Ikenna, the Founder & Managing Principal of Black & Gold Advisory, has been a corporate matchmaker since January 2000. He has worked with clients across a range of industry sectors on four continents (Africa, Europe, the Middle East & North America) on a very wide variety of talent advisory projects. He worked at three different headhunting firms prior to setting up B&G in 2013.

A problem solver by inclination, Ikenna is at his best when helping clients achieve their business and professional goals. His work includes assisting blue chip firms in setting up new business units, growing market share and achieving greater diversity in their talent pools. Ikenna has helped entrepreneurs create compelling employee value propositions and build brand new businesses from scratch. He also provides executive coaching services to CEOs looking to improve their decision-making, managers seeking to become more effective leaders and rising talents preparing for leadership roles.

A keen athlete, Ikenna has participated in competitive individual and team sports since childhood, including 15 years of semi-professional rugby in the English national and regional leagues. A past CEO of London Nigerian Rugby Football Club, Ikenna incorporates principles of competitive sports – clear goals, focus on the mission, improvement through practice, clear communication, calmness under pressure, leading by example, shaping team dynamics, effective delegation – into his coaching of executives in the corporate world.

Born in Nigeria, Ikenna facilitates business and investment opportunities with growing African businesses both through B&G and his role on the executive committee of Nigerians In the Square Mile.

Ikenna graduated from the London School of Economics in 1999 with a BSc in Economics. He is also an alumnus of King’s College Lagos.

Doyin is the Founder Director of DeltaAlphaPsi, a corporate diversity consultancy. She is a multiple award-winning Chartered Business Psychologist, consultant, executive coach, researcher and skilled facilitator. She is also a thought leader in diversity and inclusivity, multiple identities and organisational leadership.

She has worked with several FTSE 100 businesses, United Nations agencies, the UK Civil Service and professional services firms. Past engagements include leadership development for a global financial institution, coaching for aspiring senior civil servants, a diversity audit for an industry regulator and implicit bias training for legal services.

Doyin is Deputy Chair of the British Psychology Society’s Diversity and Inclusion at Work group. She also currently holds faculty positions at Cranfield School of Management, UK; Queen Mary University of London, School of Business and Management; Lagos Business School, Nigeria and the Human Resources Management Department at University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Doyin was the lead researcher of the UK Government-backed 2017 Sir John Parker Review into ethnic diversity on FTSE 100 boards and of the 2020 update report.

These experiences and qualifications combined, give Doyin an extensive understanding of leadership development in the context of diversity and inclusion.

Doyin thrives on using the science of psychology and behaviour to help get powerful results for the individuals, for their teams and for the organisation, especially when it involves diversity.

A Chartered and Registered Occupational Psychologist, Doyin holds a PhD in Organisational Behaviour, an MRes in Management Research – both from Cranfield School of Management – an MSc. in Occupational Psychology from the University of Nottingham and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Birmingham.