Page 91 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

Simon Woolley

Co-founder/Director, Operation Black Vote Public Sector & Third Sector

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Theresa May announced
Simon would become Downing Street’s Chair of the Race
Disparity Audit Advisory group.
He has been tasked to lead the group into its next phase
over the next two years. The group was set up following the
publication of the Race Disparity Audit, which uncovered
persistent race inequalities that impact thousands of BAME
individuals. The group’s task is to challenge, steer and
support government departments, to develop interventions
to tackle the disparities in the Race Disparity Audit, and
push civil society, business and local government to take
action. Simon said: “It is a huge honour to chair this group
which has so many impressive individuals. But our goal is
clear: with the Prime Minister Theresa May’s full support we
aim to work with ministers, senior civil servants, business
leaders and community leaders and collectively close race
inequality gaps.”
The group has also been tasked to bring communities
closer to local and national government.
This built on Simon’s success with Operation Black Vote’s
high-profile ‘blacksdontvote.com’ campaign during the
last general election. A collaboration with media partners
Saatchi & Saatchi, actor/rapper Riz Ahmed and SBTV’s
Jamal Edwards, the campaign raised awareness around
what impact black people could have if they voted. Dr Nira Chamberlain
The campaign received national media coverage and Principal Consultant, Babcock International
successfully lobbied political leaders to state how they could Group; Professional Mathematician
address racial inequalities. Crucially, the effort saw a record
number of BAME voters, a rise in the number of BME MPs –
a record 52 – and the election of two Operation Black Vote Acclaimed mathematician Dr Chamberlain is among
alumni: Tan Dhesi and Marsha de Cordova. the UK’s top 100 scientists, and has been described by
Simon was the government adviser on the Baroness Ruby Loughborough University, where he is a visiting fellow, as
McGregor review into race equality and employment and one of its “greatest scientific minds”.
worked on the David Lammy review into racial injustice in He uses his platform to take part in charitable causes. He
the criminal justice system. He is also commissioner for race has been an avid supporter of BBC journalist Robert Peston’s
on the Equality and Human Rights Commission. charity Speakers for Schools, a charity made up of a network
of leading figures keen to support young people in state
schools. As part of this role, this year he has been delivering
talks on real world mathematics and being a professional
mathematical modeller. His highlight talk of the year was
a workshop in Gloucester entitled ‘Saving Aston Villa’, and
his contribution was celebrated at a special ceremony at 10
Downing Street.
Dr Chamberlain is also involved in the Reach Society, a
charity which he has supported for many years that aims to
encourage, motivate and inspire black boys and young men
to own the development of their potential and make viable
transitions into adult life.
Renowned for using algorithms to solve complex problems
across engineering and industry, Dr Chamberlain is the
first black mathematician to appear in the autobiographical
directory Who’s Who. Some of his major successes include
the creation of a mathematical cost capability trade-off
that led to the commission and creation of the Royal Navy’s
£6.2billion HMS Queen Elizabeth. He has also devised a new
method of long multiplication that is widely used in schools
in Asia. He is currently principal consultant for data science
and mathematical modelling at Babcock International
Group, and Vice President of the Institute of Mathematics
and its Applications.

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