The allyship recognition award shines a light on the work and support given to women by our allies and will be presented at The Baton Awards 2024 in London.

To help recognise our wonderful allies we need your votes to support the judges in their review to spotlight our incredible allies who are making sustained and much needed changes advocating for women from diverse racial groups.

Cast your vote on the next page (you can only vote for one ally)

Please see our five amazing allies and their bios below.

To vote click Next at the end of this page.

PROFESSOR PAUL MORRISON
Education Lead at Zoom | Global Award Winner | UWS Professor & Advisory Board Chair | Founder of iD2i | Elevate Africa Global Ambassador | Angel Investor

Professor Paul is a globally recognised leader in education technology and a dedicated advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). As the UK&I Education Lead for Zoom, he helps educational institutions leverage technology to drive innovation in blended, hybrid, and digital learning environments.

Paul is the founder of Idare2inspire, a program that has elevated the aspirations of thousands of young people. His impactful work through this initiative earned him global recognition, and he was recently appointed Global Ambassador to Elevate Africa founded by His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR, and Her Royal Majesty, Olori Atuwatse III.

In addition to his role as Chair of the Professional Advisory Board, Paul is a professor at the University of the West of Scotland. He has spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives and mentored key figures, including the Special Advisor to a former Prime Minister. Paul’s leadership continues to inspire transformative change and foster innovation across the education sector.

Paul is deeply passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and believes that everyone deserves equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. EDI is not just about policies; it’s about creating environments where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. Through his work in education and leadership, Paul has seen firsthand how fostering inclusivity can transform lives and drive innovation. By championing EDI, Paul aims to break down barriers and ensure that everyone has the chance to contribute and thrive in our society.

RICHARD DENETTO
Race Equity Campaigner

Richard  is  the  CEO  for  Change  the  Race  Ratio,  the  UKs  leading  business  campaign  to  accelerate  racial  and  ethnic  minority  representation  on  boards  and  in  executive  teams.   Richard  is  responsible  for  leading  the  strategic  direction  of  the  organisation  and  manages  the  organisations  engagement  with  key  stakeholders.   Richard  leads  a  team  responsible  for  supporting  businesses  to  increase  diversity  of  their  leadership  teams  through  the  development  of  a  successful  event  series,  practical  guides  and  reports.  

Richard  has  a  strong  track  record  of  leading  businesses  that  provide  career  and  professional  development  for  business  leaders  and  senior  ED&I  and  HR  professionals.   Richard  led  the  CBI’ s  business  engagement  work  on  the  Future  of  Work,  he  was  a  director  in  a  boutique  staffing  firm  and  the  CIPD’ s  Chair  for  Cambridgeshire  and  an  Executive  Officer  for  CIPD  Mid  and  North  Anglia.

He is passionate  about  ED&I  and believes  everyone  deserves  the  chance  to  achieve  their  full  potential,  for  this  to  be  a  reality  the  workplace  needs  to  change  and  adapt  to  ensure  all  talent  can  thrive.   One  powerful  yet  simple  change  is  to  be  an  active  ally  to  speak  up  for  people  who  are  not  heard  or  not  present  in  rooms  where  key  decisions  are  made.

SAL NASEEM FRSA 
Award-Winning Policing & Inclusive Culture Expert | LinkedIn Top Voice | International Keynote Speaker | Fellow | Ambassador | Strategic Advisor | Trustee | Guest Lecturer | Diversity Power List 23/24

Sal Naseem is the former Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct, where he spent a decade working in the police accountability framework in England and Wales. Sal is currently Assistant Director of Insight, Policy & Strategy, a Senior Associate Fellow at The Police Foundation and an independent panel member at the National Fire Chiefs Council, supporting their work on culture and inclusion and a Trustee at the Centre for Justice Innovation.

He has been recognised as one of the top 10 voices in the world on discrimination on LinkedIn by Favikon in 2024. Honoured as one of the 50 most influential people driving change in the UK through inclusion in the Diversity Power List 2023/2024. Recognised as one of the most inspirational leaders on inclusion by D&I Leaders 2024.

Sal is passionate in his advocacy against male violence against women and girls (MVAWG) because he have sadly seen too many victims through his former role in the criminal justice system. The consequences for women as a result of the actions of men. I believe all men have a responsibility to change and be part of the change needed on this issue, and he uses his own experience of driving systemic change to voice these issues on the platform that he has, as best as he can. As a person of colour, Sal is also very aware of how the issue of racism intersects with MVAWG and consciously highlights this whenever he can.

TUNJI AKINTOKUN MBE CCMI 

Senior Director, Head of Enterprise Solutions, UK and Ireland, LinkedIn I SID, England Athletics I Patron, autism charity CASPA I Trustee, Ilesha Trust and Personal Best Foundation

Tunji Akintokun is a passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), driven by his personal journey and extensive career in the technology and business sectors. With a distinguished leadership background, Tunji has consistently championed the value of diverse perspectives in driving innovation, collaboration, and success in workplace having worked with over 50 blue chip organisations.

His commitment to creating inclusive spaces extends beyond his professional role, as he actively mentors and supports underrepresented groups, fostering opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, and young professionals to thrive through social enterprises he has founded and his Ilesha Charitable Trust. Recognised for his work, Tunji’s dedication to DEI reflects his belief that inclusive workplaces are essential for societal progress and business excellence.

WARREN STAPLEY
Award-winning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategist | Lawyer | Keynote Speaker | Anti-Racism | Anti-Oppression | Mental Health Advocate | LGBTQ+ | Director | Charity Trustee | Disabled (D/deaf)

Warren  is  an  award- winning  DEI  strategist  who  believes  anti- racism  and  the  collective  dismantling  of  white  supremacy  is  at  the  very  core  of  equity  work.   Warren  believes  the  goal  of  DEI,  beyond  organisational  justice,  is  collective  liberation.   A  liberation  that  entails  standing  against  oppression  in  all  forms,  building  trust  and  recognising  safety  in  solidarity.

Warren  openly  admits  to  having  made  every  mistake  in  DEI “ at  least  twice”,  but  thankfully  knows  being  an ‘ ally’  is  not  an  identity,  but  a  responsibility.   A  responsibility  that  requires  us  to  understand  our  positionality  in  the  work  we  do –  and  to  keep  showing  up  for  each  other  in  mutual  aid,  as  when  it  comes  to  dismantling  harmful  systems,  everyone’ s  contribution  is  needed.   

Before  his  dedicated  DEI  career,  Warren  was  a  corporate  finance  solicitor  and  today  is  also  a  Mental  Health  First  Aider  and  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Arts,  Manufactures  and  Commerce.  Warren  is  also  currently  a  Trustee  for  Disability  Action  in  Islington,  supporting  disabled  people  and  parents/ carers  of  disabled  children  living,  working  or  studying  in  London. 

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