Rekha S. Verma
Founder & Principle Consultant
Rekha S Verma – A catalyst that builds Inclusive, High-Performing Workplaces
Rekha is a global leader in Fairness, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Leadership Development, and Workplace Transformation.
With a proven track record across Fortune 500 companies, SMEs, and global organizations spanning finance, healthcare, tech, banking, and education, Rekha delivers measurable impact.
Trusted by Industry Giants: Led DEI strategy for Johnson & Johnson Canada and previously spearheaded national and regional DEI portfolios at British Council India, where her work was showcased alongside Google and IBM in global best practices.
Driving Systemic Change: Former Head of DEI for EY Canada—recognized as Canada’s Best Diversity Employer for seven consecutive years. She developed multi-year DEI strategies that transformed leadership pipelines, revived the inclusiveness steering committee, and brought leadership matters to life.
Global Influence, Local Impact: With experience across North America, Europe, and Asia, Rekha’s culturally nuanced and business-aligned solutions have shaped equitable workplaces and high-performing teams worldwide.
Board Leadership & Social Impact: Rekha serves on the board of Broad Reach Canada, an organization dedicated to advancing equity and access to leadership, education, and economic opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Beyond Business, Creating Legacy: A passionate advocate for women's advancement, Rekha has coached UN social entrepreneurs and supports Dress for Success, a nonprofit dedicated to women's economic empowerment.
As the Founder of Diversity & Beyond Inc., Rekha is on a mission to help organizations create fair, high-impact, and innovative workplaces—where all talent thrives.
Dr. Fiona Bartels-Ellis, OBE
Chief Mentor
Fiona was the Global Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the British Council and a member of its Global Leadership Team. She had responsibility for setting and driving the strategic direction of EDI across offices in 100 countries and territories.
She is a former social worker, a member of the Higher Education Academy and her local Race Equality Council, a Trustee of Africa Gifted Foundation led by Tom Ilube, supporting gifted and talented African girls in science, and a a founding member of the Premiere League’s Independent Equality Panel.
Her qualifications include but are not limited to an Advanced Diploma in Social Work, a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, an M.Phil in Social Policy and a Doctorate in Professional Studies (social sciences).
Her contribution to equality and diversity has been acknowledged through a 2005 OBE and a number of awards from different countries including Canada and India, the Ghana Professional Achievers Award for humanitarian services to the UK and Ghana, the latter being her country of birth, as well as the USA Peter Robertson award for Equality and Diversity Champions by the former ORC (Organisation of Resource Counsellors) Worldwide. She has been recognised in Britain’s most influential people of African and African Heritage Powerlist on three occasions and is now in its Hall of Fame.
Publications include co-edited Global Diversity Management: A Fusion of Ideas, Stories and Practice (Management for Professionals) with Professors Mustafa F. Ozbilgin and Paul Gibbs, published by Springer in 2019 and Bartels-Ellis, F. (2017) 'Mainstreaming inclusion in higher education' In Stiasny, M. and Gore, T. (eds), Going Global: Building nations, connecting cultures. London: British Council and UCL Institute of Education Press.
Keith Butts
Senior Consultant
Keith is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over 25 years of HR experience He brings strategic as well as operational skills to DEI consulting projects. Keith is a Steering Committee Member of the Government of Canada’s Visible Minority Chairs and Champion Committee. He is a knowledgeable and passionate practitioner In the inclusion, equity, diversity, anti-racism, and accessibility (IDEAs) space. Keith applies his knowledge of human resources management and IDEAs to help organizations instill a shared sense of belonging, to improve authentic leadership, employee engagement, innovation, team cohesion, and ultimately, profitability.
Keith has successfully designed and implemented various enterprise-wide DEI, human resources, and organizational change initiatives. He is also a trusted advisor assisting clients in implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies and action plans. He is working towards becoming a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Keith is also passionate about coaching community football and basketball. This leisure activity allows him to lead, develop and mentor youth and young adults ages 8 to 19 years old, through sports.
Julie Ambachtsheer
ESG & DEI Consultant
Julie is a consultant with 15+ years of experience working across the finance, corporate, and non-profit sectors. She has a deep understanding of how important ESG
(environmental, social and governance) issues are to investor due diligence and corporate success. Julie works with corporations on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) strategy, policy, measurement
and disclosure.
Julie has the proven ability to engage with diverse stakeholders. When she was Director of Programs at Canada’s Responsible Investment Association, she spearheaded working groups, professional
training, and industry programs to promote sustainable finance. Julie has a genuine desire to support projects which advance social and environmental causes.
Julie is a CFA Charterholder. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts from York University, several courses on responsible investing, and is trained in conflict and sensitivity facilitation.
Nikita Agnihotri
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program and Policy Analyst
Nikita is Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with two Masters’ degrees specializing in Psychology. She is a researcher with experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and programs. Her master’s thesis focussed on how organization-based self-esteem impacts voice behavior amongst employees at corporate workplaces.
Nikita has worked as a Research Fellow at Catalyst Inc. New York. She specializes in developing policies, tools that create a community where individuals from diverse backgrounds can come together to celebrate their differences, engage in dialogue, and respect the uniqueness that each one of them brings to the table.
Kim Smith
Coach and Consultant
Kim is the recipient of the prestigious Catalyst Canada Honours Emerging Leader Champion award for her relentless work in fostering an inclusive workplace culture working closely with black and LGBTQ2+ employees.
Kim is a senior financial services professional by qualification. She holds a Master’s degree in Accountancy from Florida International University and a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. She uses her insights into workplace culture as a black and openly queer person along with her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion to create a safe space for all employees. She coaches young finance professionals as they navigate workplaces and helps organizations with strategic planning design and implementation.
Shruti Singh
Community Engagement Consultant
Shruti has integrated her passion for social justice, equipped with a Master's in social services to make a difference for the historically disadvantaged communities.
She has extensive experience in action-oriented research on gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ2+, disability, and millennials. Her work in the social space has helped hundreds of marginalized youth find resources and solutions to their needs, be it related to education, careers, coaching, or therapy.
In addition to being a competitive runner, she is passionate about liberal arts that have enabled her to understand the nuances of the varied contexts that individuals and groups share and belong to.
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