Speakers to address business impact of unconscious bias

Chief Cons Curran

SPEAKERS at a Humber Business Week event will look behind the scenes at some of the biggest organisations in the region to study the impact of unconscious bias on diversity and inclusivity at work.

Dan Simpson, who is a member of the Siemens Global Talent Team, Justine Curran, Chief Constable of Humberside Police, and Clare Crowther, executive coach and owner of Your New Horizon, will come together at The Deep on Thursday 9 June to discuss “Unconscious Bias – How Does It Affect Your Business?”

The event is part of the Hull Businesswomen’s Breakfast Club programme of meetings but is open to all free of charge with the support of sponsors The Deep Business Centre.

Freya Cross, Chair of the Breakfast Club and Business and Corporate Manager at The Deep, said whilst the subject of bias in the workplace may strike a chord with many businesswomen, the aim of the session is to take a much broader view.

Dan Simpson began his career with Sainsbury’s in 1998. He joined Siemens in 2004 and is now responsible for the company’s people and leadership development across Europe. Justine Curran is a University of Hull graduate who was appointed to the top job in Humberside Police in 2013 having previously worked in England and Scotland in roles including counter terrorism and local policing. Brough-based Clare Crowther set up Your New Horizon in 1993 having started her career at BAe Systems and worked as a management consultant at PwC.

Freya said: “The Breakfast Club is more to do with providing support, mentoring and friendships between like-minded individuals and it is through the strength of our network that we have recognised that diversity and inclusivity are threatened by bias. Some of that may be completely sub-conscious and the result of things over which a person has no control, such as background and upbringing.

“It will be interesting to hear about the experiences of our speakers in their working environments as there is potential to cause great damage to business relationships by saying or doing the wrong thing inadvertently.”

“Unconscious Bias – How Does It Affect Your Business?” will take place at The Deep at 7.45am on Thursday 9 June. Admission is free and includes breakfast. Booking is available through the Humber Business Week website at http://www.humberbusinessweek.co.uk/events/104