Lisa Maynard-Atem

Lisa Maynard-Atem is a marketing and inclusion strategist who transforms how organisations connect authentically with diverse audiences through digital innovation and equity-driven leadership. As Marketing and Inclusion Director at Acacia Training and Director at Verciti, she shapes skills development in emerging sectors, whilst serving on the board of The Black United Representation Network CIC and The Blair Project, where she champions pathways for underrepresented talent in green technology and entrepreneurship. Her career spans strategic roles at Burberry and Harrods, and her insights have been featured in Forbes and Glamour, establishing her as a trusted voice on inclusive leadership. Through her speaking engagements, Lisa equips audiences with practical frameworks to move beyond performative initiatives, delivering actionable strategies that transform diversity into measurable commercial advantage and sustainable organisational growth.

When Lisa Maynard-Atem founded LMA Consultancy, she set out to transform how organisations connect with diverse audiences through social media strategy and authentic representation, a mission that has since expanded into shaping skills development in emerging sectors and championing pathways for underrepresented talent. Today, she serves as Marketing and Inclusion Director at Acacia Training, an award-winning training provider, and as a Director at Verciti, where she focuses on hydrogen skills training and the future of green technology. Her career trajectory spans strategic roles at Burberry and Harrods, where she contributed to digital growth for some of the world's most prestigious luxury brands. She sits on the board of The Black United Representation Network CIC, an organisation dedicated to the social and economic empowerment of the black community in the north of England, and The Blair Project, a social enterprise connecting urban youth with opportunities in the green tech revolution. Recognised as one of BBC 1Xtra's Future Figures 2022, Lisa has established herself as a powerful voice in conversations around diversity in leadership, inclusive workplace cultures, and the intersection of equity with sustainability.

Lisa's professional expertise draws from a diverse career spanning fashion, healthcare, marketing, and education, offering her a distinctive perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing modern organisations. Her work demonstrates how authentic equality initiatives connect directly to sustainability and long-term business growth, creating measurable commercial value rather than performative action. As a social media strategist, she understands how digital platforms can amplify underrepresented voices and drive cultural change at scale. Her insights have been featured in Forbes and Glamour, where she shares practical approaches to building inclusive brands that resonate with today's consumers. This combination of strategic marketing acumen and lived experience as a black woman in business gives Lisa distinctive authority on topics ranging from authentic equality approaches to reframing societal constructs that limit individual and organisational potential. Through her board work and mentoring, she actively champions innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in the green energy sector, where diversity and sustainability intersect to create new pathways for underrepresented communities.

Through her speaking engagements, Lisa equips leaders with actionable strategies to create inclusive cultures that drive both representation and commercial success. She challenges audiences to move beyond performative diversity initiatives and instead build systems that create genuine pathways for underrepresented talent to thrive. Her presentations offer practical frameworks for organisations seeking to connect with diverse audiences authentically, combining social media strategy with equity principles to deliver lasting impact. Whether addressing diversity in leadership, exploring the commercial imperative of inclusion, or connecting DE&I with emerging sectors like green technology, Lisa provides audiences with the tools to transform intention into measurable change. She helps organisations navigate the gap between talking about change and implementing it, creating workplaces and marketplaces where representation becomes a driver of innovation, growth, and sustainable competitive advantage.