BE News is delighted to reveal the line-up of our new DE&I Editorial Advisory Board.
The board features some of the most influential names from across the built environment industry and DE&I landscape, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to join the board and help inform and improve our editorial strategy and events.
The board members are:
- Maria Wiedner, CEO, Cambridge Real Estate Finance
- Paddy Allen, head of operational capital markets, Colliers
- Paul Singh, CFO, EEDN
- Aceil Haddad, founder, MATT Property Consultants
- Dara Jafari, director, MGAC
- Clare Grimes, associate director, GRE Finance
- Sanjeev Patel, managing director, PPP Capital
- Zoe Brooke, founder and chair of the Save Construction initiative
- Debra Yudolph, founder and CEO, SAY Consulting
- Professor Geoff Layer, Coventry University
- Nick Riley, board director, Whittam Cox
- Sanmi Adegoke, CEO, Rehoboth Property International
- Aïsha Butera, strategic social value lead, AtkinsRéalis
- Joshua Bond, founder and MD, Bond Land
- Priya Aggarwal-Shah, founder and director, BAME in Property
- Sarah Chapman, head of public sector bids, Savills
- Kwamena Beecham, architect, Buckley Gray Yeoman
- Katherine Russell, director of BTR, John Lewis Partnership
- Deepa Deb, partner, Watson Farley & Williams
- Violet Pugh, senior manager, marketing communications & content, MTVH
The board aims to meet quarterly and has already had its first meeting, during which issues such as the gender pay gap, social mobility and the shortage of affordable homes was discussed, with board members suggesting we could focus on stories of allyship or explore the many faces of social housing and marginalised communities. This led on to a wider conversation about social value (and the definition thereof), which was also a talking point for the ESG editorial advisory board.
The board is to convene for the second time shortly. If there is anything you would like BE News to put to the board relating to DE&I, please contact editor Liz Hamson at liz@benews.co.uk.
Why we joined the board
Sanjeev Patel, managing director of PPP Capital: “I joined the board due to my personal commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising that while our industry is in the process of change, there is still significant work to be accomplished, and I am hopeful that my board membership can make a difference to this crucial area.”
Aïsha Butera, strategic social value lead at AtkinsRéalis: “To continue to strengthen ED&I in the built environment, ensuring we are building for diverse communities and to encourage the building of social homes supporting an inclusive society”.
Paddy Allen, head of operational capital markets at Colliers: “I’m delighted to be part of the board because I believe it’s important that we have various groups from across the industry championing such a positive and relevant cause, so we can open up opportunities for the benefit of all stakeholders in the built environment.”
Sarah Chapman, head of public sector bids at Savills: “I am a strong advocate for creating diversity, equity, and inclusion in real estate. The DE&I Editorial Advisory Board is essential to ensuring that the different perspectives and experiences of diverse people are not only considered but communicated in the articles that BE News publishes.”
Zoe Brooke, founder and chair of the Save Construction initiative: “It aligns with our SCI mission and campaign, ‘Not just men & muddy boots’, to entice people from all backgrounds/genders to join our industry. I want to be instrumental in changing the EDI narrative. I hope one day we need not reference EDI (I sometimes feel that referencing is discriminating ie. BAME groups, LBGT, and so on). When completing a form, we are asked our ethnicity. How is that not identifying by colour? People are people and their religion, origin, gender, and such like should not matter. I am a huge advocate of inclusion of every kind.”
Dara Jafari, director at MGAC: “My goal is to be as visible as possible to the construction industry and hopefully be a role model to ethnic minorities to join the industry.”
Priya Aggarwal-Shah, founder and director of BAME in Property: “As a comms professional-turned EDI consultant, I have seen first-hand the value of diverse communications and voices in influencing policy and decisions and am passionate about ensuring we have an array of voices reflected across the media we read.”
Professor Geoff Layer, former vice chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton: “I am delighted to join the advisory board as I have spent 40 years working with built environment students in colleges and universities and have always had a major commitment to inclusivity in both the workplace and the classroom. There are many really great examples of inclusive practice and BE News gives us all the opportunity to learn from each other.”
