Suki Sandhu
Suki Sandhu OBE | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Diversity, equity and inclusion in business. |
Suki Sandhu OBE is a gay British Asian entrepreneur and author. He is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the British business sector and a participant in LGBT+ community initiatives.[1][2] He is the founder and CEO of Audeliss Executive Search and INvolve. His companies were featured in The Sunday Times list of Britain's 100 fastest growing private companies.[3]
Background, education and early career
Sandhu grew up in a Sikh family in Derby, UK[4] and is the middle child of immigrant parents, with an older brother and a younger sister. His parents moved from India and ran a grocery store where the children often helped out.
He read economics at Birmingham University before becoming a graduate trainee at Michael Page. He became one of Michael Page's top performers[5] and after three and a half years left to join Green Park, an executive search firm, as a partner. He launched Audeliss Executive Search in 2011 from his spare bedroom in Whitechapel, east London.[6]
Diversity, equity and inclusion
2013
He founded the Outstanding LGBT+ Role Model Lists published in The Financial Times featuring LGBTQ+ senior executives, future leaders and their advocates in 2013.[7]
2014
He founded the Empower Ethnic Minority Role Model Lists published in The Financial Times featuring ethnically diverse senior executives, future leaders and their advocates.[8] (paywall)
2017
He founded the Heroes Women Role Model Lists published in The Financial Times featuring women senior executives, future leaders and their advocates.[9]
2019
He was awarded an OBE for services to diversity in business in 2019.[10][11]
2020
Sandhu founded the campaign If Not Now, When? calling for a step-change on Black inclusion in business, the workplace and society. Arising from the Black Lives Matter Movement, This campaign involved Sandhu calling on the British business community to address representation for ethnic minorities. He co-ordinated an open letter that was signed by 25 business leaders, including bosses from Tesco, John Lewis and ITV, and criticised companies for failing to increase racial diversity in the workforce.[12]
2022
He was a co-author of the book How To Get Your Act Together: a Judgement Free Guide to Diversity and Inclusion for Straight White Men which has been endorsed by business leaders including Sir Richard Branson and Marc Benioff, of Salesforce.[13]
2023
He founded the Enable Role Model List, which identifies individuals working on disability, neurodiversity, and mental health inclusion in business.[14][15]
2024
In June 2024, INvolve announced it was acquiring the BBBAwards[16] (celebrating Black British business leaders) and TNON (a network transforming corporate cultures for minority professionals).
Voluntary and philanthropy
Sandhu founded The Suki Sandhu LGBTQI Asia Fund to support organisations in Asia and the Far East campaigning for recognition and to raise awareness of LGBTQI communities, who face extreme discrimination in some countries.[17]
He is a board director of OutRight Action International, an LGBT human rights organisation and a Stonewall Ambassador.[18]
Sandhu is a patron of The Albert Kennedy Trust alongside prominent figures like Sir Ian McKellen and Russell Tovey which supports LGBTQ+ young people facing or experiencing homelessness.
He was an advisor to the UK government-sponsored, business-led diversity campaign organisation Leaders As Change Agents.
He is an advisory board member of the personal development programme BecomingX, founded by adventurer Bear Grylls OBE.
He is an ambassador for the organisation 25 x 25 which engages CEOs and Chairs about hiring more women into C-suite and CEO positions.
Personal life
He lives in Jersey and is married to Manuel Heichlinger.[19]
References
- ↑ Team, TRB News; angela-beevers (2023-06-09). "The Big Interview: Suki Sandhu, CEO & founder of INvolve and Audeliss | Retail Bulletin". Retail Bulletin | Daily UK Retail News. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ "Mothers of Invention". WeAre. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Tyler, Richard (2022-07-01). "The remarkable entrepreneurs behind Britain's fastest-growing businesses". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Swartz, Clay (2023-08-23). "Suki Sandhu is Widening the Gate for the C-Suite". YPO. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Grapevine, H. R. "How straight, white men can get their act together and other DE&I lessons". www.hrgrapevine.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Prevett, Hannah (2022-09-30). "'We were ahead of our time on inclusion in recruitment'". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ "The OUTstanding lists 2018: LGBT+ leaders and allies". Financial Times. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Khalaf, Roula (2017-05-25). "EMpower lists methodology". Financial Times. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "HERoes: champions of women in business". Financial Times. 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ "New Year Honours list 2019". GOV.UK. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ "Suki Sandhu to receive OBE on New Year's Honours List 2019 | Onrec". www.onrec.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Das, Shingi Mararike and Shanti (2021-05-24). "Black Lives Matter: the world has changed, but the problems remain". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Hassan, Suki Sandhu,Felicity (2022-03-03). How To Get Your Act Together.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Nominations". Enable Role Models. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Purcell, Emma (2024-12-03). "2024 Enable Role Model List: Celebrating 50 Global Leaders Driving Workplace Inclusion". Crip Life™. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ Adrien. "The Black British Business Awards". The Black British Business Awards. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ May, Melanie (2018-07-10). "New fund launches to support LGBTQI activism in Asia". UK Fundraising. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
- ↑ "Stonewall Ambassador heads up new diversity training scheme for BBC". 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ↑ Street, Francesca (2024-04-26). "Two strangers met in Berlin. Here's how they ended up having "three weddings"". CNN. Retrieved 2025-12-12.
External links
Official websites: