Leaders Meet: Diversity – Chain Conversations: Paul Cleal OBE and Michelle Carney

“We need to up the ‘R’ rate of inclusion.”

Episode 4 of the latest Chain Conversations Series sees Paul Cleal OBE sit down with Michelle Carney, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Olympics Great Britain to discuss his passion for social justice, and his belief in the philosophy ‘what goes around comes around’.

Paul has an extremely diverse portfolio and currently serves as Equality Advisor at the Premier League, Non-Executive Director at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation Trust, and Non-Executive Advisor for the Metropolitan Police. It hasn’t been a smooth, upward career journey for Paul, and going from a ball boy at Crystal Palace Football Club to the various positions he now holds is no mean feat.

In this conversation, Paul highlights the milestones that paved the way for his journey into the sports industry, the need for true social justice, and the importance of understanding the concept of ‘Business Karma’.

We also hear from Paul on who he believes needs to be influenced to drive a pivotal societal shift…

Also covered in this conversation:

• Optimism for the future of change
• How to move the dial on diversity
• The most important lesson of Paul’s career

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: