Maria Blakley

Maria is a programmes and partnerships Director, with a deep specialism in advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and driving inclusive cultural change. Maria was responsible for the development of POWERful Women, a gender diversity initiative for the UK energy sector. She worked with the top UK company CEOs and EDI Leads to monitor the sector, increase executive and non-executive gender diversity and create more inclusive workplaces. She also created a highly effective C-Suite mentoring programme.

Passionate about helping underrepresented groups achieve their potential and a natural collaborator, Maria is an avid signposter to good practice and works with corporates to define 'what works well' and identify how and where our talent retention and career management support can be most impactful.

Maria studied British Cultural Studies as the first in her family to go to university, she is passionate about supporting women in their careers and contributing to strategies that support women to thrive.