Building Inclusive Cultures for Real

Why DEI isn't just a nice-to-have, and what most businesses are getting wrong

I was recently invited on the Business Matters Podcast with Karl Fitzpatrick to discuss something I've spent my entire career working towards: true, transformative inclusion in the workplace.

Not just the optics. Not the tick-box stuff.

The real, human, business-critical work of building inclusive cultures that actually work.

This conversation meant a lot. Here's a summary of what we discussed, because I believe these insights aren't just useful but necessary.

Where it really started for me

When people ask how I got into DEI, the truth is it's always been part of me.

Speaking on the Business Matters Podcast, I told Karl Fitzpatrick:

"I have a really strong value in relation to fairness… how do we ensure that every individual, regardless of their background or how they come to the organisation, has the opportunity to fulfil their potential?"

I've always had a visceral response to unfairness. It's something I feel, not just think about. As I moved through roles in HR, learning and development, and talent management, I saw how often the same people were left behind. Overlooked. Underestimated.

That's when it clicked.

We're building broken systems if we don't design workplaces for everyone to succeed.

In my previous role, I led DEI for State Street across Europe and Africa. That meant working across 14 countries and 12,000 employees.

And what most companies don't realise is this: your diversity strategy can't be cut and pasted from one region to another.

The way we talk about race in the US? It doesn't translate to Poland or Italy. Conversations around inclusion in Ireland? They land differently in South Africa.

You must understand the local context or miss the mark entirely.

One of the initiatives I'm most proud of was a global LGBT+ allyship programme. Not an easy thing to roll out across culturally diverse regions. But we made it work by anchoring it in inclusion and asking one question:

What role does everyone have to play in creating a culture of belonging?

That mindset shifted everything.

Sometimes, it's about ensuring the people there feel safe, seen, and heard.

And that's where I come in. I help businesses find their footing. After years of leading global DEI work, I now bring that perspective to Irish businesses because no one else is doing it quite like this.

I work with leadership teams to determine what's working and what's not and how to build a strategy that fits their business. Not someone else's template. Theirs.

We start with inclusion, always.

When people feel safe speaking up, you unlock innovation. That's when you reduce risk. That's when real change happens.

Speaking on the Business Matters Podcast, I told Karl Fitzpatrick:

"If we've got a really inclusive culture, people are willing to speak, and they will share with you the things they think you don't want to hear… From a compliance, innovation, and health and safety perspective, your business is more competitive."

Inclusion isn't fluffy. It's strategic. And when you do it right, it gives you an edge.

This work isn't just what I do; it's what I know.

Listen to the full podcast recording on Spotify HERE 

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