Sherry Malik, NSPCC’s Director of Children’s Services has been listed on Green Park’s fourth annual BAME 100 Business Leaders index, celebrating Britain’s black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) board level talent.
Having spent over three decades working in the public, voluntary and private sector, Sherry has been working in her current role at the NSPCC since 2014, where she leads an ambitious programme that aims to bring more evidence of what works to prevent child abuse into the wider children’s sector.
She was identified as one of the 100 BAME leaders by figures from some of the best-known and highly successful private, public & third sector organisations in the UK, all of whom regularly make these judgements and such appointment decisions in real-life situations.
Before the NSPCC, Sherry’s previous roles included director of strategy for Cafcass; deputy chief executive for the General Social Care Council; and director of children’s and adult social care at Hounslow.
Originally a teacher, she went on to become a social worker and continues to be a huge champion of the profession. Using her experience and expertise to help influence and develop the public sector with evidence-based outcomes frameworks.
On learning her appointment, Sherry Malik said: “I am delighted to be included in Green Park’s 2019 BAME 100 Business Leaders index this year and honoured to be amongst such a talented group of people.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for public and voluntary organisations as well as businesses to recognise the talent of BAME leaders and diversify their boards, because diverse boards truly make better decisions.“
Published by executive recruitment and diversity consultancy Green Park, the index is designed to highlight the talent, experience and expertise of ethnic minority leaders who are still severely under-represented at board level in private, public and third sector organisations.
Green Park’s BAME 100 Business Leaders index aims to inspire a shift in the attitudes and practices of leading organisations and to call into question any claim that the aim of Sir John Parker’s target – to have at least one minority member on every major public, private or third sector board – cannot be. The annual index showcases one hundred ethnic minority leaders who any organisation looking for a board member, should be prepared to consider, therefore banishing the age-old myth that diverse talent does not exist.
The BAME 100 leaders were identified based on a list of over 600 diverse leaders to which a proprietary scoring methodology was applied focussing on professional experience and governance expertise. The top scoring individuals were evaluated by the independent assessment panel overseen by Green Park’s Chairman and the founding Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips.
Trevor Philips, Green Park’s Chairman, said: “Despite the clear, long-established evidence that organisations which are diverse and inclusive perform better than those that aren’t, the UK’s private, public and third sector boards remain overwhelmingly white. Some claim this is due to a shortage of board-ready BAME individuals. But as this year’s BAME 100 list clearly demonstrates, the talent is out there – and in greater numbers than ever.
“What these leaders bring to their organisations cannot be under-estimated. Their experience and perspective act as a counter-point to homogenous, ‘group-thinking’ that many existing boards can fall prey to – making them ideal candidates for wider leadership roles.”
Green Park’s BAME 100 Business Leaders index was launched on 11 September, 2019, at Somerset House, where Green Park have acted as exhibition catalysts for the landmark exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now, celebrating the 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond.
