A Tribute to the Cohort 5 Graduates of Our Ethnic Future Leaders Programme

WiHTL & Diversity in Retail’s graduation events are special for two key reasons: an amazing atmosphere at an in-person celebration with cohort participants including line managers, executive sponsors and reverse mentees alongside the delegates themselves (and the WiHTL & DiR team!), but more importantly, it is recognising the profound, transformative change which each delegate has achieved – a change which is simultaneously deeply personal and also professionally impactful – a change which is visible hence the joyful buzz on graduation day!

With a global scope in terms of where delegates took part (UK, Europe, Canada and USA) this programme cohort was made up of 38 delegates from 18 organisations in the hospitality, travel and leisure sector, and 27 delegates from 14 organisations in the retail sector. We were thrilled to see so many attending at the graduation.

The impact of reverse mentoring - participant's panel

Cohort 5 has already seen proof of its influence and success with job promotions for two delegates – Tafadzwa Mamire, Branch Manager at Waitrose and Miles Ceesay, Regional MD at Nando’s -  during the course of the programme. A fantastic achievement for both! They shared their insights and experiences as part of the participant’s panel discussing the impact of reverse mentoring, alongside Katie Mellor, Talent, Development and Inclusion Director at Whitbread:

Tafadzwa told the group "I wouldn't have gone for my promotion if it wasn't for this programme. It's had a very deep impact on me, as you get to hear lived experiences from people that have been on a similar journey."

Miles explained how his reverse mentoring pairing has helped him in his recent promotion. "It allowed me to have some really open and honest conversations while I've taken on a new role and more responsibility."

Katie reinforced the benefit of being paired with someone from an external organisation. "It's invaluable when you're trying to tackle difficult projects and need an honest opinon."

Introducing our cohort sponsor: McDonald’s

This fifth cohort was supported by member organisation McDonald's, and it was fabulous to welcome back Hazel Kraft, UK&I VP of Operations. McDonald’s are a Founding Member of WiHTL and their generous support and contribution over the years has been incredible, and they have agreed to sponsor the next cohort!

Hazel gave an introductory presentation to the programme delegates during the cohort launch session and six months on, her reflections in her graduation address were equally insightful. 

Hazel thanked delegates on behalf of McDonald's for their commitment and participation throughout the "life-changing" programme and reflected on the profound impact her reverse mentoring relationship has had.

Graduate testimonials

The words and experiences of the programme delegates themselves about their progress whether through increased confidence, enhanced knowledge, or from feeling part of a joint and collaborative ambition is WiHTL & DIR’s greatest endorsement.

• “The EFL Programme journey has been very inspirational! Guest speakers have been very motivational with sharing their experiences and steering us in the correct way up! Listening to peers ignited hidden self-awareness and future inspirations.” - C5 Delegate

• “I must say this is a life-changing programme for me. It opened my eyes in many ways, helped to make clear decisions and to speak up with my teams regarding my goals and ambitions. It made me part of D&I within the company.” - C5 Delegate

WiHTL & DiR Founder & Chair: Tea Colaianni

EFL Programme innovator and WiHTL & DiR Founder and Chair, Tea Colaianni, closed the event looking back at a number of cohort highlights and how through being unified in our similarities as opposed to being divided by our differences, everyone can change the conversation about race and about inclusion. 

With 1,300+ EFL Programme graduates to date, Tea underscored how so many advocates for change can amplify the positive message. Quoting Mother Theresa: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”, Tea continued that this cohort can continually make a difference through their own personal advancement and upskilling around EDI, and help remove obstacles to progression for others.

The Ethnic Future Leaders Programme

The Ethnic Future Leaders Programme (EFL) aims to improve ethnic diversity in leadership through identifying and investing in existing high-potential employees from diverse ethnic backgrounds supporting their progression into more senior roles across Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail.

Feeling inspired? Read more of our blogs