Planning for Retirement

Caroline Waters OBE

Trustee of the RSPCA and Chair of the Animal Welfare committee, Vice President of Carers UK, Advisory Board member International Longevity Centre, Midland Heart Housing Association, NED Wilson James and Founder of CW Consulting Box, Caroline was also Director of People & Policy at BT and has a distinguished record on equality, inclusion, and human resources where she routinely set the agenda; demonstrating real thought leadership. 

One of the most influential leaders and practitioners in the original movement to create new ways of working and a leader of the nascent flexible working agenda in the 1990s Caroline continues to work to build more inclusive approaches to work. She is a member of the Leaders as Change Agents Board. Caroline was listed in the top 100 Disability Power List 2019, awarded HR Director of the Year 2009, voted one of the most influential HR practitioners of the last decade by HR Magazine Excellence Awards 2016 and HR Mover and shapers 2019.

Caroline routinely works with and advises policy makers and contributed to the Department of Work and Pensions publication of ‘The Disability and Health Employment Strategy: the Discussion so Far’ Chairing the Task and Finish Group on Young Disabled people and Employment. Caroline also Co-Chaired the Department of Health’s Task and Finish Group which launched the ground breaking report ‘Supporting Working Carers: The Benefits to Families, Business and the Economy’ in autumn 2013. As a key opinion former in the business community she also chaired Employers for Carers from 2001 to 2013, was founder and inaugural Chair of the Employers' Forum on Belief, Employers for Fathers and Chair of the Lone Parents working group. As vice Chair of the EHRC (2013 to 2023) Caroline was also responsible for the delivery of major findings on EHRC investigations such as Anti-semitism in the Labour Party, The Windrush scandal, Equal Pay at the BBC and a year long review of the cleaning sector.

She has also judged a number of prestigious diversity awards. Caroline also delivers learning experiences for a broad range of clients clients in both the private sector and, in partnership with the Civil Service College, public sector and Arms Length Bodies. She was awarded the OBE for services to progressive HR practice, diversity and equal opportunities in 2010. Caroline’s work at BT was recognized by several diversity awards including best ethnic minority recruitment programme. BT is the only company ever to top seven leading diversity benchmarks at the same time. An accomplishment achieved for three consecutive years.

As Founder of CW Consulting Box Ltd. Caroline provides high-level support and guidance across the private, public and charitable sector.

Helen Chipchase

Helen Chipchase is an HR and EDI consultant providing strategic support to organisations across a range of sectors. She also specialises in conducting complex EDI related workplace investigations. Through her inclusion consultancy Helen supports public, private and third sector organisations to embed EDI strategies that will drive enduring change. Helen has been an Associate Consultant for Konexo HR Consulting (previously Eversheds Sutherland) since 2014, providing support to clients across a range of EDI and employee relations matters. Helen is also an Associate Consultant for global safeguarding experts GCPS, providing strategic employment and culture change support to INGO clients.

Helen was appointed to the EHRCs Disability Committee in February 2015. This statutory committee steered the Commission's work to tackle discrimination and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Helen chaired the DWP’s Employer Engagement Steering Group and was appointed to the Department for Work and Pension’s Access to Work expert panel. Helen has a post graduate level (level 7) qualification from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and became a Certified Disability Management Professional in 2013.