Baroness Oona King

Oona King, a pinnacle figure in the fight for political diversity, has made great strides in her career. The Labour Party Politian is no stranger to the House of Lords or the House of Commons, and is responsible for some of the most defining amendments in modern British history. On the corporate ladder, few have risen quite as spectacularly as Oona. Whether she is discussing diversity in businesses or British politics, Oona’s impactful speeches leave audiences with a new, more open perspective on racial and gender equality. She currently serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Uber.

Having worked as Channel 4’s Chief Diversity Officer, YouTube’s Director of Diverse Marketing and Google’s Director of Diversity Strategy, Oona is pioneering a more inclusive working environment, one high-profile brand at a time. When booked for events, this talented speaker can discuss a multitude of important topics, including diversity, British politics and Brexit, of which she played an integral role in negotiations.

Following a higher education in Politics from the University of York and the University of California, Oona ventured into the turbulent world of European politics. First as a researcher for the European Parliament, and later appointed the Political Assistant to the Labour Party Leader of the time. In 1997, she was chosen to represent Bethnal Green and Bow, making Oona the second black female MP in British history.

Using her platform as a force for positive change, she has been highly influential in the fight against racism in Great Britain, sparking governmental change with her harrowing personal story of racial abuse. Oona supplies that same influence at events, opening her audience’s eyes to the hard truth of discrimination in the UK.

In the early 2000s, Oona was appointed the Vice-Chair of the All-Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh, followed by Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Minister for e-commerce. Having suffered horrific racial abuse from political opponents and their supporters, which resulted in Oona’s tires being slashed and food thrown at her during a WW2 commemoration service, she rose with defiance to succeed in British politics.

Such experiences hardened Oona’s resolve, and made her more determined to succeed – discussed in her autobiography, The Oona King Diaries: House Music, published in 2007. Oona was later appointed Senior Policy Advisor on Equalities and Diversity and Faith by Gordan Brown, a testament to her positive influence.

In celebration of Oona’s valuable work against racism, she was named one of the 2003 100 Great Black Britons and listed on the annual Powerlist, the mark of a truly impactful individual. Including the importance of engaging young people to fight knife crime, her public speeches may include such influential topics as British politics, gender equality and diversity. Aside from her thriving media career, this inspiring inclusion speaker was named Baroness King of Bow in 2011, the journey to which she discusses in her speeches.