09 Dec Our Executive Advisors Will Help Brands Truly Embrace Diversity

We’re delighted to announce the appointment of four Executive Advisors, to help our client brands better understand and communicate with ‘underrepresented consumers’.

The Advisors will share their experience from the worlds of media, sport and retails, as they support businesses in a greater understanding of the issues they champion, such as age, disability and ethnic diversity.

The Executive Advisors are:

• Harry Gration MBE, the veteran BBC broadcaster who retired from his job as BBC Look North news anchor after 42 years, in October 2020.

• Hannah Cockroft MBE DL, the Team GBR wheelchair racer and TV presenter who is a 5 x Paralympic Champion, 12 x World Champion, T34 World Record Holder and accessibility champion and campaigner.

• Ann Gordon, retail pioneer with a strong track record of transformative change at brands such as Topshop, River Island and House of Fraser, in addition to supporting work with Debenhams and Marks & Spencer. With 40 years’ experience, many at board level, Ms Gordan has spent recent years working Internationally supporting retail clients with customer centric strategies.

• Haddy Folivi, an international communications specialist, with excellent relationships with publications including Forbes magazine and CNBC. With over 20 years’ experience in international communications, Haddy’s expertise helps clients connect with consumers across different markets and she has been celebrated for her recent work promoting global diversity in sports.

Insight with Passion founder Kate Hardcastle says, “We are a team of experts, working with our partners to authentically reach customers in a respectful way.

Our team are already helping the brands we work with better understand key consumer groups such as those living with disabilities or those over 60. This enables them to better serve their customers and communicate with them in a more genuine way. Our work involves advising board leaders around the world on better business practice and how to reach, engage with and serve consumers more effectively. Our Executive Advisors are perfectly placed to enhance this and lead to happier and more engaged customers, across all demographics.”

Hannah Cockroft, the team’s Executive Advisor on accessibility says, “I still find so many businesses to be inaccessible for people living with a disability, often for different reasons. Becoming more accessible and inclusive is a journey, not a destination and I know we can start the conversations and help brands improve the customer experience for everyone. Stats show that ignoring this could be costing UK businesses over £20bn a year so there is great potential to deliver value for customers and businesses too. I’m really pleased to be working with the team at Insight with Passion and the timing couldn’t be more fitting as right now it’s UK Disability History Month and the ten year anniversary of this important event.”