Dr. Joanna Abey MBE
The Architect
Structured and legacy-driven; builds the systems and institutions that last.
Dr. Joanna Abey MBE is a British entrepreneur, public-sector leader and writer working at the intersection of governance, inclusion and institutional reform. She is Managing Director of Blue Moon and Partners, recognised for embedding equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) at scale across public and private sectors. She was formerly Head of Creative Diversity at the BBC, where she helped shape national standards for inclusion, and through her inclusive-recruitment models has placed over 4,000 professionals into roles. Her public-service seats span former Civil Service Commissioner, elected Common Councillor of the City of London, Adviser to the Metropolitan Police, and (since 2025) a serving magistrate. She was awarded an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion and is currently training for the Bar in criminal and human rights law. She co-authored The Creative Majority (with the Lenny Henry Media Centre at Birmingham University) and its follow-up, Roots.
“if there's no baseline data that says well this is where we are then it's really difficult to measure any impact which means then you could have all the efforts that you put in questioned really on their rationale, purpose, value.”
“sometimes in order to get to where you want to, you have to sort of dismantle things and look at how it's not working and put it all back together in the way foundation.”
“if a program is required whether they call that an initiative, a leadership program, anything in order to level the playing field, you're already saying that your recruitment processes aren't inclusive.”
Measurement, trust and The Next Agenda
THE RECORD IS CHECKABLE