MEET OUR PATRONS

David Germain is an award-winning technology leader, and prominent advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I). Widely recognised for his strategic leadership, innovation, and service to society, he has earned a reputation as one of the United Kingdom’s most influential voices in technology and customer experience. In 2019, David was ranked ninth in the Financial Times Top 100 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Technology Leaders. That same year, he was named a Finalist for CTO of the Year at the Inclusive Technology Awards and a Finalist in the STEM category at the Black British Awards. His leadership continued to gain international recognition when he was featured in the HotTopics Global CIO100 list in both 2021 and 2024 for excellence, resilience, and innovation. David has also been recognised for his impact on customer experience, appearing in the Powerlist CX50 in 2020 and 2021 as one of the UK’s most influential Customer Experience leaders by Marketing Week. In 2020, he received the prestigious Inspirational Leader award from Computing and the British Computer Society for services to society. He was subsequently named among the UK’s most influential IT leaders by Computing in 2022 and again in 2024. In 2023, David was inducted into the Computing CIO Hall of Fame, honouring an elite group of industry figures who have demonstrated sustained leadership and made a lasting contribution to the advancement of the CIO profession. His sector leadership was further recognised in 2024 when he was awarded Insurance CIO of the Year (UK) by C-Suite Magazine. In 2025, he was included in the INvolve Empower Top 100 Executives list for his leadership and DE&I contributions, as well as the Top 30 Heroes Advocates Role Model List. That same year, he was inducted into the Global HotTopics Hall of Fame for setting exceptional standards in technology leadership worldwide. Beyond his executive career, David plays an active role in governance, advisory, and charitable work. He serves as a Non-Executive Director of Investec UK and Arkle Finance, a subsidiary of Weatherbys Bank, and as a Board Advisor to Cynozure. He is also an External Member of the University of Cambridge Audit Committee, a Trustee of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Patron of the Sickle Cell Society, and Technology Advisor for HotTopics Women in Technology. David contributes to the profession as a standing judge for several major industry awards, including the Management Consultancy Awards, FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards, Women in Banking and Finance Awards, and the Market Risk Awards. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the British Computer Society and the Royal Society of Arts. In addition to his professional roles, he is a technology author and business advisor, committed to advancing leadership excellence, inclusion, and innovation across the global technology community.

Catherine Osaigbovo is a Senior Partner within the HR Practice at Page Executive, part of Page Group PLC and sits on their Global Inclusion and Social Impact Board. She advises organisations on senior HR leadership and board‑level appointments across Financial and Professional services. With over 30 years’ experience in recruitment, including 20 years specialising exclusively in HR, Catherine has worked across a broad range of sectors—from FTSE 100 organisations to boutique private equity‑backed businesses. Catherine is deeply committed to improving representation at leadership level and partnering with organisations to build diverse and inclusive talent pipelines that reflect their customers, employees, and wider society. Beyond her executive search work, Catherine is a co‑founder of ENABL (Empowerment Network for Asian & Black Leaders), which connects organisations with diverse senior leadership talent. She also serves as a Board Trustee for Making The Leap, a social mobility charity dedicated to supporting young people’s transition into the workplace.

Dr Joy White is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Sciences at the University of Bedfordshire. She is the author of Like Lockdown Never Happened: Music and Culture during Covid and Terraformed: Young Black Lives in the Inner City. Joy has presented her work at a number of UK and international institutions including: The Post-Windrush Generation: Black British Voices of Resistance University of Cambridge: Subcultures Network Conference Panel University of Reading: The Place of Music Annual Black Studies Lecture, University of Nottingham  Stanford University: Forum for African Studies Urban Culture and Political Engagement: Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam 3rd International Research Conference on Cultural and Creative Industries: University of Antwerp; Eastern Sociological Society: New York 5th International Digital Storytelling Conference: Hacettepe University. Her previous work includes Urban Music and Entrepreneurship: Beats, Rhymes and Young People’s Enterprise, one of the first books to foreground the socio-economic significance of grime music. Recent publications include Growing up under the influence: A sonic genealogy of Grime, and (with Jonathan Ilan) Ethnographer Soundclash: A UK rap and grime story. Joy has also written for The Quietus, The Conversation, Trench, Google Arts + Culture, Red Pepper and Prospect.

