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Milton Gate, 60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG, United Kingdom
1350 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10019, United States of America
Marketing Team
Berkeley Communications
14 Nov 2023
Talking Talent, a leading global consulting firm specialising in fostering inclusive workplace cultures, has announced the appointment of Dr Mary-Clare Race as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Dr Race is Taking the helm from Chris Parke and Jo Lyon, the husband-and-wife team who co-founded Talking Talent in 2005 and have since worked with over 380 world-leading organisations, developing and executing award-winning coaching programmes which have supported over 85,000 people achieve their potential in the workplace and beyond.
Dr Race brings nearly two decades of expertise in organisational behaviour, leadership development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) strategies to drive the company’s mission forward.
Recognised for her remarkable career spanning four continents, Dr Race has played a pivotal role in facilitating business improvement for globally renowned organisations including Barclays, Goldman Sachs, GSK, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Estee Lauder Companies, as well as governmental organisations including the British Government, Cabinet Office, and the UK National Health Service.
A prominent figure in her field, Dr Race’s research contributions have been published in reputable journals such as Frontiers in Psychology, Mental Illness at Work, and People & Strategy, and her expertise features in industry-leading publications including The Harvard Business Review, People Management and The Financial Times. Dr Race also serves as a Board advisor in the Mental Health and DE&I sectors for various organisations, and has lectured at The University of Sheffield, University College London and Columbia University in New York.
Outgoing CEO Chris Parke said, “After 19 years of founding and running Talking Talent I have taken the decision to step down as CEO. Jo and I are incredibly proud of the legacy that we leave behind us, and I’m excited to remain on the Board as a non-executive director to help shape a bright future for the business.
“Mary-Clare was brought into Talking Talent to expand our commitment to the use of data science and business psychology best practice. She brings a deep passion for the use of these approaches to further develop diverse and inclusive organisations for our clients. Her appointment comes amid one of the most exciting periods in Talking Talent’s history and I’m looking forward to seeing what Mary-Clare will achieve as CEO.”
In her previous role as Global Managing Director at Talking Talent, Dr Race spearheaded the design and delivery of client solutions. Most notably, she led the development of Talking Talent’s new, holistic ‘Keystones Approach,’ a comprehensive strategy dedicated to addressing the critical challenges within diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Dr Mary-Clare Race, CEO at Talking Talent said, “I’m delighted to be the CEO of such a forward-thinking and inclusive organisation at a pivotal time in our industry, where we are able to empower potentially millions of people through providing the right tools to help them to succeed in both their careers and personal lives.
“As leaders in an increasingly polarised society, it’s crucial that we recognise the talent within our organisations. Incredible talents are often overlooked, underutilised, or placed in situations that are bound to fail. The consequence of this is stagnant teams and underperforming businesses because our people feel disconnected. However, it’s not the people who are broken; it’s our organisational systems that require fixing.
“I’m thrilled to be leading the Talking Talent team to empower people and organisations to thrive in a world that is better, more connected, and truly inclusive as we usher in the next generation of DE&I.”
Talking Talent have delivered award-winning DE&I programmes and coaching within world-renowned organisations including Disney, NatWest, Lloyds Bank, Citi, EY and many more. Clients have reported a 56% increase in job performance and £100 million saved each year in retention costs through a 50% reduction in the risk of staff turnover.
To learn more about Talking Talent and the transformative Keystones Approach, visit www.talking-talent.com.
ENDS
About Talking Talent
Talking Talent partners with clients to build inclusive cultures that drive belonging, engagement and performance. For nearly 20 years it has been providing some of the world’s most successful organisations with transformational coaching and development programmes that encourage everyone, and every business to perform at its best. With a team of over 70 worldwide DE&I coaches, their commitment to building inclusive cultures has impacted millions of lives.
Milton Gate, 60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG,
United Kingdom