Tolu Oke

Tolu Oke is an award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion leader recognised for driving meaningful cultural change across global organisations. As Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Diageo, she has shaped transformative programmes spanning retail, tech, construction and education, including Sainsbury's first Black History Month customer campaign and Amazon's pioneering Autism at Work initiative across EMEA. A Non-Executive Director, leadership coach and charity founder, she combines strategic expertise with lived experience to deliver sessions that equip leaders and teams with practical tools to embed inclusion, navigate complex conversations and build workplaces where everyone thrives.

At Sainsbury's, Tolu Oke created history when she designed and launched the supermarket's first customer-facing Black History Month campaign, a landmark moment that redefined how one of Britain's largest retailers engaged with inclusion. It was a bold step that signalled her commitment to moving diversity work beyond internal policy and into the public sphere, setting the tone for a career defined by innovation, courage and tangible impact. From co-creating a youth tech skills camp in Ghana to launching Amazon Web Services' first Autism at Work programme across EMEA, she has consistently transformed aspiration into action, building programmes that shift culture and open doors for underrepresented communities worldwide.

As Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Diageo, Tolu partners with senior leaders to deliver a comprehensive inclusion agenda that spans gender, ethnicity, disability, social mobility and age. Her remit extends across ESG strategy, inclusive marketing and supply chain diversity, positioning inclusion as a driver of business performance and long-term resilience. An 11-time award-winning DEI thought leader, she has worked across retail, technology, construction, education and the charity sector, bringing both strategic expertise and operational insight to every organisation she serves. Beyond her corporate role, Tolu is a Non-Executive Director, school governor, leadership coach and founder of an international charity delivering grassroots support in Nigeria, Uganda and Cambodia. Her work reflects a deep belief that inclusion must be both global in vision and local in execution, rooted in lived experience and sustained by practical action.

Tolu helps audiences understand that diversity is not a compliance exercise but a leadership imperative that shapes culture, performance and reputation. Whether speaking on leadership, social mobility, or the intersections between ESG, AI and business, she equips teams with the language, frameworks and confidence to navigate complex conversations and embed inclusion into everyday decision-making. Her sessions combine evidence-based insight with real-world application, enabling leaders to move beyond good intentions and create workplaces where people genuinely belong. With a growing presence across podcasts, panels and television, and a reputation for clarity, energy and depth, Tolu leaves audiences not just informed but equipped to act, inspired to lead differently, and ready to build organisations that reflect the world they serve.