Dr. Poornima Luthra is one of the world’s leading experts on developing inclusive workplaces.  

She combines cutting-edge academic research with real-world impact, working with organisations including Lego, Carlsberg, Deloitte, KPMG, L’Oréal, Amazon and Danske Bank. She gives leaders and teams the right tools, knowledge and strategies to build inclusive cultures that enable learning, trust and performance. 

Challenging conventional compliance-driven and performative approaches to inclusion, Dr Luthra frames DEI as a learning journey, rooted in curiosity, courage and accountability. Her work empowers individuals and organisations to move beyond fear, silence and defensiveness towards more open, fair, courageous and inclusive ways of working. 

Principal Lecturer of People, Culture & Inclusion at Imperial Business School, Dr. Luthra’s work unpacks how fear, power, bias and identity shape behaviour, leadership and workplace culture.  

She was previously Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School and is a contributor to Harvard Business Review.  

Award-Winning Author & Keynote Speaker 

Poornima is the author of four influential books changing the conversation on DEI (Diversifying Diversity, The Art of Active Allyship, Leading Through Bias and Can I Say That?). In 2023 Thinkers50 named The Art of Active Allyship one of the 10 best management books of the year and recognised Poornima as one of the world’s 30 most promising management thinkers. 

A sought-after speaker globally, Poornima delivers around 90 keynotes, panels and leadership workshops each year for major organisations. She has spoken everywhere from TEDx to Thinkers50 and Doha Debates – creating psychologically safe yet challenging spaces for dialogue.