Expertise rooted in
lived experience
I didn't arrive at this work through a career plan. I arrived through a life.
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 over two decades in IT and STEM — serving in the Royal Air Force and running my own successful technology businesses — at the sharp end of fast-moving, high-pressure environments where culture, leadership and belonging decided how teams performed. That genuine technical grounding shapes everything about how I approach inclusion work, and it's why my newest work — on the human side of AI in the workplace — lands with leaders: I understand what's actually under the bonnet, and I'm still hands-on with the technology today.
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. It isn't the first thing I say about myself, and it isn't the lead message — I bring professional credibility first. But it is the depth behind the work: my lived experience of navigating workplaces, systems and relationships through profound change gives me a perspective on inclusion that no research paper or training framework can replicate.
I understand, at a visceral level, what it feels like when a culture doesn't see you — and the transformative difference it makes when one does.
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.
What clients say
The impact in their words
Ready to work together?
Let's have a conversation
Every engagement starts with understanding your brief. Tell me about your event and I'll tell you how I can help.