About Us
Manoj Somasundaram
CEO/Director
Manoj Somasundaram has both academic and professional experience in equality and international development.
Throughout his career he has worked with private, public and third sector organisations, helping organisations comply with legislative requirements and in the promotion of the business case of equality and diversity. His experience includes workforce equality and management, cultural integration and strategic HR planning and support.
Manoj is a member of the International Disability Development Committee (UKDPC) and he has significant experience in International Disability Development. He has been involved in many international development projects, including managing projects and advising NGOs in disability equality.
Chris Underhill
Chair / Director
With regard to disability and mental health, Underhill has founded a number of organisations including Thrive (formerly known as Horticultural Therapy), a UK based charity working with disabled people and medical professionals in horticulture, gardening and agriculture, Action on Disability and Development, a development agency targeting disabled people in the third world, and BasicNeeds, which works with people with mental disorders and their carers in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Lao PDR and Vietnam.
He has also served as chief executive of the Intermediate Technology Development Group (now Practical Action), the charity founded by E.F. Schumacher, author of Small is Beautiful. He went on to found the UK member organization of International Development Enterprises known as IDE UK and he is currently Chair of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.
Regarding leadership notably in the Third Sector he is Member of the Board of Impetus a leader in venture philanthropy in the UK and is the founding Chair and trustee of the Leaders’ Quest Foundation, from 2004-2011. Formerly he was a board member of Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland, the Chair of Action Health which amalgamated with Skillshare International in 2000, Digital Links (retired July 2007), Friends of APD (founder Chair) and Oxfam Chair of Committee for Africa, Staff (HR), and Trustee Role and Council Structure working party whose task was the reorganisation of the Board of Trustees.
Jaspal Dhani
Director – Programmes
He has worked in the disability field for 15 years, both at grass-roots level and senior management level in a strategic capacity. His experience includes organisational development and change management, fundraising, policy development, working with strategic partners to address issues such as housing, independent living, inclusive education, employment, health policy and promoting diversity within services.
Jaspal has held a number of voluntary governance positions within the organisation including the Association of Wheelchair Children and Disability Network Hounslow. He is the current Chairperson of Redbridge Disability Association and a Community Governor of Newbridge School.
Alongside his commitment to promoting inclusion and the rights of disabled people, Jaspal manages and coaches a successful wheelchair basketball club in east London.
Kush Kanodia
Director – Accounts/Fund Raising
He has an MBA, with Distinction, from Kent Business School and was a graduate of the Scope Leadership Programme.Kush has helped pioneer and develop best practices in equality and diversity for a number of large multinational organisations including Lehman Brothers.
Kush has also gained significant experience in both management and leadership whilst being the team leader for the European data operations for Morgan Stanley Capital International.
He also has a special interest in international business and development and has gained first hand expertise in the emerging economies of India and China through his work and study in these respective countries.
Diversity and Inclusion Facilitators and Advisors
Catherine Macadam
Catherine has been coaching and mentoring for the last 5 years and is passionate about helping people to unlock their talents and leave their self-limiting beliefs behind in order to achieve success at and through work. She is qualified to use the internationally recognised Facet5 personality profiling tool and has used this successfully, often together with 360 Degree Feedback reports and observation, to help people understand their personal preferences, comfort zones and career motivators, and how to manage the impact these can have on others. She has coached/mentored the following groups
- managers on a leadership programme
- new graduate trainees
- social work managers on improving supervision
- high-flyers on a development programme
- people facing redeployment
- managers of a failing service
She has recently started working with people who are losing their hearing and are feeling stuck, frustrated, isolated and losing confidence in their ability to be successful in their chosen field of work, because of the impact of their hearing loss. She has also worked with people with other disabilities who are in similar situations, perhaps facing a decision about whether/when or how to disclose their disability to their employer or prospective employer.
Edwin Addis
An Equality and Diversity (E&D) specialist with more than 10 years’ experience in delivering E&D training and mainstreaming equality and diversity within the learning and skills and business support sectors. Experienced in contract and project management (PRINCE methodology) and working with senior managers/E&D champions on compiling equality impact assessments and implementing Learning and Development strategies. Currently working as Equality and Diversity trainer and consultant and studying for MBA at Open University. Edwin is also a member of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners (IEDP).
Imran Ali
Imran is interested in the arts and literature and has spent a great portion of his life learning about media production, communications, and cultural criticism. He has worked for a number of organisations; the Department for Work and Pensions, Newham Council, The Shaw Trust, The BBC, and Bell Pottinger Health. He is currently working part-time at the University of East London, and spends most of his time developing his writing projects and music. Imran has served as a member of the Newham Disability Reps Forum, and likes to be involved in consultations where public bodies choose to engage the public for their input because he believes he can offer some useful insight and perspective, having practical experience of disability, and having worked with people who are affected by it.
