June Sarpong OBE

Biography

From star of MTV, Kiss FM, Channel 4, Loose Women and Sky News to a broadcasting executive with a pivotal role in shaping the diversity of British broadcasting, June Sarpong is a famous and highly influential media executive.

As an internationally renowned campaigner on diversity June has worked with big names including Burberry, M&C Saatchi Merlin and the MOBO Foundation and was appointed the BBC’s first ever Director of Creative Diversity.

Born in East London with both an MBE and OBE to her name for services to broadcasting and to charity, June has fought for greater representation in the media not just with the faces we see on our screens but also championing diversity behind the scenes.

She worked with the BBC to deliver Diamond, an industry-wide monitoring database system which measures workforce diversity on UK productions. She transformed the BBC’s approach to diversity and helped cultivate an environment for honest discussions about inclusion.

An important part of June’s legacy was the Creative Diversity Commitment. The BBC initially invested £44 million to support nearly 70 shows to increase diversity and inclusion on and off air. The corporation was on track to invest the full £112 million by 2023/24, £100 for TV and £12 million for radio.

June’s impressive broadcasting career means she is a natural and compelling speaker comfortable delivering important speeches in front of big audiences.

Her string of TV credits include Channel 4’s youth strand T4, Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank, Your Face or Mine?, Dirty Laundry, Playing it Straight, Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and the Party In The Park, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and the BBC’s flagship political debate programme Question Time.

June is the author of books Diversify: Six Degrees of integration and The Power of Women and helped set up the Women Inspiration and Enterprise Alliance in 2010, an international conference supporting female excellence and empowerment.

June also co-founded the Decide Act Now summit, promoting discussion and innovation.