I narrative. Our BOLD podcast is for executives who understand the importance of culture, fostering inclusion, and creating belonging at work.

If you are inspired by anything you hear, please contact our Head of DE&I for further information. 

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast led by Chika Okeke, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In this episode, Chika speaks with Aston Martin’s DE&I lead Laura Ayoade about the interconnectedness of DE&I and mental well-being; a topic that’s often overlooked within the broader DE&I conversation. Chika and Laura discuss trauma within the DE&I subject matter, emotional tax, and how to support employees in an authentic way whilst engaging in storytelling activities which are so common within DE&I. The episode is rounded up by Laura sharing some top tips on how organisations can support well-being through DE&I. 

About Laura

In 2021, Laura joined the well-known luxury British automotive brand Aston Martin as their first equity, diversity, and inclusion lead.  With International experience and a global lens, Laura has worked in the Diversity and Inclusion arena for the past three years professionally, with a decade-long academic background in racial justice-related topics. She has consulted some of the UK’s largest organisations, helping them to embed best practices and thought leadership in diversity and inclusion. 

Enjoy the episode!

About our Essenta BOLD Podcast.

BOLD stands for the ‘Brilliance of Leading with Difference”. Through this podcast, we explore the most pressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) opportunities, and take a fresh look at how to maximize DE&I with a more progressive approach. 

Through sharing lived experiences, delving into research and best practice, and revealing practical tips, our guests will inspire you to unlock the power of diverse teams.

We believe everyone has a role to play in an organisation’s DE&I narrative. Our BOLD podcast is for executives who understand the importance of culture, fostering inclusion, and creating belonging at work.

If you are inspired by anything you hear, please contact our Head of DE&I for further information. 

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast led by Chika Okeke, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In this episode, Chika touches on the complexity of DE&I by looking at the different subject matters that feed into it, as well as providing four practical steps organisations need to take to ensure they are setting themselves up for success: leadership buy-in, focusing on systems, knowing the reason why, and the importance of keeping it local even when you are a global organisation. Reflecting on the year 2022, Chika incorporates some of her own experiences, whilst touching on insights she’s learned from others along the way. 

Enjoy the episode!

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast led by Chika Okeke, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In this episode, Chika touches on the complexity of DE&I by looking at the different subject matters that feed into it, as well as providing four practical steps organisations need to take to ensure they are setting themselves up for success: leadership buy-in, focusing on systems, knowing the reason why, and the importance of keeping it local even when you are a global organisation. Reflecting on the year 2022, Chika incorporates some of her own experiences, whilst touching on insights she’s learned from others along the way. 

Enjoy the episode!

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast led by Chika Okeke, our Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In this episode, Chika touches on the complexity of DE&I by looking at the different subject matters that feed into it, as well as providing four practical steps organisations need to take to ensure they are setting themselves up for success: leadership buy-in, focusing on systems, knowing the reason why, and the importance of keeping it local even when you are a global organisation. Reflecting on the year 2022, Chika incorporates some of her own experiences, whilst touching on insights she’s learned from others along the way. 

Enjoy the episode!

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast featuring Jatin Patel, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at England Rugby.
 

Jatin is an inclusion, diversity, social equality, and advocacy professional, with over 12 years' experience working across both the private and charity sectors. 

In his current role at England Rugby, he focuses on driving the diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy across four strategic pillars: Game play, fans/followers/partners, employee and board, and game leadership. Prior to joining England Rugby, Jatin worked for the international law firm DLA Piper, and KPMG UK, developing specific expertise in social and racial equality, communication campaigns and public & organisational policy.

In this episode, Jatin explores some of the D&I challenges within sport, with a central focus on social mobility throughout the entire career cycle from entry level to executive leadership. 

Enjoy this insightful episode!

Join us today by listening to our latest podcast featuring Jatin Patel, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at England Rugby.
 

Jatin is an inclusion, diversity, social equality, and advocacy professional, with over 12 years' experience working across both the private and charity sectors. 

In his current role at England Rugby, he focuses on driving the diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy across four strategic pillars: Game play, fans/followers/partners, employee and board, and game leadership. Prior to joining England Rugby, Jatin worked for the international law firm DLA Piper, and KPMG UK, developing specific expertise in social and racial equality, communication campaigns and public & organisational policy.

In this episode, Jatin explores some of the D&I challenges within sport, with a central focus on social mobility throughout the entire career cycle from entry level to executive leadership. 

Enjoy this insightful episode!

Join us today to listen to our podcast featuring inspiring female business leaders and their reflections on what it takes to be the next generation female leader. This podcast features key soundbites from our Women’s History Month Event held on 24th March 2022.

We were joined by 6 inspirational female business leaders who drew upon both their personal and professional experiences to articulate what they believe some of the opportunities are for female leaders today, and of the future. In this episode you will hear key soundbites from:

• Keri-Lynne Shaw – Chief People Officer, The Shade Store
• Annette Bergknut– Chief Human Resources Officer, Diversey
• Karen Bird – Chief Operating Officer, McColl’s
• Célia Pronto – Managing Director, Love Home Swap
• Behnaz Ghahramani – Chief Executive Officer, Brother Vellies
• Stephanie Davis Michelman – Board Advisor at Trinity Health and former Vice President, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

The panellists reflect on the opportunities for women leaders post covid, unlocking new career opportunities for working mothers, and the importance of being your true authentic self at work.

 Enjoy this insightful episode!