Page 84 - 2018 Powerlist

Public Sector & Third Sector Dr Fiona Bartells-Ellis

INTERVIEW

As head of equality at the British Council, Dr Fiona Bartells-Ellis OBE has reached
the top of her profession. She talks to Tiffany-Annabelle Davies about her career,
her passion for what’s right... and the worst piece of advice she ever received

Did you grow up wanting a career in it will turn you into someone who is of people’s lives, their diversity, the
the diversity sector or did you have a ‘anyone’s’. You won’t be in the driving extent of challenges and paucity
defining moment? seat. Don’t be too hard on yourself of resources to help with these and
No, I didn’t. When I was growing either. It may well mean you are too the resilience of people. So there
up the sector as it is did not exist. It hard on others and limit your ability was despair and hope and lots of
has emerged as a result of growing to be compassionate and empathetic complexity. My M.Phil in Social Policy
awareness, based on the contributions which the world needs more, not less particularly helped with the meta-
of various people, of the importance of. Identify ‘time stealers’. Things that analysis. Tertiary level studies gave
of addressing discrimination and steal your time don’t add value, and me deeper insight and understanding
marginalisation in pursuit of social prevent you from focusing properly on and the research, analytic and
justice. There was not one defining what you should be focusing on. deconstruction skills to make
moment but a very early awareness good decisions and recognise the
of what it feels like to be powerless importance of an applied approach to
and treated unfairly through personal my area of work.
experiences and observations and
reflections on those observations. Are you on social media, do you
follow certain people for inspiration?
What has been the proudest moment This work is No. I am not and am frequently
of your career? told I should be. There is a lot that
I am always a little cautious about demanding bothers me about social media
pride! I think probably it was when I emotionally and – philosophically and practically –
acted as an expert witness and much although I know it has an important
later received feedback of what was intellectually role to play, especially for some
deemed to be my incredibly positive individuals and groups. Instead I
contribution to the life chances of listen to Ted Talks, read books and
the young black boy at the centre other things and gain inspiration
of the situation. Things in that What is the best and worst advice from people alive and dead such as
vein give me a sense of making a you’ve ever received? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Adam
meaningful contribution which gives The best advice was “you are a Hochschild, James Baldwin and Paulo
me satisfaction and something akin character, always be a good one” and Freire and many others.
to pride. Being in the Powerlist the “you don’t always have something to
first time and getting my OBE were say”, which means basically “hold your Do you believe social media has a
humbling and very pleasing. own counsel, don’t share everything all positive effect on the diversity sector?
of the time”. The worst advice was that I think it is mixed but on balance
What is a key tip for success you I should stop challenging and accept certainly more positive than negative.
often feel is overlooked? that systems can’t be easily changed. It has opened up possibilities for a
I think tips for success insufficiently What’s the integrity and satisfaction more diverse group of people to
focus on what I see as the foundation in that? connect and campaign, share and
elements. This crucially includes contribute, support and understand
keeping healthy – mind, body, spirit What did you study at university and and can act as a powerful agent
and a disciplined approach. Also did it have an impact on your career? of change in terms of perceptions,
developing core skills of verbal and I have done various studies but my behaviours and systems and leverage
written communication, analysis, first profession was social work which positive influence in other ways. I think
focus, being able to think and process led me into social work education engagement with it at an individual
in the moment, being solution oriented and eventually running a Master’s level has to be very considered and
rather than problem focussed and Programme in Advanced Social Work. ‘intelligent’. Businesses can’t ignore
independent minded. Don’t make It impacted profoundly because of it or do so pretty much at their peril.
people liking you a goal. If you do the exposure to various elements This is very important for the sector.

80 Powerlist 2018