Inclusion Leader of the Year

HR and DEI leaders play a vital role in embedding inclusive practices, shaping fair policies, and ensuring organizations are accountable for creating cultures where all talent can succeed.

This award celebrates those who combine strategic influence with real-world impact, championing inclusive change both within their organization and beyond.

EMILY HEATH

GLOBAL INCLUSION LEAD · BAT

Emily Heath is a globally minded inclusion leader whose work is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and a deep belief in human connection. As Group Inclusion Lead at BAT, she brings her whole self and story to shaping cultures where people feel seen, valued and able to thrive. Emily’s passion for inclusion began long before her career. She grew up navigating differences, born in a small rural town in Indiana, later moving to Chicago and then London. These experiences taught Emily to appreciate the courage it takes to belong somewhere new. Emily’s career has since taken her through global roles at Yahoo, AOL, Facebook and now BAT, where she leads organisation-wide initiatives like BAT’s Inclusive Culture Strategy, Global Impact Communities and Inclusive Leadership capability programmes. Emily is committed to making inclusion something people embed in their everyday.

KARIMA BRYANT

GLOBAL LEADER OF KINSHIP · KYNDRYL

Karima Bryant is the Global Leader of Kinship at Kyndryl, the world’s largest provider of IT-managed infrastructure services. In this role, Karima provides strategic leadership and expertise to foster a culture of belonging and well-being. She is a Human Resources executive with deep experience leading organizations through change management and transformation, with a focus on people and talent. Karima began her IBM career 20+ years ago as a strategy consultant and has since held several senior HR leadership roles. In her prior role, Karima was the Diversity & Inclusion Leader and Chief of Staff to the SVP Sponsor for the IBM Black Community, where she led a cross-functional team supporting IBM’s Emb(race) social justice efforts. Previously, she served as a Global Business Unit HR Leader, defining talent and HR solutions for Global Markets Managing Directors in IBM’s Insurance and Public Sectors. Karima also held roles as IBM’s Watson Health Global Talent Partner and as a Senior Leadership Development Consultant supporting IBM senior executives. She served as an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s School for Professional Studies. Karima holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Hampton University and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.