Bias, banter & bulldozing: why diversity isn’t just a buzzword

Jo Dunkley, Director - Coterie Marketing

Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t take the traditional route into tech, marketing, or leadership. I didn’t go to university. Not because I didn’t want to, but because, growing up in a working-class family in South East London in the 70s and 80s, it wasn’t really a thing unless you were exceptionally bright. And I was only fairly bright (at least, that was my perception at the time!)

The path was simple: finish school, get a job. For girls, that usually meant secretarial work. For boys, banking. So, I joined Midland Bank as a secretary. And let me tell you, I was terrible. My attention span is flighty at best, and back then, we were using word processors. I managed to send out thousands of letters with a typo so spectacular it earned me my first warning. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly “boardroom language.” I didn’t last long.

But I had a passion for fashion (as you do at 19), and I landed a job at Etam’s press office - again, as a secretary. That’s where everything changed. A wonderfully nutty woman put her arm around me and said, “You can do more. If you want to.” That moment cracked something open in me. It was the first time someone believed in me, and helped me believe in myself.

Now, let’s talk about my accent. South East London, born and bred. I used to get the mickey taken out of me for it. I even considered elocution lessons at one point. Then came conference calls, which meant talking into those dreaded star phones (remember those?). Suddenly, in an audio format, I was memorable. People remembered me. Turns out, sounding different isn’t a disadvantage. It’s a superpower.

That’s the thing about bias. It’s sneaky. It tells you you’re not enough because you didn’t go to uni, because you sound different, because you didn’t follow the “right” path. But diversity - real diversity - is about smashing those biases to bits. It’s about recognising that brilliance comes in all forms, accents, and backgrounds.

I bulldozed my way through industries that were male-dominated and educationally biased. I didn’t have a degree, but I had tenacity, chat, and a growing sense of self-belief. And I had women who lifted me up and showed me what was possible.

Today, the world is very different, and I massively celebrate that. Be gloriously different. Celebrate your differences. Diversity matters. Not just because it’s fair, but because it’s smart. It brings fresh thinking, unexpected brilliance, and voices that don’t sound like everyone else. And sometimes, those are the voices that make the biggest impact.