Bernadette Thompson OBE is the Associate Director of Inclusion for the Barts Health NHS Trust. A highly accomplished HR professional with a proven track record, Bernadette has worked for leading organisations such as the NHS, the UK Home Office, and the Ministry of Justice. Leaving a positive mark on every role she has held; Bernadette has been a driving force for diversifying talent and driving cultural transformation. With an outstanding track record, Bernadette is one of the leading HR speakers and eloquently discusses subjects such as diversity, inclusion, equality HR and unconscious bias.
Beginning her career with the Civil Service in 1998, Bernadette first joined the Legal Aid Board. From humble beginnings, Bernadette’s hard work and tenacity saw her quickly rise in the ranks and propelled her career to new heights. In 2015 she became the Senior Diversity and Inclusion Manager for HM Treasury, followed by Diversity Consultant at the UK Home Office. In 2018 she joined the Civil Service Fast Stream as a Business Partner before being elevated to the position of Senior SCS HR Business Partner for the Ministry of Justice UK. Bernadette would later join the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as Deputy Director for Inclusion, Wellbeing and Employee Engagement.
As a prominent diversity campaigner and a champion for the inclusion of minority women in senior positions, alongside her present role at the NHS, Bernadette is also a Different Woman Ambassador. Furthermore, Bernadette has been featured in leading publications such as People Management, SHE2’s Wonder Woman and Still Breathing. In acknowledgement of her work to drive representation in the Civil Service, Bernadette has received many accolades and awards such as the 2019 Community Award from the Charity for Civil Servants and she won the 2020 Workplace Hero category in the National Investing in Ethnicity Awards. In 2021 she became the Rising Star Champion from We are the City and in the same year was appointed OBE for Services to Diversity and Inclusion.
Her commitment to making workplaces more inclusive for ethnic minorities is truly admirable and her insight is extremely valuable. With pioneering initiatives and a profound understanding of diversity, equality and inclusion, Bernadette’s experience is highly prized by organisations seeking to create a thriving workforce. As a speaker, she articulately and passionately delivers impactful speeches on a range of topics in the areas of HR and diversity and inclusion.
