Join us for the next of our Great Debate series, taking place 13:00 – 14:00 on Thursday 30 April 2026.
This session will explore what meaningful leadership in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion truly looks like today, and who is setting the pace for real change within our organisations.
Our panel will discuss leadership approaches to EDI, bringing experience across race and gender equality, as well as leadership in the recruitment and retention of a vibrant, diverse workforce.
We’re excited to welcome outstanding contributors to the debate, hosted by Joanna Davies, including:
- Antonia Reed, Head of People Services & Transformation, St John Ambulance
- Marcus Riddell FCIPD, Chief People Officer, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
- Olivia Parrish, Chief People Officer at Gerald Edelman, Coach & Facilitator
Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more about our speakers and some of the key questions we’ll be exploring.
You can register here: The Great Debate – Who’s really leading when it comes to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Antonia Reed
Antonia Reed is a people‑first leader with a passion for contributing to and leading where colleagues and volunteers feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.
As Head of People Services & Transformation at St John Ambulance, she leads a dynamic team overseeing Operational HR, People Strategy, Talent Acquisition, as well as Recognition and Reward to drive meaningful change across the charity. With experience across the not‑for‑profit sector, manufacturing, as well as the Royal Air Force, Antonia strives to bring calm, modern approach leadership, and a genuine commitment to improving the everyday experience of people at work.
Recognised on the CIPD HR30 list and as a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Antonia mentors emerging HR leaders as well as serves on the Board of Sands. She’s energised by conversations about culture, leadership, and transformation, and when she’s not at work, you’ll usually find her lacing up her running shoes, enjoying a good podcast, or relaxing over a coffee with her head buried in a book.
Marcus Riddell
Marcus is Chief People Officer at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. Before this, he was Interim Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief People Officer at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Before joining Essex Partnership, he was Director for Strategic Partnerships at NHS Professionals, following roles at NHS England and NHS Improvement. Alongside serving as Head of Equality and Inclusion – Evidence and Policy, Marcus also led the Covid-19 Risk Assessment Delivery Unit during the pandemic and work to increase staff Covid-19 vaccination uptake.
Earlier in healthcare, Marcus focused on temporary staffing and supply at the Department of Health and Social Care and later NHS Improvement from 2017 to 2020.
Marcus began his career in 2006 at the Department of Communities and Local Government, later holding Private Office roles for Labour and Conservative Ministers, before moving to the Ministry of Defence and then the Home Office.
He is former Chairman of Kori, a charity supporting disadvantaged children from predominantly BAME and low income backgrounds.
Olivia Parrish
Olivia is passionate about how businesses unlock the potential in their people to achieve commercial success. She is a curious and passionate Organisational Design specialist with broad HR and L&D experience in the UK and US across professional services, engineering, private healthcare, hospitality and the public sector.
As a Coach, Mentor and Facilitator, Olivia brings clarity to individual, team and organisational challenges, creating momentum and aligning solutions to required outcomes with imagination, a supportive approach and a genuine interest in people.
Most recently, Olivia has worked as a commercially focused HR Director with broad HR, L&D and Organisational Development experience across a variety of sectors, adapting easily to new industry environments. Having worked in large international businesses and SMEs, she knows that people challenges and opportunities are fundamentally the same, and her style is both firm and empathetic.
