Expertise rooted in
lived experience

I am The Inclusive Culture Expert. That isn't a job title. It is what I do, how I think, and why I do this work.

The professional

Over the past eight years I have worked with more than 175 organisations and delivered over 350 sessions — from global conferences to intimate leadership away-days, from FTSE 100 firms to public sector bodies, from UK headquarters to international events. The organisations I work with include some of the world's most recognisable names.

Before that, I spent decades in the technology industry — at the sharp end of fast-moving, high-pressure environments where culture, leadership and belonging were life-or-death considerations for team performance. That background shapes everything about how I approach inclusion work: practically, commercially, with the credibility of someone who has lived in the kind of organisations I'm now trying to help.

I am the founder of SEE Change Happen Ltd, a consultancy dedicated to inclusion and belonging. I host Inclusion Bites, a podcast with over 150 episodes exploring inclusion through the stories of practitioners and leaders across every sector. I write regularly for HRZone, The HRD, Training Zone and Worklife PA.

The lived experience

I am a transgender woman. That is not the first thing I say about myself, but it is not something I hide from — and it is central to why this work has the impact it does.

My lived experience of gender transition — navigating workplaces, healthcare, social systems and personal relationships through profound change — gives me a perspective on inclusion that goes beyond what research papers or training frameworks can provide. I understand, at a visceral level, what it feels like when a culture doesn't see you. And I understand, equally, the transformative difference it makes when one does.

That experience is the foundation of my expertise, not the lead message. I bring professional credibility first. The lived experience is the depth behind it.

My approach

I work by the mantra Smile | Engage | Educate. How you say something matters as much as what you say. My sessions are warm, direct and deliberately non-preachy — I don't lecture audiences about what they should believe. I invite them to examine what they actually do, and help them see the gap.

The result is inclusion work that is honest about its complexities, respectful of its audience, and focused relentlessly on practical change rather than theoretical agreement.

I believe in #PositivePeopleExperiences — the simple idea that how we treat each other at work either builds or erodes human dignity. Everything I do is in service of that belief.

Working with Joanne

I work with event organisers, HR and people leaders, CEOs, leadership development teams, speaker bureaus and partner organisations. My speaking calendar fills several months in advance, and I work internationally as well as across the UK.

Every engagement begins with a conversation. I don't take briefs over email and deliver generic content. I want to understand your organisation, your audience and your objective — and build something that works for you specifically.