Ahead of her appearance as a panel member at The Watercooler Event on Thursday 26 May, I took the opportunity to chat with the inspirational Akita Somani. As well as being a Senior Vice President with Elavon – which is part of U.S. Bank – Akita is their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion. Until recently, Akita was also Chief of Staff and Head of Change Management. A role which put her in a pivotal position when it comes to embedding wellbeing across the business.
Akita will be joining a panel at The Watercooler entitled: “What We Can Do to Increase a Sense of Social Belonging, Inclusion, and Stability in the Workplace”. This is part of the Social & Inclusive Wellbeing track. The other panel members are Charelle Wigley, Organisational Culture: Wellbeing Lead, Tik Tok and Sue Roe, Senior Policy Officer, TUC. The panel will be Chaired by Catherine de la Poer, Founder, Halcyon.
In this 10 minute interview, Akita sheds light on the foundational programmes, as well as the simple practical initiatives, that Elavon has implemented which seamlessly integrate DEI and wellbeing to make Elavon a better place to work.
Akita also shares thoughts around who she believes should be driving the wellbeing agenda within organisations in our fast evolving world of work.
The Watercooler is taking place at Olympia, London on 25 & 26 May 2022. The event is all about helping employers to find the right joined-up mental, physical, financial, social and environmental wellbeing solutions that deliver the best possible outcomes both for employees and for the business. You can find out more and register to attend free here.
