Rethinking talent, teams and the power of difference.
They could have called it “The Talent Panel” and left it there. But what unfolded on the Elite Business Live stage was far more than a conversation about hiring well or building strong teams. It was a masterclass in modern leadership and a reality check.
The panel tackled the topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) with intelligence, urgency and crucially authenticity. And in doing so, they made something that’s often labelled as “dry” or “woke” feel deeply human, practical and absolutely essential for business success.
Who’s Who on the Panel:
- Af Malhotra, founder of Diversity Economics and co-founder of Tech India
- Judith Germain, award-winning leadership consultant and founder of The Maverick Paradox
- Christian Byfield, co-founder of The Depository
- Rachel Morgan-Trimmer, neurodiversity consultant and founder of Firebird
- Alex Partridge, founder of UNILAD and host of ADHD Chatter (joining remotely)
Together, they offered a panoramic view of what DEI really means in boardrooms, hiring processes, remote working environments and across our personal biases.
“Inclusion is not a side topic, it’s the whole table.”
The discussion opened with a challenge to the idea that DEI is dull, a notion that, as Rachel Morgan-Trimmer pointed out, often comes from poor delivery. “If people think inclusion is dry and dull, then I’m sorry for them. Because those trying to educate you weren’t being inclusive themselves,” she said. “Inclusion should be fun, interesting, and empowering.”
Judith Germain echoed the same sentiment with punch: “If you can only have empathy for something you’ve personally lived through, that’s not empathy, that’s self-interest. And who wants to work with a self-interested leader?”
And Christian Byfield? He offered a practical illustration of DEI done right, not because it was policy, but because it made business sense. “When I started my first business, my co-founder was a woman who is part of the LGBTQ community. I didn’t pick her for diversity optics. I picked her because she brought a different skillset and attitude to the table. If you’ve got ten identical people patting each other on the back, that’s the most boring meeting imaginable.”
Diversity drives performance and profit
This wasn’t a session about political correctness. It was about performance. As Christian put it, “If you strip out all the politics and look just at the data across all sizes and sectors, diverse businesses are more profitable, more robust, and adapt faster.”
So why, then, the sudden DEI backlash in global headlines?
The panel didn’t shy away from this “elephant in the room.” As moderator Ollie noted, recent political shifts have seen some of the world’s largest companies scale back their DEI efforts. But the panel saw this as a pendulum, not a reversal.
Af Malhotra explained: “This is politics, and politics is about cycles. The DEI music was loud for the last few years, and now the volume is down. But that doesn’t mean the song is over.”
He pointed out that while some companies are rebranding their efforts under different language, like “employee empowerment” or “talent wellbeing”, the core values remain. “DEI was always about employee engagement. It was always about people feeling like they belong.”
Rachel added perspective: “This kind of backlash is part of the process. We’ve seen it before with civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. It’s frustrating, but it’s also familiar. I believe it will pass.”
Talent, not tolerance
If there was one thread that truly lit up the conversation, it was neurodiversity, with Rachel and Alex leading the charge.
Rachel made a compelling case: “Neurodivergent people are the only skills-based marginalised group. When you bring them in, you’re not just ticking a box, you’re unlocking deep, valuable talent.” She stressed that inclusive hiring practices, from simplified job descriptions to accessible interview formats, don’t just help neurodivergent candidates; they improve outcomes for everyone.
“It’s not enough to put a line at the bottom of a job ad saying ‘we welcome diverse applicants’. You need to show it. Use videos, share what your culture is really like, and provide example questions. Make inclusion visible.”
Alex, speaking remotely, delivered perhaps the most poignant insight of the panel. “ADHD isn’t just about forgetfulness or being disorganised,” he said. “It’s about the lifetime impact of not understanding why you’re different. About masking your personality to be palatable. About overcommitting, people-pleasing, and burnout. Inclusion means seeing the human behind the diagnosis.”
Leading inclusively in real life
The panel also discussed the practicalities of building inclusive cultures, especially in a post-office, remote-first world.
Af shared that at Diversity Economics, they’ve ditched the office and gone virtual, but kept culture alive through intentional systems. “We have something called ‘The DE Way’. A simple two-page charter with values like listening, a growth mindset, and not interrupting. And every two weeks, we do peer recognition, even for freelancers.”
His key message? “Freelancers are the future of the gig economy. Leaders aren’t trained for this yet – but we need to be.”
From the classroom to the boardroom
Towards the end, an audience member asked a critical question: how can we ensure the next generation of leaders to today’s students are raised with inclusion at their core?
Alex didn’t sugar-coat his answer. “Schools can be trauma factories for neurodivergent kids,” he said. “There’s goodwill, but not enough budget or resources. I had my first panic attack at six. If someone had joined the dots between how I was in school and who I was at home, everything could have changed.”
Judith added: “There’s lots of awareness now, posters, campaigns, but when it comes to actual support? Often, you still need a diagnosis to access help. And many kids fall through that gap.”
Af closed the loop: “We can’t just look to teachers. Parents need to raise their game too. Education begins at home.”
Belonging is the future of business
There was no grandstanding or jargon here, just a room full of people who care deeply about making workplaces not only fairer, but stronger, more human, and ultimately more successful.
As Judith reminded us: “Your language matters. Diverse candidates, especially neurodivergent ones, are hyper-vigilant. They’ll notice the words you use, the images in your videos, and the tone of your website. So, mean what you say and say what you mean.”
Rachel’s final sentiment will have stayed with many of the audience members:
“I can teach you everything about neurodiversity. But I can’t teach you to care. That has to come from you.”
The good news? It felt like everyone in the room already did.
