Latisha McKenzie
Rugby
Summary
A dynamic professional with extensive business acumen and over ten years of progressive experience building mutually beneficial business partnerships and delivering innovative strategies to promote accountability and awareness around diversity and inclusion, drive employee engagement and lead organisational change.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Contract Officer
National Grid
10.2021 - Current
- Challenge and review of project costs through benchmarking and cost assurance activities
- Support management to ensure commercial, contract and financial processes and procedures are adhered to
- Develop cost reduction and improvement plans with the contracting partners
- Provide expert contract support, advice, guidance and contract management training
- Build and manage relationships with key suppliers, ensuring quality, timely and cost efficient works.
- Diversity, Health and Wellbeing Champion- providing Diversity, Health and Wellbeing topics of discussion and information, highlighting current issues and signposting colleagues to key information points
Chairperson - ONE Employee Resource Group
National Grid
07.2019 - 05.2023
- Leading National Grid's International Network Group concentrating on Ethnic Diversity & Faith.
- Network Group of the year for Race & Ethnicity - Ethnicity Awards 2020
- Outstanding Employer of the Year - Ethnicity Awards 2021
- Top 10 Future Leader for DEI - Ethnicity Awards 2021
- Top 10 Diversity & Inclusion Focus - Young Energy Professionals Award 2020
- Working closely with Board of Directors, CEO, Senior Leaders, HR SLT to develop an impacting and long term strategy for National Grid's DEI efforts.
- Creating safe spaces for difficult diversity topics to be discussed.
- Delivered a series of presentations, interviews and training sessions to colleagues on Diversity.
- Mandated Unconscious Bias Training for all UK & US Employees
- Winner of the Chairman's Award (Highest Internal Accolade) for an Allyship Initiative concentrating on Ethnicity, Gender and LGBTQ+ in the workplace.
- Developed an extensive network of Global DE&I professionals
- Speaking externally at DEI initiatives to raise awareness of best practise (CBE, Houses of Parliament, BITC, Investing in Ethnicity)
- Engaging with employees to understand their concerns and create impacting initiatives to allow voices to be heard.
- Facilitated in setting goals and strategies in DEI
Group STEM & Social Mobility Lead
National Grid
05.2020 - 10.2021
- SPOC / coordinating external partnership activity related to STEM at group level.
- Stakeholder Managed over 10 organisations with STEM efforts
- Pulling together STEM activity happening across the group and feeding into external / internal communications.
- Identifying and analysing 'inclusion & diversity' factors to STEM initiatives
- Leading coordination activity of STEM evaluation and measurement work for ‘ELC’ (energy leaders coalition – group of energy companies working together to improve diversity in our organisations).
- Representing NG interests at industry board meetings and leading in pushing agenda and activity forward.
Procurement and Finance Officer
National Grid
06.2015 - 05.2020
- Leading teams to support Capital Delivery team with their operational and procurement & contract requirements.
- Responsible for contract management on Major Infrastructure Projects (Invoice approvals, tendering supplier rates negotiation, forecasting).
- SPOC for all procurement & finance issues (Invoice queries, financial approvals, contractual obligations).
- SPOC for ‘Environmental Services Framework’, ‘Land Rights Framework’, ‘Legal Services Framework’ (Circa 20 suppliers on each and being sole mediator between procurement, business and suppliers, monitoring performance and pulling reports/analysis for management usage).
Procurement & Finance Assistant/Grantor Relations Assistant
National Grid
01.2014 - 06.2015
- Researching/ Reporting/Updating Grantor Information for Electricity Assets - inclusive of payment
- Increased team output by over 50%
- Providing support with Procurement Issues, including raising Purchase Orders, Ordering, Vendor Requisition, Receipting and Reporting.
- Actively engaging in Performance Excellence techniques to encourage visibility and reporting of procurement tasks.
- Proficient usage of MER, Ellipse, SAP and SharePoint to generate reports for use across the business
Lead Tutor - Founder
Intercultural Support Services Homework Club
11.2009 - 01.2010
- Working with volunteers to create a local government funded homework support club for disadvantaged young people, concentrating on those from ethnic backgrounds.
- Lobbying/Presenting to Government I&D officials to engage with the programme
- Assisting children with their homework and other education assistance.
- Providing extra support for over 50 children
- Strategically planning engaging educational tasks to suit age groups.
- Implementing systematic approaches to monitor attendance.
- Support and helped students to gain confidence in independent study as well as enable them to work well with new people and consider life options further than their surroundings.
Education
MCIPS -
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Chain
Birmingham04.2022
MSc - International Business
Coventry University
Coventry08.2013
BA (Hons) - International Business Management
Coventry University, Leonard De Vinci Universitaire
Coventry/Paris06.2012
Skills
- Contract Management
- Negotiation
- Stakeholder Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Performance monitoring
- Leadership
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Relationship Management
- Prioritisation & Organisation
- Cross-functional & Cross-site team working
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Cross-cultural collaboration
- Problem-Solving
- Presenting and Training
Interests
- Music: I have gained 5 grades on the electronic keyboard from the “Guildhall School of Music and Drama” and have an eclectic genre range, particularly Reggae.
- Languages/Travel/Culture: Having lived and studied in China and France, I’ve developed a keen interest in exploring and understanding different cultures. I am currently learning British Sign Language.
- Mentoring/Coaching: I enjoy creating opportunities and providing guidance to others and during my time, I’ve created a homework club for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to provide assistance in their development and learning outside of the educational system and I’ve devised a mentoring programme for employees in National Grid to help with their development and progression.
Timeline
Contract Officer
National Grid
10.2021 - Current
Group STEM & Social Mobility Lead
National Grid
05.2020 - 10.2021
Chairperson - ONE Employee Resource Group
National Grid
07.2019 - 05.2023
Procurement and Finance Officer
National Grid
06.2015 - 05.2020
Procurement & Finance Assistant/Grantor Relations Assistant
National Grid
01.2014 - 06.2015
Lead Tutor - Founder
Intercultural Support Services Homework Club
11.2009 - 01.2010
MCIPS -
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Chain
MSc - International Business
Coventry University
BA (Hons) - International Business Management
Coventry University, Leonard De Vinci Universitaire
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