Zaheer Ahmad MBE

Head of Unifying Culture at professional services firm BDO

Zaheer is a prominent voice on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Currently, he is the Head of Unifying Culture at professional services firm BDO. Before this, he served as the Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Haleon, a world-leading consumer healthcare company. He has held senior DEI roles at Ernst and Young and the UK Police Service. A highly decorated former police officer, he was a member of five National Police boards such as the Ministerial Progression Board and the National Equality Diversity and Human Rights Board. Moreover, Zaheer holds several advisory and non-executive positions with leading organizations, including the British Academy of Management, the National Health Service, and Toyota Motor Europe. He is also a Scholl governor at a primary and a secondary school.
Zaheer has contributed to various high-profile reports and projects, such as the Government backed Parker Review and the FTSE 500 McKenzie-Delis Pecker Review, among others. He is a former Race advisor to the Arsenal football club and recently served as an advisor to an independent task force (supported by the UK Government) set up to boost socio-economic diversity in financial and professional services.
In 2022, he became an Independent Panel Member with the Premier League Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Standards, which supports all 20 Premier League clubs and multiple English Football Leagues to embed EDI across their organisations. He founded EqualityX, which publishes an annual list of Influential Muslims in the workplace and the Top 50 Inclusive Muslim Employers. Recognised for his distinguished knowledge and impact in DEI, Zaheer has received over 35 awards and honours, including the Head of Diversity, European Diversity, Global Equality, and Ethnicity in the City Inspirational Leader Awards, Zaheer was named on the Global Diversity Top 20 D&I professionals list for three years running.

Currently, he sits on the Judging Panel of the European Diversity, British Diversity, Compliance Industry, Tech Diversity, and Black Talent Awards.