Menu
Sandra Johnson is a Certified CMI (Chartered Management Institute) Coach and Founder and Career and Personal Growth Coach at her business, Sandra Johnson UK. Drawing on over three decades of public, private, and voluntary sector experience, Sandra uses her lived experiences as a Black woman navigating often exclusionary systems to shape her powerful message of inclusivity and empowerment. Her work centres around equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB), with particular emphasis on dismantling racial barriers in professional environments. Sandra is frequently invited to speak on topics such as intersectionality in the workplace, anti-racist leadership, racial equity in policy, and empowering Black and minority ethnic professionals.
Sandra’s early career laid the foundation for her lifelong commitment to social justice. After working as Personal Assistant to a Senior Tax Partner at BDO while studying part-time, she led The Prince’s Trust Acorn Project in 1993 and later became a Senior Policy Officer at Derbyshire County Council. Her trajectory continued with key roles such as Head of Employment and Economy at the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Assistant Director of Business Engagement at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. These positions allowed her to influence national policy while embedding equality into the UK’s economic and business strategy.
In recent years, Sandra has achieved significant recognition. In 2024, she was appointed a UN Women UK Delegate and joined the judging panel for the Business Culture Awards and Business Culture Connected. She also became an Associate Trainer at Westminster Insight and Associate Speaker at Dods Events Diversity & Inclusion, extending her reach across professional networks. Sandra previously held senior leadership roles in organisations such as Philip Morris International, Costain Group PLC, and served as Head of OGD Engagement and Growth at HM Revenue and Customs and Council Member for London at the Confederation of British Industry.
Sandra’s speaking engagements delve into systemic racism, racial identity in corporate leadership, and developing racially inclusive cultures. Her work is rooted in practical experience and deep empathy, ensuring that her audience not only understands racial inequality but feels compelled to act. With her extensive background across government and business, Sandra brings credibility, authenticity, and impact to every stage she steps on—making her an ideal choice for organisations committed to real change in racial equity and inclusion.
Sandra Johnson is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“Sandra delivered an inspiring and thought provoking session on the importance of mentoring, the role it plays in achieving our goals, and the need to take ownership for our development through reflection and feedback. It was insightful and perfectly pitched for our audience thanks to the briefing and run through sessions we had with Sandra in advance. All attendees found it interesting and valuable.”
“Sandra exemplifies professionalism in her approach to our work at Architects for Change (RIBA’s Equality and Diversity Committee) her extensive experience in this area has proved invaluable. Sandra’s contributions to issues of strategy and policy are impressive and her natural communication and diplomacy skills make her an absolute pleasure to work with.”
“Sandra was a panellist at our International Women’s Day event. Sandra was a great speaker, with so many inspiring stories to tell. She engaged the audience and answered their questions with insight and positivity.”
“I really enjoyed your segment at Women into Leadership today. Your speech was so powerful and I can’t believe you didn’t need powerpoint to deliver it in such an engaging and relatable way! Thank you again for sharing your story, I have learnt a lot!”
“When I was going for a more challenging role, I collaborated with Sandra. She guided me through the interview preparation, which was instrumental in securing the position. We continued to meet to discuss how I could make a significant impact as a new manager. Working with Sandra helped me recognise my value. I highly recommend Sandra for career development coaching.”
“With Sandra’s guidance, I successfully navigated a challenging period of change. Her coaching helped me achieve a better work-life balance, alleviating my guilt about childcare arrangements. She also taught me how to effectively document my achievements for the performance management cycle. Through our collaboration, I identified my strengths and skills, which ultimately enabled me to secure a new role in a different function.”
“I am working as a Vice President in the banking sector. I asked Sandra for support as I was finding it challenging to manage the increased workload across different time zones and accommodate my caring responsibilities. Sandra assisted me in crafting a business case which articulated the need for me to work in a different way and coached me on the approach to take with my line manager. I had a successful meeting with my line manager where he accepted my points as a basis for ongoing review. “
“When I decided to search for a new role, I spoke with Sandra. She assisted me in identifying my strengths and clarifying the values I was seeking from my future position. We explored the approach for interviews. I confidently competed and obtained the right role for me. It was good to have Sandra’s insights on the journey.”
“Following the successful completion of my probation, I sought some coaching. Sandra guided me to communicate my achievements more effectively and helped me to understand the value I bought to the role. Working with Sandra gave me more confidence and I achieved a promotion shortly after completing my probation.”
“Sandra recruited and coached me to assume the duties of a senior contractor, leading to substantial cost savings for the department. She championed my experience, skills, and professionalism. Her approach helped me to recognise the value I added to the team and the significant contribution I was making to the whole function.”
“I really enjoyed your segment at Women into Leadership today. Your speech was so powerful, and I can’t believe you didn’t need powerpoint to deliver it in such an engaging and relatable way! Thank you again for sharing your story, I have learnt a lot!”
The BAME Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for Black, Asian and minority ethnic speakers since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars.
Copyright © 2026 The BAME Speakers Agency. All rights reserved.
