Spotlight Interview – Samantha West | Ok To Be Different

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• Spotlight Interview – Samantha West | Ok To Be Different

13 November 2024

Samantha West is an experienced FM Commercial Director who uses her lived experience as a transgender woman to help businesses improve their Equality Diversity and Inclusion credentials.

Having been a prominent voice in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) space within the facilities management sector on a voluntary basis for several years, Samantha has founded her own diversity strategy consultancy: Ok To Be Different. Samantha firmly believes in a learning culture of honesty and transparency when it comes to ED&I, where people can ask questions in a judgement-free environment.

In addition to founding Ok To Be Different, Samantha has also been selected to be a support worker for Hertfordshire Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust. In this role, Samantha will work alongside NHS professionals to support transgender patients, allowing Samantha to give back to the trust that supported her during her transition.

Our conversation with Samantha coincides with Transgender Awareness Week and in the interview Samantha speaks candidly about the current landscape for transgender people, who are more likely to experience threats of physical or sexual harassment and violence than other members of the LGBTQIA+ community (National LGBT Survey, Government Equalities Office). 

Transgender people are also not always safe from abuse in the workplace. According to CIPD research, 55 per cent of transgender employees have experienced workplace conflict and harassment, compared with 29 per cent of cisgender workers.

We spoke to Samantha about how she curates safe learning spaces for businesses and why ED&I needs to remain firmly on the business agenda.

Watch the Video

*Editor’s note: Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the audio on Samantha’s interview is not up to our usual standard and background noise can be heard throughout. 

Picture: a photograph of Samantha

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 13 November 2024

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