Jenny Okonkwo
Founder and President at Black Female Accountants Network
Jenny is Founder and President of Black Female Accountants Network (BFAN), a grassroots DEI volunteer led initiative, focused on economic empowerment and career advancement of local and immigrant finance and accounting professionals.
BFAN was founded in Canada and has more than 1500 members across several countries including the UK, Ireland, US. Australia and other parts of Europe. BFAN is a proud member of the Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs) program, part of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). In 2018, BFAN was the recipient of the inaugural TRIEC ‘Leadership in Collaboration’ Award.
Jenny is a highly skilled D&I practitioner with the ability to influence change in workplace culture, working with industry leading organizations to get to the heart of what they are seeking to transform. She has a practical understanding of the range of D&I dimensions to create a truly inclusive workplace. Jenny also has a deep understanding of the role of allyship and how to leverage intercultural competence to work more effectively at the individual and organization level. Her professional background as a CPA equips her with a unique understanding on how to leverage data in planning and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion change and she successfully completed the TRIEC Certificate in Inclusive Leadership program.
She is an expert in the leadership development and empowerment of professional immigrant networks and has successfully implemented best practices and strategies that remove barriers and address bias in the recruitment and selection of immigrant professionals. Jenny’s work in this area has received government recognition and resulted in her becoming a Role Model award recipient from the Diversity Advancement Network and a Finalist for the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.
Jenny is a twice published author and regularly speaks in the areas of inclusive leadership, women's empowerment and personal branding.
Takes part in
May, 21 2:00 PM CEST
Visionary Stage
Panel Discussion
Overcoming Barriers to a Workplace that is Inclusive Towards Refugees and Immigrants
What can employers do, to be more inclusive of these individuals and allow them to fully contribute their skills? Our speakers will discuss three key topics:
- The importance of refugees and immigrants in a post-COVID economic recovery
- What prevents most companies from hiring newly-arrived workers
- Challenges to the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in the workplace
Speakers
Arifur Rahman Prodhan Head of Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Team at UNHCR Rwanda, the UN Refugee Agency
Arifur Rahman ProdhanJoséphine Goube Executive Director at Techfugees For Impact
Joséphine GoubeJenny Okonkwo Founder and President at Black Female Accountants Network
Jenny OkonkwoMaura Di Mauro Intercultural Trainer, Coach & Consultant, D&I and Innovation Specialist
Maura Di MauroLakshmi Natarajan Founder of Travel Plus Them
Lakshmi Natarajan