Joanne Anderson
Director
A purpose-driven leader, Joanne Anderson is the first Black woman to be a directly elected mayor in the UK.
A renowned expert on equity, diversity, and inclusion across her 30-year career, she speaks passionately on race and gender equity, inclusive prosperity, social impact and social investment and the drive to net zero.
Biography
Joanne Anderson is the former Mayor of Liverpool – the first woman to be Mayor of the city and the first Black woman to be a directly elected Mayor in the UK. Joanne is recognised as one of the country’s most influential agenda-setters and change agent.
A purpose-driven leader, Joanne’s 30-year public and third-sector career has been defined by her work in social impact, equity, and the environment. A progressive community-first approach led to her campaign manifesto's triple-lock promise, scrutinising every council decision for its social impact, environmental sustainability, and inclusivity criteria.
Jo provided a powerful and thought-provoking presentation during a recent Arup senior management conference dinner attended by over 150 senior staff, clients and collaborators. The speech promoted much discussion and conversation throughout the dinner and beyond. We would not hesitate recommending Jo to others for similar engagements
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Andy Pennington | Associate Director, Arup
In 2021, Vogue named Joanne on its influential ‘25 list’ – which celebrates the women “defining – and redefining – the way we live now,” alongside the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Recognising women in society who strive to make a difference, it notes that Joanne: “symbolises the turning of a leaf for her hometown – once one of Britain’s biggest slave ports – and the country.”
As the Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne demonstrated cross-cutting and situational leadership capabilities. Successfully guiding the city council through the most tumultuous period in its history, she transformed the way the council is governed, leading to improvements in key service areas. At the same time, she ensured that the City continued to thrive, securing the prestigious Eurovision 2023 hosting rights, which, despite a modest investment, has yielded an impressive return on investment whilst shining a spotlight of positivity on the UK from across Europe.
Alongside her mayoral election, Joanne has been responsible for a string of ‘firsts’: she launched the first Black-led social enterprise in Liverpool as well as the first Black-led social traders network. She has an internationally recognised reputation through her work around equalities and spearheaded Liverpool’s international profile in her role for Liverpool City Council. Alongside Eurovision, the Liverpool Against Racism festival was the first of its kind globally, a thought-provoking, entertaining, empowering, and educational week described by one participant as an “intellectual Glastonbury”.
Joanne’s academic experience includes a wide-ranging background in research. Her first degree was in business studies, and she is currently completing a Business Scale-Up MBA. At Innervision, she has led several regional and national research projects on positive action, regional labour markets, race equity and setting standards for a multi-racial workforce.
Joanne is a passionate and engaging speaker on race and gender equity, social enterprise and impact, politics, community engagement, inclusive prosperity, and environmental impact. She has gained a reputation for her strategic approach to tackling structural inequalities - addressing investment, innovation, and resilience.
While serving as Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne confronted a breast cancer diagnosis requiring surgery and a course of radiotherapy. This experience compelled her to advocate for women’s engagement in screening appointments and address the challenges specific to women in professional spheres, including demanding responsibilities, caregiving obligations and better work-life balance. Subsequently, Joanne underwent a hysterectomy, which vividly underscored these challenges – and taught her a lot about her own resilience.New paragraph
Speaker Topics
- Race Equity
- Gender Equity
- Equity – Diversity and Inclusion
- Black History Month #Ethical Leadership
- Social Value
- Social Impact and Investment
- Sustainability
- Resilience
- Leadership Lessons and Personal Growth
- Inclusive Prosperity
- Political Leadership
- ViolenceAgaisntWomen&Girls