Episode 3 – Karen Blackett OBE

When Karen Blackett was growing up, her dad told her that, as a black female, she'd have to work twice as hard to make it to the top. Karen is now UK Country Manager for WPP, the world’s largest marketing services group, and Chairwoman of MediaCom, the largest media agency in the UK, was appointed Race Equality Business Champion by the Prime Minister in 2018, and regularly ranks among Britain's most influential business leaders in multiple lists. Karen is in conversation with David Abraham, Founder and CEO of Wonderhood Studios, and former chief executive of Channel 4. Their fascinating conversation, recorded live at the Migration Museum in London on 25 November 2019, explores Karen's memories of growing up in Reading, aka 'mini Barbados', how her background and upbringing equipped her with the skills and resilience that enabled her to rise to the top of a sector dominated by white, privately educated men, why she's a passionate advocate for the importance of diversity at all levels of society, and more. Migrants Mean Business is a podcast series from the Migration Museum, in association with Allianz Global Investors, presented by George Alagiah and featuring conversations with some of Britain’s most successful business leaders – all of whom have immigrant backgrounds. This podcast was recorded and produced by David Craigie, who also made the theme music. If you like this podcast, please subscribe and help us to spread the word. For more information on the Migration Museum, please visit migrationmuseum.org, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.