An Interview with... Claire Semple

Claire’s work has earned her recognition as the Head of Belonging, Culture or Diversity winner at the Rainbow Honours 2026, celebrating her leadership and commitment to building more inclusive workplaces. In this interview, Claire reflects on her career and the experiences that shaped her commitment to inclusion, the importance of making DEI part of everyday organisational practice, the changing expectations of employees and what the future of workplace inclusion could look like across the UK and Europe.

Claire Semple, Chief Talent & Inclusion Officer, Informa plc

You’ve been recognised by the Rainbow Honours 2026. What does receiving this level of recognition mean to you personally and/or professionally?

It means more than I expected. When I started my career, I never imagined that being visible and working for LGBTQ+ inclusion especially within workplaces would one day be something I was recognised for. I am incredibly proud of the recognition of the colleagues, allies and communities who have helped me find the confidence to be myself. I feel proud and also the recognition gives me real encouragement to keep doing more for the Rainbow community.

Looking back at the beginning of your career, what experiences first shaped your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?

I started my career in the early 1990s, when being different could feel like something I needed to manage rather than celebrate. Initially, I felt like I needed to hide and then I learned early how powerful it can be to see someone else being open and visible – and how much confidence that can give. I still felt early on that I would be judged but having role models in more senior positions really helped me “come out” at work. Over time, that has become a personal and leadership belief that nobody should feel they have to choose between being themselves and being successful.

Which achievement are you most proud of in terms of creating impact within organisations?

I am most proud of helping progress inclusion from a conversation, an event, at certain times of the year to something embedded in how we lead, develop and create opportunities for people at Informa. I have never thought of myself as a DEI expert at all, my focus has always been on Talent and Inclusion fused together. For me they are not separate and when organisations like Informa bring them closer together it leads to opportunity to make impact more systemic. Ultimately, the measure that gives me the most pride is simple and repeatable:  can colleagues be themselves, see a future here and succeed – and any initiative, programme is viewed in that way…and the same goes for how we show up for customers and partners/communities we work with too.

Many organisations struggle to sustain momentum around DEI initiatives. How do you make them a success?

For me, sustainable progress comes from moving beyond individual initiatives and connecting inclusion to how the organisation actually works.

At Informa, that starts with listening – using colleague feedback, our Colleague Run Networks, surveys, and workforce data to understand experiences and identify patterns. But listening only has value if it leads somewhere.

The next step is understanding what sits behind those insights, identifying where action can have the greatest impact and working with the right parts of the organization to respond. Inclusion cannot be owned by one team; progress depends on partnership across colleagues, managers, HR, leaders and different parts of the business.

And finally, we need to keep asking: what has changed? Participation matters but ultimately, we want to know whether people’s experience is better, barriers are being removed and colleagues have greater opportunity to contribute and thrive.

What trends do you believe will shape the future of DEI across Europe and the UK over the next five years?

I think we will see three important shifts.

First, much greater emphasis on evidence and impact. Organizations will increasingly need to understand what their data and colleague insights are telling them, where barriers exist and whether the actions they are taking are making a meaningful difference.

Second, the conversation will broaden. Inclusion is increasingly connected to questions of wellbeing, accessibility, flexibility, caregiving, career progression and longevity and how people experience work every day. These aren’t niche issues; they influence whether organizations can attract, develop and retain talent.

And third, inclusion will become more integrated into everyday business and people practices rather than sitting as a separate agenda. The organizations that lead will see inclusion not simply through a compliance lens, but as part of how they strengthen culture, talent and organizational performance.

For an international organization like Informa, that also means having shared principles while recognising that the right approach won’t look identical everywhere.

How should organisations respond to increasing scrutiny around diversity and inclusion initiatives?

Scrutiny can be useful if it encourages us to ask better questions. Are our processes fair? Can  people access opportunities? Are there barriers preventing talented colleagues from progressing or contributing fully? And are our actions addressing genuine organizational needs?

At Informa, our starting point is straightforward: we want colleagues to be treated with dignity and respect and to have the opportunity to develop their skills, contribute and succeed.

That means continuing to listen, using evidence to understand where challenges exist, and focusing our efforts where they can make a meaningful difference. Inclusion should never be about protecting a particular initiative simply because it has always existed; it should be about achieving better outcomes for colleagues and the organization.

What role do younger generations of employees play in redefining workplace culture and expectations?

Younger colleagues are an important voice in how workplace expectations continue to evolve, particularly around transparency, flexibility, purpose and having a voice in the decisions that affect them.

But I think we should be careful about assuming these are exclusively generational expectations. Meaningful work, opportunities to grow, flexibility, wellbeing and feeling valued matter to colleagues at different stages of their lives and careers.

The real opportunity is to create environments where generations learn from one another. Younger colleagues can bring new perspectives and challenge established assumptions, while more experienced colleagues bring knowledge, context and perspectives of their own.

At Informa, we talk about success being a partnership. Bringing together different experiences, perspectives and ideas is how we get to better answers.

If you could leave readers with one message about the importance of inclusion and belonging, what would it be?

Inclusion is ultimately about creating the conditions for people to contribute at their best.

When people feel respected, valued, and able to bring their ideas and perspectives into the conversation, we make better decisions, strengthen collaboration, and create more opportunities for innovation.

But for me, belonging goes one step further: people feeling that they can be themselves, have a future here and succeed.

That’s why inclusion isn’t something that sits alongside the business. It’s part of how we enable people to thrive and contribute to the success and growth of the organization.