Taking place on October 9th and 10th at the Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire, this year’s Annual BMA Industry Conference theme is Renewed and Resilient, and day two will host two expert speakers discussing resilience through diversity.
We are delighted that Patrick Ricketts and Kanthi Ford will join us at noon on Tuesday, October 10th to explain how to remain resilient by embracing diversity within your organisation.
Diversity in the workplace is essential to any business, regardless of industry. In particular, male-dominated sectors like bathroom manufacturing and retail have been typically slower to embrace diversity when it comes to having representation at higher levels, such as managers or directors. In addition, HR departments should ensure that their workplace is free from discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, age, race or other protected characteristics.
Resilience through diversity
Embracing diversity will benefit businesses in our sector by creating a diverse pool of ideas and perspectives that can help drive innovation and solutions. Improved decision-making capabilities will enable businesses to stay ahead of the competition in an increasingly competitive market.
Kanthi Ford
An international coach and facilitator of business leadership and transformation, Kanthi Ford has spent 25 years working globally in more than 30 countries, managing organisational restructuring, leadership, development, and cultural transformation. The change levers she focuses on are Diversity, Equity and inclusion (DEI) and principles for Safety, Health, Environment and Wellbeing (SHEW).
She has held Executive roles and worked with international stakeholders at all levels, facilitating substantial and sustained improvements in organisational behaviours and performance. This is through living the experience (being the change) as well as working through strategic intent and business culture by challenging its people’s thinking. Over time she has set up Joint Ventures and led businesses in Asia, South America and Europe.
Born in Surrey, UK, she attended school in the UK, Sri Lanka and North Wales. Starting her TV production career in British television, she worked as a commercial producer and copywriter in advertising for multiple agencies before setting up her public relations and communications business in the 1990s. Later she worked for energy and telecoms companies before joining a variety of change consultancies. She speaks regularly on DEI and SHEW topics.
Patrick Ricketts
Patrick Ricketts is an accomplished Director, having spent 25 years in the UK, working across Ireland and Northern Europe in commercial and operational leadership roles restructuring businesses for sustainable growth. As an experienced Non-Executive Director, he uses his experiences and perspective to scrutinise, challenge and support executive teams in strategy, execution and supporting their journeys on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
He collaborates with all stakeholders to improve operational effectiveness, relationship management, and service delivery. He encourages people with diverse backgrounds and experiences into businesses to offer new ways of thinking.
Born in the UK to Caribbean parents in the 1960s, Patrick went to school in Birmingham’s inner city. He started his career as an apprentice toolmaker qualifying as a bench fitter designing and making press tools. He moved on to production management in the manufacturing sector before moving to the service sector in the early 1990s. He started as a management trainee ending up as UK Board Director for 20 years, managing multiple factories across the UK and subsequently spent two years in the construction sector.
To book your place and to learn more about the full agenda, please visit our BMA Industry Conference 2023 page.