Millicent Grant
Millicent Grant is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives with extensive experience in the public and business sectors. She worked as an employment lawyer in the public sector for over 8 years, dealing with complex employment tribunal claims, assisting the organisation with Equality Impact Assessments, policies and procedures and advising on a wide range of employment and equality and diversity issues.
Millicent regularly delivers training to managers and business owners on equality issues, including the provisions and implications of the Equality Act 2010. She is an experienced manager and coach with extensive expertise in the area of Equality and Diversity and dealing with the issues that arise within a multi-ethnic and otherwise diverse workforce.
Millicent has a Masters Degree in Business Law, a Post Graduate Certificate in Management, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a member of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners. She is also an associate of SOLACE Enterprises. (The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and strategic senior managers working in local government).
Gwenneth Marshall
Gwenneth is an equality specialist with over ten years of management, consultancy and research experience. She has carried out equality consultancies across the adult education and work based learning sectors. She has practitioner experience in designing and delivering equality curricula in vocational and academic settings and is a published researcher.
In 2008, Gwenneth completed a substantial university and Arts Council England funded research project that considered the dynamics of exclusionary practice in regeneration, regional development and local development processes. Gwenneth is a Director of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Professionals and a Learning and Skills Network Associate Consultant. She recently started her own company, Equality Specialist Ltd, which focuses on helping organisations to build equality cultures through strategic equality development planning, training and mentoring.
Gwenneth has a first class honours degree in culture and society, a Masters degree in interdisciplinary gender studies, and a post-graduate teaching certificate in the education of adults.
Laura Woodward
Laura has been working as an Equality Training consultant for the past ten years. Her specialist area is Adult Social Care post 16, delivering equality training to disabled people, Social workers, Teachers, Nurses volunteers and other organisations. Her career path as a Disability Equality Trainer was developed through starting as a volunteer and qualifying in volunteer management during 1995/96. She followed on as an advocate on behalf of people with mental health and Learning difficulty, in the London Borough of Redbridge and Newham, DRC.
Laura has been involved in campaigning for and on behalf of disabled people’s rights for twenty years, which is continuous and within a voluntary capacity. She has worked extensively over the past 20 years for disabled people and their organisations.
Laura’s key skills include Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, learners 16 yrs upwards. Specialist subjects include; Disability Equality & Diversity within Health & Social Care NVQ Level 1.2.3, 4, 5. Developing training products, schemes of work in Disability Equality & Diversity at both national and local level, policies and practices within Health and Social Care.
Shelagh Prosser
An established equality and diversity practitioner with nearly 20 years’experience. Prior to becoming an independent consultant, she held senior equality and diversity posts in the Civil Service, the BBC and the transport industry. As a consultant she has worked with public, private and third sector clients.
Shelagh is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development , Vice Chair of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners and a trustee for two charities, ‘Women and Manual Trades’ (a national membership body supporting women working in construction industry) and ‘Border Crossings’ (a cross cultural arts company).
Shelagh has a degree in humanities and postgraduate qualifications in careers guidance Roderick is a professional and friendly advisor, tribunal representative and trainer. His specialist areas include: disability benefits advice, disability rights, detailed knowledge of social security and equalities legislation, especially Disability Discrimination Act.
Shelagh has a degree in humanities and postgraduate qualifications in careers guidance, and human resource management and training.
Roderick Slorach
Roderick is a professional and friendly advisor, tribunal representative and trainer. His specialist areas include: disability benefits advice, disability rights, detailed knowledge of social security and equalities legislation, especially Disability Discrimination Act.
Barry Hayward
Barry is a disability equality Trainer and practitioner in higher education and employment support. Barry is currently the Disability Coordinator at Goldsmiths University, London, leading the Disability Team there. He has previously worked for Employ-Ability and Scope where he ran the Leadership Recruitment Programme.
Chiatulah Ameke
For 11 years Chiatulah’s Equality and Diversity courses have helped thousands of staff nationally in key organisations, improving service delivery using a uniquely dynamic and empowering methodology.Senior managerial clients repeatedly confirm his ability to develop and enhance practical skills and confidence across the spectrum of Equality and Diversity. His reputation for consistently delivering exceptional results within challenging environments is grounded in common sense,humour and hard won knowledge. Chiatulah has particular expertise in addressing organisational culture with innovative and highly influential strategies.
