Leaders Meet: Diversity – Chain Conversations: Anthony Burnett and Paul Cleal OBE

Episode 5 of the latest Chain Conversations Series sees Anthony Burnett sit down with Paul Cleal OBE to discuss his personal sports industry story and the long term strategy for Kick It Out – English football’s anti-discrimination group.

Tony is an experienced diversity and inclusion specialist, having successfully supported a number of public and private sector organisations to implement significant change over a period of time.

Before joining Kick It Out in February 2021, Tony occupied leading DE&I roles across a range of different sectors, including West Midlands Police, Lloyds Banking Group and Ford Motor Company. This wealth of experience, along with a track record of driving change as a D&I professional, ultimately paved the way for his appointment earlier this year.

For this Chain Conversation, Tony was paired with another newly-appointed football executive in Paul Cleal OBE, Equality Advisor, Premier League, for a discussion on:

• His background and rise through industry; a result of continually putting in the work
• Football as a vehicle to bring people from all societies together
• The role the next generation plays in race relations
• The next 12 months for Kick It Out

Chain Conversations is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, in partnership with Facebook.

The programme brings together leaders from a variety of backgrounds across professional sport to share their personal stories of leadership and to reflect on their own career journeys, pinpointing the peaks and troughs, the helps and hinderances along the way.

Every other week the previous interviewee will become the interviewer as we hear inspiring stories from aspiring and senior leaders within the professional sports industry.

The aim is to inspire, to energise, and to showcase why diverse thinking – and diverse opportunity – makes for better business across sport and beyond.

Supporting Partners of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series: