Hi, I'm John.

I grew up in Lewisham in South London with my parents, where we lived in a one-bedroom flat. Most of my family worked in the construction trade and there was an expectation that I would embrace ‘traditional masculine’ values. By the age of 14, I realised I was gay, and I worried I wouldn’t be accepted. When I first came out, it was challenging, but after some difficult conversations my family were extremely supportive.

After school I knew I wanted to do something creative, and I gained a scholarship to study at the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. I then went into a career as a professional contemporary ballet dancer, performing across London and other locations around the world. While I loved this experience, I knew I needed to have a long-term focus. I didn’t have a financial buffer to fall back on, so after retiring from dance in my late twenties, I decided to go into HR. It’s a people focused job that gives you the opportunity to solve complex problems, which really appealed to me. I started in recruitment in investment banking, before moving to Deloitte in 2016. I was won over by the people, the firm’s ambition and the exciting work they do.

I’m now head of strategic workforce planning, resourcing business partnering and senior hiring in HR. As a director, I take business growth plans over a five-year period and translate that into workforce solutions so that we can deliver those plans. I manage the team of resourcing business partners to make sure the senior business leaders get what they need from resourcing. I’m also responsible for our senior hire strategy and delivery teams, so that we can attract the best leaders in the market to the firm.

Outside of my main role, I’ve been supporting HR around neurodiversity at Deloitte, setting up training and a lot of the infrastructure we need. A year ago, I was actually referred for a neurodiversity assessment myself. I’ve since been diagnosed with ADHD, with traits of Autism. Knowing why I think differently helps me to understand myself a lot better, and I now know why I deal with situations in the way I do. I’m able to get reasonable adjustments in place when I need them, and my colleagues have been really supportive.

I’m also a member of the PROUD network, and I’ve helped to shape how we use inclusive language in our recruitment materials. My partner and I do sometimes experience homophobia when we go out together on weekends, so that message of equality and inclusion is important. It’s one of the reasons why I attend regular Pride events, especially the ones in smaller towns and cities. Our networks are important at Deloitte, because they recognise our differences and ensure everyone can have a sense of belonging and voice in the organisation. As an openly gay man with neurodiversity from a low-income background, I want people to know that these things don’t define how successful you’ll become.