Akhlas Hafiz is an award-winning enterprise technology and digital transformation executive with more than 20 years’ experience leading large-scale technology strategy, operational modernisation, and regulatory transformation across global insurance and financial services organisations. He has held senior leadership roles at Beazley, RSA, HSBC, Barclays Investment Bank, and Infosys, Deutsche Bank, RBS, delivering complex, multi-billion-pound transformations in highly regulated environments. Akhlas is involved in various community initiatives, including Governor of a Primary School and supporting a number of local charities.

John James Abadom is a strategic growth specialist and a digital transformation consultant with experience in AI-enabled innovation and organisational change. He has worked across sectors helping organisations modernise their systems, improve decision-making, and deliver meaningful outcomes through technology. Alongside his professional work, John is passionate about rehabilitation and second chances. He believes in the power of personal growth, accountability, and practical support to help individuals rebuild their lives. Through his involvement with this non-profit, he supports initiatives that provide guidance, skills development, and opportunities for people transitioning from prison back into society. My Quote: "Rehabilitation is not about who someone was at their worst moment; it’s about who they choose to become when given the right support, belief, and opportunity.”

Dwayne Gibson White is an Equity Partner with EY-Parthenon and leads on Digital Infrastructure Commercial Due Diligence and Value Creation. He is a trustee for Reaching Higher, a south London based Contextual Youth Work focused charity, and separately an Angel investor. He is deeply passionate about supporting systemic change in the Black and broader minority ethic community, XConversation is a great avenue to effect some of this change.

Tony Hyland MBE is a distinguished public service leader, communicator and strategist whose career has been defined by compassion, clarity of purpose, and an unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for citizens across the UK. Awarded an MBE for Services to Disadvantaged Customers, Tony brings to every stage a rare combination of deep policy understanding, frontline insight, and human centred leadership that resonates with audiences at all levels. With decades of experience across complex systems, most recently within the Department for Work and Pensions ,Tony has become widely respected for his ability to translate national strategy into meaningful change on the ground. His work in strategic relationship management has positioned him as a trusted bridge builder between government departments, local authorities, charities, and communities. Tony is known for his calm authority, his skill in navigating competing priorities, and his talent for creating collaboration where others see only fragmentation. Tony’s speaking style is clear, warm, grounded and always inspirational. Whether addressing senior leaders, community groups, conference halls or emerging professionals, he communicates with authenticity, humility, and a steadfast belief in the power of public service to transform lives. His talks frequently explore themes such as purposeful leadership, organisational culture, resilience in the public sector, ethical decision making, and the profound value of human connection in systems too often dominated by process. Beyond his professional achievements, Tony is admired for his compassion, mentorship, and commitment to nurturing talent. He brings generosity, humour and humanity to every engagement, and audiences consistently remark on his ability to make complex issues feel relatable, urgent and hopeful. Alongside his public service career, Tony is also an accomplished, published, creative writer whose work blends sharp wit, imaginative storytelling and deep social insight. His fiction and satirical vignettes tackle themes ranging from community, identity and human resilience to the absurdities of modern life. Tony’s creative work has earned praise for its emotional intelligence, its ability to illuminate overlooked corners of society, and its unique talent for pairing humour with humanity. This creative lens enriches his speaking engagements, allowing him to bring narrative power, empathy and imagination to topics that might otherwise feel purely technical or procedural. In addition to his public service and creative writing, Tony Hyland MBE has also developed a rich and respected presence in the world of theatre. His work spans script development, dramaturgy and collaborative creative production, where his instinct for storytelling, character psychology and social realism has earned admiration from performers and directors alike. Tony brings to the stage the same empathy, sharp observation and narrative craft that characterise his written work, creating pieces that are both emotionally resonant and socially insightful. Whether advising on new writing, shaping performance through narrative structure, or helping emerging voices bring their stories to life, Tony’s contribution to theatre reflects his deep belief in the arts as a powerful vehicle for connection, reflection and community transformation. Today, Tony Hyland MBE is in increasing demand as a public speaker, panel contributor, chair and facilitator, sharing insights forged over a lifetime of service. Whether delivering a keynote, contributing to policy discussions or inspiring organisational change, Tony offers a voice of integrity, clarity and optimism at a time when public trust has never been more vital.