Payal is a managing director who sits on the Accenture United Kingdom & Ireland (UKI) Board with singular accountability for Inclusion & Diversity, and leads the Talent & Organisation UKI practice. Payal is the sponsor of a coordinated programme around the recruitment, development, progression and retention of female employees. In her capacity as a People Advocate, she has overseen the establishment of Accenture’s market-leading Shared Parental Leave provision, and is a key contributor to many of Accenture’s events aimed at promoting female progression, including the annual flagship International Women’s Day celebrations. Externally, Payal is a Trustee on the Board of East London Business Alliance and part of the Business in The Community (BITC) Gender Equality Leadership Team, with a focus on intersectionality and challenging gender norms. Payal has been recognised in prominent global diversity rankings, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences such as Critical Eye CEO Retreat, CBI, European Business Summit, STEM Gender Equality Congress as well as senior leadership forums on the topic of the future workforce and inclusion. She has founded a scholarship program in Mumbai for under-privileged girls, and is co-founding a ‘not for profit’ helping youth from disadvantaged backgrounds build life and leadership skills.