GEFFRYE PARSONS
Making the world a more inclusive place, one organisation
at a time.
About The Inclusion Imperative
The Inclusion Imperative is an independent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) consultancy organisation based in Vancouver (Canada, where it is certifed as a Diverse Supplier by Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, the CGLCC), but also covering the UK and the US.
The Inclusion Imperative specialises in working with (primarily commercial) organisations to help them:
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build leadership capabilities; and
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progress their inclusion journeys and credentials, harnessing its power of as a key differentiator for organisational and individual learning, wellbeing and superior business outcomes.
Its Founder and CEO ("Chief Empathy Officer"), Geffrye Parsons (he/him) is widely regarded as an agitator, constructive disruptor, thought leader and driver of positive change for workplace inclusion. Through a holistic, intersectional approach, Geff (as he is better known) challenges received wisdom and practices to facilitate culture shift and business learning.
What sets Geff apart is that, unlike most DE&I practitioners, he does not stop at theory; instead, he brings the benefit of a practical perspective to his work. This is the product of combined the value-adding effects of what Geff did professionally prior to launching The Inclusion Imperative in early 2022 - and in particular:
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the 35 years he spent in successful front office executive roles, based in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Netherlands, working for leading international financial and professional services organisations; and
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the decade or so at the end of that time during which Geff became a renowned and very active changemaker in the DE&I space, initially through his lived experience as an LGBTQ+ executive (leading his former employer, Macquarie, to #1 in the annual Stonewall rankings in 2022) and subsequently on a fully intersectional basis - which activities earned him accolades from the likes of the Financial Times, the Guardian, the British LGBT Awards and the PinkNews Awards.
Services now delivered by Geff include:
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Speaking – keynotes, panels and interviews (including chairing and moderating)
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Training / workshops – on a bespoke, targeted basis
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Leadership development – training and coaching of executives and people managers
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Mentoring – mainly for future leaders
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Consulting / diagnostics – for example, on policies, workplace practices and systems
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Content generation – thought leadership articles, blogs and posts; for example, Geff is designated as a ‘Top Voice’ by LinkedIn for each of Leadership, Culture Change and Executive Management, and is a regular op-ed contributor to CXO Magazine
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Strategic guidance on matters such as:
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management / optimisation of Diversity Committees, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and DE&I infrastructure
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optimising submissions for benchmarks, indices and awards
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impactful events and communications campaigns.
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More about Geff
Alongside his prior career as a Managing Director in financial services and now running The Inclusion Imperative, Geff holds or has held multiple other roles which further support and inform his capabilities in promoting inclusive workplace practices.
These include:
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as a TRUSTEE of:
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GiveOut – which facilitates charitable giving to LGBTQ+ activist organisations
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Diversity Role Models – an anti-bullying charity
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London Village Network – a charity seeking to empower under-privileged young people to fulfil their potential
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as an ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER of:
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Voda (Advisory Board member) – which supports mental health and wellbeing
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Career Accelerator (Advisory Board member) – which supports young people from diverse backgrounds prepare for professional careers
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as BOARD DIRECTOR of:
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Pride in Tennis (Board Member and Treasurer) – which promotes inclusion in and through sports
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- as a stewardship COMMITTEE MEMBER of:
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Open for Business (Finance Committee) – which espouses the rationale for inclusive workplace practices
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Pride at Work Canada (Thought Leadership committee) – which encourages the building of inclusive workplaces
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- as a JUDGE of:
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the Diversity Network Awards
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the British LGBT Awards
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the PinkNews Awards
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the Queer Student Awards.
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