Amna Khan appointed as co-chair of the EDI Committee

pro-manchester has appointed MMU Senior Lecturer, Dr. Amna Khan as the new co-chair of its EDI Committee, alongside fellow co-chair Dr. Carl Austin-Behan OBE, LGBTQ+ Advisor to the Mayor of Greater Manchester & The Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Amna has been an active member of the EDI Committee since 2019 and already chairs the Race, Ethnicity, Religion and Belief (RERB) working group that is one of the six sub groups that make up the EDI group. When former co-chair Alison Bull of Mills and Reeve decided to step down as co -chair after more than a decade of dedication and commitment, Amna seemed like an obvious choice to step up to the role.

The EDI Committee aims to help develop a culture of EDI for as many people as possible within the pro-manchester and North-West business community and change perceptions, breakdown barriers, facilitate conversations and challenge non-EDI behaviour, in a safe, constructive and respectful way.

Sam Booth, chief executive of pro-manchester, said ‘Amna’s passion and dedication to all things EDI shines through and we are excited to be working alongside her towards achieving the aims and objectives as set out by our wonderful EDI Group. pro-manchester is absolutely committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion – it is one of the key pillars in our strategy for the next 12 months and I have every confidence that Amna and Carl will be successful in driving this programme.

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Alison Bull for her huge contribution over the years. Whilst stepping down as co-chair I am delighted that Alison will still sit on both the EDI committee and the pro-women working group’.

Carl Austin Behan said of the appointment:

As co-chair on pro-manchester EDI Committee I welcome Amna’s appointment as I have known her for a number of years, her drive, passion and enthusiasm related to EDI across all sectors encourages so many others to understand the needs of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Respect so that everybody can be their true authentic self. I was sorry to see Alison Bull step down as she has not only been a genuine, sincere friend to me, but she has been instrumental in the development of the whole of pro-manchester EDI network since we first set it up in 2018 (I think – may have been early 2019)

Amna is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. She contributes to the academic discipline of consumer behaviour and retailing, she teaches on undergraduate, postgraduate and commercial retail apprenticeship programs, and regularly publishes her work in leading academic journals.

Outside of work Amna recently competed at the British Masters Powerlifting Championship where she broke the existing national deadlift record by lifting 158kg. She’s the first British Pakistani Muslim female to achieve this and is the British champion 2022 and can now go on to represent Great Britain at the European and World Championship. What a role model!

On her appointment Amna said ‘My vision is to create a more level playing field which is representative of the diversity of our culture and create inclusive spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging.  To create this change we need to challenge existing perceptions and practices through informed dialogue and education! Through serving as co-chair of EDI for pro-manchester I can proactively lead change in Manchester, which is a huge privilege and honour.