The Valuable 500 announces board appointments as it sets out ambitious plans for future growth

- Leading disability activist Judy Heumann joins the likes of Paul Polman on the Valuable 500 new advisory board

- The announcement of the new board comes with key management hires within the business

LONDON,Dec. 1,2021 --The Valuable 500,today announced the appointment of twelve new advisory board members and the strengthening of its management team. The board members represent both business leaders and disability activists and bring with them a wealth of experience to help drive the Valuable 500 forward as it focuses on phase two of the campaign,which will see the 500 major organisations work together to make change happen for disability inclusion in business. As the global voice for disability in business,the Valuable 500 is positioning this advisory board to be a first of its kind,in structure and stature.

The Valuable 500 is now working with its Iconic Leaders from the collective including Allianz,Apple,BBC,Deloitte,EY,Google,Mahindra Ltd.,LSEG,Omnicom,P&G,Salesforce,Sony,Sky and Verizon,who will co-fund,co-create and co-test relevant programmes and solutions,using their industry experience to drive progress for the entire community.

The Advisory board members are:

Paul Polman,Chairman of the Valuable 500,Co-founder of IMAGINE.

Rosaleen Blair CBE,founder of AMS.

Jeff Dodds,Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Media O2.

Katherine Garrett-Cox CBE,Chief Executive,GIB Asset Management.

Rama Gheerawo,Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design.

Ichiro Kabasawa,Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation.

Judy Heumann,internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people.

Renee Manfredi,Special Olympics International consultant.

Neil Milliken,VP - Global Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion,Atos.

Natasha Muller,Next Gen impact investor,philanthropist and mental health activist.

Eddie Ndopu,humanitarian,renowned disability justice practitioner and advocate for the United Nations Secretary-General.

Greg Nugent,Creator of HTYT Films,previously CMO of London 2012.

Saadia Zahidi,Managing DirectorCentre for the New Economy and Society,World Economic Forum,Switzerland.

"The appointment of our new board members represents a milestone for the Valuable 500. Each member will bring a unique and different viewpoint to the table and their experience and understanding of the Valuable 500 will help us achieve our Phase Two goals. I look forward to working closely with all of them," said Caroline Casey,Founder,Valuable 500.

"The campaigns' ambitious goal to fundamentally transform the global business system and fight for an equal and inclusive society is continuing to gain traction and I am immensely proud of the progress we have made to date" said Paul Polman,Chairman,Valuable 500.

In addition to the appointment of the advisory board,the Valuable 500 is also announcing several new Executive Leadership team members reporting to Jo Pritchard,CEO the Valuable 500. Rhiannon Parker,as Chief Innovation Officer,Betsy Beaumon as Chief Product Officer,Crosby Cromwell as Chief Partnerships Officer and Chief Marketing Officer,Chloe Matharu.