Edleen John is an award-winning business leader and consultant on diversity, inclusion and culture in organisations. With experience in sectors from retail to financial services to government, she delivers practical insights into how cultures can change, the value and meaning of diversity and inclusion, and the impact on training and employee experience. She currently serves as the International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-Partner for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director at the Football Association.
A British-born Sierra Leonean, Edleen grew up in London after a brief spell in Sierra Leone. She attended a south London comprehensive and went on to complete her Masters at Cambridge University. As such, she shares first-hand experience of issues around socio-economic background as well as culture and race. Regularly cited as a role model leader, she recounts her challenges as well as successes and achievements.
Professionally, Edleen started out at the investment bank Lehman Brothers in the debt capital markets division. After a period in insurance she returned to investment banks, but in HR functions at Nomura and Morgan Stanley, rising to Vice President at the latter, covering recruitment, diversity and inclusion. She then joined KPMG, serving as Director and the Co-Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Social Equality and as the youngest and only Black director in the company’s people function.
At the FA, Edleen is part of the association’s senior management. Alongside responsibility for international and corporate affairs she shares, with the FA’s HR director, responsibility for the organisation’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy. Her role sees her working with all levels of the English game, on and off the pitch, and also with other international governing bodies and government, in a sport that has the power to unite, but equally has long-standing challenges around diversity.
Edleen is also a director of Tech Talent Charter, a non-profit organisation aiming to widen access to and improve the diversity of the UK’s tech sector. She holds non-exec, board and trustee roles at the Restless Development charity, DIAL (Diverse Inclusive Aspirational Leaders) Global, and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
