Chartered Manager of the Year

Deon is the Head of Marketing Technology, Enablement, and Governance at Legal and General Investment Management in London, where he also serves as Chair of the firm’s Diversity Network. Outside of the office, he is the Co-chair of InterInvest, a network advocating for LGBT+ equality across the investment management industry, and contributes to the Diversity Project’s LGBT strand. Deon began his career in financial services at a private wealth management company before joining LGIM in 2010. In his current role, he is responsible for implementing award-winning marketing technology solutions and driving innovation through enhanced governance and integrated tech solutions.

A dedicated culture carrier and diversity champion, Deon works tirelessly to promote LGBT+ inclusion within Legal and General and across the industry. His efforts have led to numerous awards for the organization. As the new Co-Chair of the Inclusion Network, he also champions ethnicity and strives to foster an inclusive culture. Through his various platforms, Deon advocates for marginalized communities, with several notable achievements in diversity and inclusion. He is a keynote speaker, panellist, and role model, using his leadership to create a culture where diversity, collaboration, and empowerment thrive.

James Golding is a Major in the British Army, serving with the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). Hailing from Upminster, Essex, he began his military education at Welbeck – The Defence Sixth Form College and earned a mechanical engineering degree from Aston University through the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS). Commissioned in 2014 after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, James commanded a Recovery Platoon in Germany, supported the Apache Attack Helicopter Force, and was promoted to Captain in 2018.

His leadership continued with command of the Falkland Islands Workshop in 2020 and managing equipment plans at HQ Field Army in 2021. In 2022, he led the Light Aid Detachment for an Engineer Regiment, overseeing the maintenance of a combat engineering fleet during UK and NATO exercises amid the Ukraine conflict. Now a Major, James furthers his expertise through studies at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

Riwilo is a Principal Permitting Manager at The Coal Authority. He manages the permitting functions of Coal Authority. Through permitting process, the Coal Authority supports development and economic growth by ensuring that any developments in legacy coal mining areas do not pose risks to public safety. He led a team comprising colleagues from various departments in his organisation that was awarded Coal Authority's 2024 Shine Award for Team Exemplar for upholding the Coal Authority's values and working collaboratively as one.

In his previous Team Leader and People Advisor roles at Environment Agency, he was awarded the Environment Agency's Award for "Value difference: include everyone" for championing inclusion and diversity and making long lasting impacts on the organisation.

He grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe, and is an alumini for Chevening Scholarship, Reading University and Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University in UK.

Jenna Jenkins is a Senior Operations Manager at Nationwide Building Society with over 20 years of experience in Leadership. Following 20 years the Retail Branch network she diversified her career into operations and Now leads Remediation and Customer Data teams. She gained her level 7 Strategic Management and Leadership Diploma in 2023 and is dedicated to the growth of her l self and others. Jenna is Known for creating a high performance culture and embodies the ethos of “high challenge, high support”. In her spare time, she enjoys making memories with her husband and two sons Stanley and Albert, and has a passion for cooking as an aid to relax.

Sandy Farar is a seasoned professional with expertise in operations, facilities management, and health and safety, demonstrating strong leadership and a commitment to process improvement. Her experience includes developing business continuity plans, managing office operations during crises, and fostering strategic partnerships, highlighted by her work with Arup and LiftShare.

Sandy is dedicated to corporate social responsibility, actively engaging with charities and local communities. She is passionate about diversity in the workplace, offering a unique perspective as a female professional of Asian descent. Highly driven, Sandy is committed to delivering exceptional client service and nurturing talent within her teams.

Dr. Thesara Jayawardane is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Management at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, and serves as the 2nd Vice President of CMI-Sri Lanka. She has been an active Board member of CMI-SL since 2021 and is the Diversity and Inclusion lead for the Sri Lanka Board. Thesara has judged the CMI Management Book of the Year 2022 and is recognized for her extensive contributions to the field.

Her academic credentials include a BSc in Engineering from the University of Waikato, an LLB (Honours) and LLM from the University of London and the University of West of England, respectively, as well as a Master of Arts from the University of Kelaniya and a PhD in Entrepreneurship from Aldersgate College. Thesara is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of both the Chartered Managers Institute-UK and the Chartered Institute of Marketing-UK. She is also a published author, television presenter, award-winning actress, and Karate champion.