Emma Palmer

Emma is an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion professional with experience in commercial and not for profit organisations. She has a particular focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, race equity and intersectionality. Emma has worked with several businesses throughout the U.K promoting inclusive workplace cultures through speaking, workshops, training, and consultancy.

Emma began her career in policing. Before moving into EDI, she served in the Metropolitan Police Service as a police officer in London for 8 years. As an accomplished, compassionate, and purposeful leader with 10+ years’ experience serving systemically excluded communities in both EDI and policing, Emma applies an intersectional lens to her work and has an excellent track record of achievement as a strategist and cultural creator within organisations such as the NHS, where she supported to embed their new strategy across all areas of Cancer Services and Chance to Shine where she began writing their first ever EDI strategy.

Emma also spent two and a half years at Stonewall, Europe’s largest Human Rights organisation, and it was here that she had the opportunity to work with The Equality Project at their first ever Better Together Conference back in 2018. Emma flew to Australia and joined the Better Together team where she delivered Stonewall’s flagship LGBTQ+ Role Models programme in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, and Sydney.

Emma’s unique background within the emergency services dovetailing with her EDI specialisms, experience, and insight, means she is well placed to support clients shape consciously inclusive cultures within their organisational structures. As a mixed-heritage gay woman, Emma uses her own lived experience and strategic insight to drive social change and support people to understand equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging at all levels.

Emma is an Advisory Board Member at Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity where she provides insight and guidance relating to LGBTQ+ issues. She is also on the Board of Trustees at LGBTQ+ Young Persons’ Trust, Mosaic, where she helps to advise on the strategic aims of the organisation, so that the most effective services can be delivered to LGBTQ+ young people across London.