The Power of Being Seen

In Conversation with Andrea Callender, Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Expert

Meeting with Andrea in May 2025

Andrea is one of those people who has an unforgettable presence. She is warm, kind, approachable, and she called me an “Icon” which immediately resulted her being one of my favourite people from my previous workplaces.  

I know Andrea from Alexander McQueen, I attended one of her workshops around Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) at the brand. I admired her ability to create a space where you don`t feel uncomfortable while talking about uncomfortable topics. I am so glad and grateful to be able to sit down with her to have a conversation about DEI, Leadership and life in May 2025.

Andrea`s Career Path

‘I grew up in Jamaica and came to the UK on a three-week holiday where I met the man I eventually married! My first real job in London was as a marketing assistant for a company handling drinks brands from the Caribbean and Africa. My first DEI role was running an employability programme matching employers with unemployed candidates from diverse backgrounds across London for Business in the Community (BiTC) – a network of influential organisations working on corporate social responsibility and to create a fairer and greener future.’

 Andrea’s transition into the field of DEI wasn’t intentional at first. “I didn’t choose DEI,” she told me with a smile, “DEI found me.”  She realized that her guiding value is helping people. She didn’t plan to stick with it at first but she realized her ability to influence meaningful change – for both individuals and entire organizations.  Whilst at BiTC, she became the National Director for its programme to promote racial and ethnic diversity across a network of 200 organisations all working on DEI as a competitive business advantage. She worked with leaders and teams to broaden their outreach to people from diverse backgrounds and to understand the needs of (and how to engage with) their diverse customers and service users.

Andrea has gone on to work with Boards, senior leaders and operational teams for a range of organisations including the BBC, a global professional services engineering consultancy, and the regulator for all doctors practising in the UK. Her most recent role was with Alexander McQueen, the luxury fashion retailer, where she led a programme to embed inclusive behaviours and evolve the organisational culture.

Did you have any support?

Andrea: ‘DEI can be a really emotionally challenging and sensitive area of work – helping organisations to improve and to change the way that they usually do things can be sometimes challenging. I’ve been really fortunate to have great teams and to have a network of other DEI professionals who support me when the going gets tough.’

What does diversity mean to you?

When I asked Andrea to complete the sentence, “Diversity is…,” she paused and offered: “an opportunity.” To her, diversity means recognizing the richness in our differences - our backgrounds, appearances, beliefs, and experiences.

She used London as an example, describing it as one of the most diverse cities in the world. “But even here,” she added, “we’re living through unprecedented times filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Fear of the unfamiliar is narrowing our world, and more people are tending to spend time within the same circles of their family and long-term friends. Diversity for me is about is an an intentional choice to embrace the unfamiliar. And while the UK’s diversity can be inspiring, it can also overwhelm -sometimes people just don`t know how to talk about DEI and don’t want to say the wrong thing – like using the correct personal pronouns or talking about migration.’

What can we be hopeful about in 2025?

There’s a huge debate going on about DEI and whether this is something still needs attention and effort. When I asked Andrea what companies and employees can be hopeful about in 2025 given the ongoing debate and ‘backlash’ against DEI in some areas her answer was clear: ‘There has always been a level of resistance against changing the traditional ways of doing things in order to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. I think that what we can be optimistic about in 2025 is that some companies will continue to do work to embed the principles of treating everyone fairly and becoming more inclusive. For some organisations this will look like revisiting on what they are really trying to achieve by working on DEI and focusing on those things that are taking them towards meeting their DEI goals. For others it might mean getting back to basics and making sure they have solid foundations for their future DEI work.’

How do you develop a DEI strategy?

Andrea: ‘I start by helping the organisation to get clear about what DEI means to them, how it helps them to achieve their goals, and where they want to get to as a result of working on DEI. Then I usually do a diagnostic of where they currently are on DEI, e.g. by looking at data on their workforce demographics and employee perceptions. The next step is to involve everyone in shaping the strategy so that they feel some ownership of what follows and the goals they want to set.’

Leadership is critical to driving any business strategy and plan. Having worked with many leaders in a range of organisations Andrea’s view is that most leaders have a sense of what they want to achieve on DEI and why - they just need space, time, and confidence to articulate this and to open up the discussion with their teams. Her role is to help to unlock that clarity.

When I asked what makes a great DEI leader, she told me: “Curiosity, and a willingness to challenge yourself by staying open to different ways of seeing things.”

Is Diversity different in fashion versus other industries?

Andrea: ‘DEI is essentially about people, and what people want from the world of work and their workplaces is essentially the same regardless of the industry they work in – to be treated fairly and with respect, to be able to be themselves at work and to do their best work.’

When we talked about fashion specifically, she can see some differences in DEI practices and strategies between high street brands and luxury brands. It is important in both categories, but in High Street fashion, DEI efforts are often tied to customer research - understanding the profile and behaviours: who’s buying what, and why. In Luxury, the brands are not trying to appeal to everybody. The luxury product is aspirational, centred around customer experience, storytelling, craft, imagination and mystery. But even in this world, Andrea sees thoughtful DEI awareness and expression—like celebrating Ramadan or Chinese New Year through capsule collections. So, DEI just manifests differently but is still very important in both Luxury and High Street.

The question she urges brands to ask themselves is: “Who is our future customer? And how are we preparing for them through a DEI lens?” Which I found great food for thought.

What is needed if you want to work in DEI function?

When I asked her about what she would recommend for people who want to work in this profession, she explained that being enthusiastic or having some lived experience is not enough. Like any profession there are specific technical skills required to do a DEI job right, e.g. being able to review and recommend improvements to a company’s policies and processes (which requires some HR knowledge); understanding and being able to promote compliance with DEI- related legislation; being able to analyse complex sets of data and develop action plans to address any insights. So, it is not for everyone.

Andrea pointed out that there are usually opportunities for people who are passionate about DEI to get involved in activities like for Pride Month or International Women’s Day. I shared that I know many young professionals in the fashion industry who are deeply passionate about the subject, but maybe unsure how they can demonstrate their commitment to DEI principles in their jobs and daily lives. ‘’You can always be an ally – looking out for people who may not be being included. Maybe you notice the co-worker who never comes for the team drinks, or the team member who asks for help to cover for their medical appointments. Sometimes being an ally means you simply check on people, ask them if they are okay. Sometimes it means you want to flag worrying things to your manager or leader if you feel safe to do so.’

On Leadership

Andrea believes that anyone can be a leader. The advice she received and took it with her own leadership journey is: “Just do it and just be you.” She is proud to be an expert on her field and when I asked what she’s working on improving as a leader, she calmly smiled: “Patience. I like seeing results fast.”

When I asked her who was her best leader in her career, she talked about a CEO who continues to inspire her - “She made me feel seen heard, and she always had my back. She walked around and was visible to her teams in person all of the time, she knew everyone`s name and she always had something interesting and relevant to say to everyone she came into contact with.”

That stayed with me. Because we remember the people who make us feel visible, especially at work. It also reminded me of moments in my own career where I felt invisible—and how heavy that felt.  It also made me wonder, showing up - not only through policy or mission statements - but just being present as a senior leader in front of your own team sends the message: we are one team, and we are in this together.

While walking home from our discussion, in my mind there was this reappearing pattern – The power of being seen. Firsthand when it is coming from leaders, employees will never forget. When it is coming from employees by being an ally to other coworkers, it strengthens teamwork and trust, and ultimately company culture.  

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing your truth, for your dedication to DEI, and for reminding me of the radical, quiet power of presence. I can’t wait to see what you do next!

Andrea`s favourite piece in her wardrobe