Empowering black professionals to lead with pride

Empowering Black professionals to lead with pride in the UK isn’t just a matter of representation—it’s a driver of economic growth, organisational resilience and social progress. Despite ongoing advancements, Black professionals remain significantly underrepresented in senior leadership roles across British business, often facing obstacles rooted in bias, workplace culture and systemic exclusion.

The UK landscape: Progress and persistent barriers

Recent data underscores a consistent representation gap. The proportion of Black professionals within the UK working-age population continues to grow—now at around 4% nationally and 13.5% in London—yet less than 1.2% of FTSE 100 executive roles are occupied by Black leaders. In finance, insurance and professional services, representation remains particularly low, with under 2% of employees Black and fewer than 1% in senior positions.

According to the APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2025, only 2% of project professionals surveyed identified as Black, Black British, Caribbean, or African, showing little improvement on the 2023 figure of 1.8%. Furthermore, Black respondents reported the lowest average salaries across all ethnic groups in the profession, with a median of £49,450 compared to an overall professional average of £57,000. This disparity highlights how structural barriers continue to limit both progression and equitable pay.

In sectors such as social work, around 10% of managers identify as Black African, Caribbean or Black British, despite representing over a quarter of the workforce. These figures reflect how advancement opportunities often stall before senior leadership levels. According to the TUC (2023), more than 40% of Black employees experienced workplace racism in the past five years, and 71% reported that their racial identity has impacted their career prospects.

Strategies for empowerment and leadership

1) Sponsorship and targeted mentorship

Mentorship alone is not enough; Black professionals benefit most from sponsorship—where senior leaders actively advocate for their advancement. Organisations serious about inclusion must design programs that connect rising Black talent with influential decision-makers who can unlock visibility, resources and leadership opportunities.

2) Building inclusive cultures

True inclusion starts with transparency, accountability and measurable action. Diversity training must go beyond compliance, with all recruitment, appraisal and promotion systems audited to eliminate bias. As APM’s 2025 market report highlights, organisations with formal DEI strategies reported 18% higher employee engagement than those without—demonstrating that inclusive cultures drive stronger performance and retention.

3) Fostering networks and peer support

Cross-sector alliances—such as the Black Talent Charter and APM’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives—amplify voices and strengthen peer learning. Such platforms help move professionals from isolation toward empowerment, building confidence and broadening access to opportunity.

4) Promoting authentic leadership and storytelling

When Black professionals are encouraged to lead authentically, drawing on their personal and cultural experiences, it not only disrupts stereotypes—it builds trust, empathy and cohesion across teams. Storytelling and open dialogue can help colleagues see diverse leadership as a strength rather than an exception.

5) Committing to structural reform

Incremental progress is insufficient. Companies and institutions must commit to measurable diversity goals—tracking representation, retention and pay equity—and investing in tailored leadership development. APM’s 2025 findings show that organisations with diversity at senior levels report higher project success rates (by 16%), underscoring the strategic advantage of inclusion.

Unlocking economic and social value

The McGregor-Smith Review estimated that closing the participation gap for ethnic minority professionals could add £24 billion a year to the UK economy—equivalent to 1.3% of GDP. According to McKinsey, firms in the top quartile for leadership diversity achieve up to 35% higher financial returns than those in the lowest quartile. Empowering Black talent, therefore, is not just morally right—it’s essential for long-term economic performance and innovation.

Conclusion: Setting the stage for advancement

Join us at the APM London Network’s Harnessing Our Strength: Empowering Black Professionals to Lead with Pride event on 30 October 2025 at Woburn House Conference Centre, London—a dedicated forum for dialogue, support and networking aimed at advancing Black leadership in UK project management and beyond.

Events like the APM London Network’s Harnessing Our Strength: Empowering Black Professionals to Lead with Pride provide vital spaces for learning, mentorship and connection—supporting participants to embrace their influence, advocate for systemic change and build the UK professional landscape into one of genuine pride and inclusion.