REG Connect 2025: The Future of Racial Equity in Business

Emile Heskey is a former England international footballer with a career spanning two decades at top clubs including Leicester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa. Known for his teamwork, resilience, and leadership on and off the pitch, Heskey brings a unique perspective to conversations around racial equity. Drawing from his lived experience in elite sport, he explores the parallels between sport and business—highlighting the importance of inclusion, allyship, and opportunity.

Since retiring, Heskey has become a vocal advocate for diversity in football and beyond, using his platform to challenge inequality and inspire change across industries and communities.

Tash Pennant is a dynamic strategic advisor, connector and speaker with many years of cross-sector experience, known for her infectious energy and transformational insight. Dubbed “The Connector,” she blends credibility with charisma, offering practical strategies on leadership, networking, and navigating systems for real change. A trusted advisor to business leaders, Tash has delivered keynotes for National Grid, NatWest, and the British Embassy, leaving audiences informed, inspired, and always reaching for their notebooks to capture her insights.

Zahoor Ahmad is Group Head of Social Mobility, Inclusion and Belonging for the Co-op group with over two decades of experience in equality, diversity and inclusion practice garnered across and range of industries, including the public, private and charitable sectors. He currently serves as a member of the Co-op Group’s Exec Board.

As a graduate of psychology, he fosters a behavioural approach, and has been instrumental in pioneering approaches to tackling non-inclusive behaviours and structural inequalities. He has led D&I teams in the MoD, the finance sector, the emergency services and the charitable sector. He has worked in a wide range of multi-agency environments collaborating and leading programmes across education, health and early careers. He is a specialist inclusive coach and mentor, and frequent keynote speaker on topics ranging from socio-economic inequality to re-imagining inclusive leadership.

Professor Monder Ram OBE is the Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME). He is a leading authority on small business and ethnic minority entrepreneurship research and has published widely on the subject, and has extensive experience of working in and acting as a consultant to small and ethnic minority businesses. Monder is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences, and advises the government on the importance and value of ethnic minority businesses through his position on the APPG for BAME Business Owners. He also holds visiting positions at Warwick University and the University of Turku.

Reshma, Managing Director of Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK), leads in promoting inclusive procurement, working with global corporates, public sector organisations and entrepreneurs. Her leadership at MSDUK embodies her deep commitment to equitable and inclusive procurement.

As a former Corporate Lawyer and Business Leader, Reshma’s expertise in business growth/procurement is matched by her deep understanding of the challenges faced by diverse businesses. She is passionate about developing strategies that empower these businesses to thrive in competitive markets.

Reshma has extensive experience in and regularly speaks about Entrepreneurship, Business Growth, and Inclusive Procurement globally. Her work has been featured on mainstream television and in major tabloids.

Recognised as an award winning business leader and the ‘Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech’, Reshma Sheikh is a powerful advocate for inclusion, blending business acumen with a commitment to social responsibility on both the UK and global stages.

Ngozi Weller is a strategic leadership advisor and Director at Aurora, a leadership and organisational effectiveness consultancy. She works with senior leaders, executive teams, and boards to strengthen leadership judgement, decision-making, and organisational systems in complex environments. With over 20 years’ experience across corporate and advisory roles, including senior leadership at
ExxonMobil, Ngozi brings a calm, rigorous approach to leadership behaviour, governance, and organisational design, supporting leaders to act with clarity, accountability, and consistency over time.

Wayne Bennett is a Founder and Director of Made4Tech Global, a technology recruitment consultancy specialising in recruiting professionals within the Technology, Business Change & Transformation markets. Worked in recruitment for nearly 30 years, his experience in the industry encompasses, Marketing, Finance and Technology (23 years) discipline.

Recruiting within the Technology space, Wayne has witnessed the change within the industry, encouraging him to advocate for female and diverse leadership and advise businesses on effective inclusion strategies in his role. Wayne has worked with organisations ranging from major corporates, SMEs, and technology-led start-ups, giving him exposure to placing professionals in positions ranging from senior management to “hands on” technical roles.

As Co-Chief Executive of pro-manchester, Nicola leads on commercial performance and the ongoing development of the organisation as Greater Manchester’s growth network.

With a strong commercial focus, Nicola is responsible for driving efficiency, improving how the organisation works and identifying opportunities that support sustainable business growth. She plays a key role in turning strategy into action, helping pro-manchester respond to the pace and ambition of its members with clarity and purpose.

Together with co-CEO Sam Booth, Nicola represents a modern, collaborative approach to leadership. Their partnership challenges the traditional idea of leadership at the top being held by one person alone, replacing it with a model built on shared responsibility, mutual support and complementary strengths. It is an approach that reflects both pro-manchester’s values and the spirit of Greater Manchester: ambitious, connected and stronger together.

Nicola has a strong background in event and project management, having led departments both within agencies and in-house at Travel Counsellors. She has been part of pro-manchester for over 15 years and has played an important role in its continued growth. Well established within the Manchester business community, Nicola is passionate about bringing businesses together across the city region.

Sam Booth is Co-Chief Exec of pro-manchester, the growth network that brings together ambitious businesses across Greater Manchester to connect, develop and shape the future of the city region.

Sam leads the organisation’s outward-facing agenda, building strong relationships across the region and working closely with partners, members and stakeholders to understand where the biggest opportunities are for business. She brings an external perspective to pro-manchester’s work, helping to identify what matters now, where momentum is building, and how the organisation can create the right conditions for collaboration, growth and influence.

Alongside Co-Chief Exec Nicola McCormick, Sam is part of a leadership model that breaks from tradition. Together, they lead pro-manchester through a shared, collaborative approach that reflects the organisation’s belief in community, support and creating opportunity together. As two women leading side by side, they are proud to be showing that in Manchester, leadership can look different – and stronger – when it is built on partnership.

Sam has been at pro-manchester for 17 years and has been an integral part of its growth. A firm part of the Manchester business community, Sam is a familiar face to most, constantly and efficiently working to bring businesses together in the city region.

Sam also sits on the board of trustees for Forever Manchester, a charity that supports community activity across Greater Manchester. As well as this, Sam also sits on the Greater Manchester Economic Resilience Board, the Greater Manchester Organisational Representatives Group, the Manchester Business Sounding Board, the Bee Net Zero Advisory Board and the Manchester tech hub Board.  In 2019 Sam also became the Regional Deputy Chair of TheCityUK, where she helps to engage the national body on a regional level on behalf of individuals in the financial and professional services industries.