The visibility gap, creating real outcomes, and why 4% representation must become a baseline
When 4% of the UK population identifies as Black, that figure is rarely reflected in senior leadership across the mortgage and protection sector. The Black Mortgage Professionals and Allies Network (BMPAN), launched initially as a Black History Month initiative, is now working with the industry to redress that imbalance.
Its founders – Atlyn Forde, Aleka Gutzmore and Jeffrey Krampah-Williams – say that increasing visibility and creating space for overlooked talent is no longer just a moral or cultural imperative. It’s a business one. As pressure grows for firms to meet Consumer Duty expectations and respond to increasingly diverse customer bases, inclusion is becoming core to strategy, not a side project.
A missing presence at every level
For Krampah-Williams, a national key account manager at Santander, the issue became impossible to ignore after a decade in the industry. Gutzmore, a broker with Moneysprite Ltd, had felt it for even longer. “There’s a massive gap in networking, both in terms of development and the fear of even turning up,” she said. “Being in the broker space for 20 years, I felt it.”
Forde, founder of Communicate Inclusively, an inclusive communications and DEI consultancy, saw the same pattern from her clients across the sector. “Many talented Black professionals felt there was a ceiling on progression. They weren’t invited to events or asked to speak. It was always the same people on stage.”
The three came together to launch BMPAN with a focus on visibility, connection and opportunity, and soon discovered that others across the industry were feeling the same.
The founders behind the mission
Gutzmore merges front-line advice with financial education. Alongside broking, she runs empowerment events in London, inspired by client conversations that revealed deeper gaps in financial literacy and confidence. “The community work and the business feed each other,” she said.
Forde, who prior to launching her own consultancy, spent eight years at Pepper Money and helped lead internal culture change. She’s now working with mortgage firms across the sector to embed inclusion and representation more intentionally.
Krampah-Williams brings a commercial lens to BMPAN’s growth. With over 12 years in mortgages – from adviser roles to business development – he now manages key corporate relationships for Santander, and sees the network as a way to surface untapped talent.
Building support and delivering outcomes
BMPAN has evolved well beyond networking. Forde explains that structure is everything. “Simply calling something a ‘networking session’ doesn’t make it inclusive. We pose questions, build in activities. At our last event, we used African cloth patterns to help people connect. Every detail is designed to create a safe, empowering space.”
BMPAN also puts a deliberate emphasis on allies. “It’s not just Black professionals, it’s anyone committed to change,” Forde said. “Allies leave our events saying, ‘This is incredible.’ Inclusion has to be cross-industry to stick.”
And the ripple effect is real. BMPAN has helped professionals gain the confidence to speak on stage, secure new roles, and grow their businesses by building new connections. ‘It’s not just talk, these are tangible changes,’ Forde said.
Representation isn’t optional – it drives better business
The founders are clear that improving representation helps the bottom line. “If your senior leadership isn’t reflective of your customers, how can you serve them well?” Forde said. “We’re in financial services. Conduct, Consumer Duty, customer understanding – all of it ties into inclusion.”
Gutzmore recounts losing a mortgage client over a company-branded business card. That moment led to years of advocacy for more inclusive imagery in financial services, work that continues through BMPAN today. “Now I see teams taking action – updating their websites, rethinking who’s visible in their marketing. When customers see themselves, they engage.”
The network also challenges narratives that still link Black representation with financial difficulty.
What industry leaders can do now
Firms across the sector – from lenders and networks to brokerages – can take tangible steps today:
- Audit who’s visible in leadership, panels, marketing and internal comms
- Refresh imagery and messaging to reflect diverse customers and teams
- Partner with existing groups like BMPAN to build authentic inclusion
- Create space for learning, especially in smaller firms without HR teams
From visibility to measurable change
As BMPAN gains momentum, the founders are focused on scaling the mission and proving the difference it makes.
“We want to continue hosting events, growing the network and collaborating with the industry,” Krampah-Williams said. “As this happens, we’re surfacing talent that hasn’t been seen or heard before.”
Forde said the goal is visibility with impact. “The 4% representation figure is a start, but we’re also tracking who’s getting promoted, who’s stepping up, who’s growing their influence. This is about measurable change.”
For all the strategy and structure, BMPAN’s future remains rooted in something simple and powerful. Gutzmore puts it best, “More goodness – that’s really it.”
And the steady impact of visibility is already underway. “We hear from people a year later saying, ‘Because I came, I changed something,’” said Forde. “That’s how the industry evolves - not overnight, but through stories, people and action.”
