Meet Vivienne Aiyela

27 February 2023

Director - Head of inclusion for Federated Hermes, Vivienne Aiyela has over 20 years’ experience of working across public, not-for-profit and commercial sectors at a senior level, and a strong record of breaking barriers and challenging the status quo. 

Before entering the world of investing, she was appointed Non-Executive Director for The London Football Association, and in doing so became the first Black woman in its 138 year history to be a Non-Executive Director of Football in English Football. She also launched and chaired the first ever Women’s Strategic Committee for football.

Vivienne spoke to us about her current and previous roles, the similarities between the worlds of football and investing, how we can demonstrate that addressing discrimination is everyone’s responsibility and much more. 

Q1. Tell us about your current role at Federated Hermes

My role is to make Federated Hermes more inclusive and make us the Employer of Choice for everyone. Just to be clear, being more inclusive is not positive discrimination against men!      

Q2. Can you talk a bit about your previous role as a non-exec director of football at The London Football Association?

I was the first Black person in the 138 year history to be a Non-Executive Director.  My portfolio included chairing the Inclusion Advisory Group and launching and chairing the first ever Women’s Strategic Committee for football. I saw that we had no women on the Advisory Council, I saw a huge gap, especially as the FIFA Women’s World Cup was on the horizon, it was my idea to recruit six women. We took Positive Action under Section 159 of the Equality Act 2010. When it was set up, I was adamant that it had to include men as football is led by men and we need them to share their knowledge and support women’s football. 

Q3.  How did you get into football - what attracted you to the industry?

I had the opportunity to travel to the Ghana to watch the African Nations Cup. If you have ever seen the African Nations Cup you understand the supporters are everything to the game. It’s an energy that I would love to bottle if I could as I know it would make me very rich! 

This opportunity to travel to Ghana came to me via a friend which led to being Chairperson of The FA Anti-Discrimination Panels.  I was reluctant to accept it at first because, let’s be honest, how many Black women do you see in the Boardroom or in Senior Strategic Leadership positions in football?  Very, very few.  

Q4.  Who inspires you?

A few years ago, when I first went to FIFA HQ in Zurich, Switzerland for an International Women’s Day Conference on Equality and Inclusion, I saw and met amazing women from different cultures including Black women who worked in football across the world.  I found my tribe!  I no longer felt alone and like I was the only Black woman in the room.  I had dinner with Fatma Samoura, the First Black woman to be the Secretary General of FIFA.  I also met the First Black woman to be the Stadium Safety Management Officer overseeing the safety of football stadiums for the World Cup and African Football, and we became friends. Throughout my trips to FIFA I have met some other amazing, inspirational women including Billy Jean King and my dear friend Khalida Popal. Khalida’s life was threatened because she played football, and she escaped the Taliban when they first took over Afghanistan some years ago. She fled Afghanistan and became a refugee eventually getting citizenship in Denmark.  Khalida mobilised some very influential people, including Kim Kardashian who chartered a private plane, to help the female football players get out of Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban took over governing. Khalida has the strength and determination of several herds of lions and she is my role model!

Q5.  Who do you support?

There is only one team in North London - Arsenal. I know I have probably offended some Spurs supporters!

Q6.  You’ve worked across football and investing, both of which have some very public issues in terms of gender diversity and representation - have you found many similarities in the industries?

Like many other industries they have the same issues around gender equality and women in senior leadership roles. There are also issues with the lack of Black women too.

Q7.  In your experience, what more could clubs in terms of football and individual organisations for investment do to address diversity/discrimination?

Adhere to The Equality Act 2010.

Q8.  Further to this, should there be more of an onus on professional clubs in England to financially support the grassroots game for girls, and professional women?

Yes, but the current system needs to change. There is a long way to go to make the women’s professional game more inclusive. Regional Training Camps need to be more accessible for a start. Change them, and the world football opens up.  There are many talented young Black women who play at grassroots. Some are even in Clubs academies, but they just aren’t getting opportunities. My friend’s daughter and her friends got scholarships to play football in the US because they just weren’t getting the opportunities in the UK.

Q9.  How can we keep girls involved in the game and attract them in the first place?

Simple, my motto is If you can see it, YOU can be it! 

I do think more needs to be done to keep girls engaged in sport when puberty starts, as this is when young girls start to drop out.  Girls can be very conscious of how they look, and many don’t want to get sweaty because of course, it’s not seen as being sexy or desirable.  

I think the media also needs to change how they portray women. 

On the plus side there are several podcasts hosted by women who play football, and this is driving up women and girls’ interest..

Q10. How do you think at grassroots we can tackle issues with discrimination? Should the onus be on individuals?

It starts with leadership and how they drive change. If we have more diversity in the leadership of grassroots football, this will bring about change.

Q11.  We’re seeing an uptick in terms of viewership and general interest in women’s football, and  in the investment world we’re seeing more programmes to address diversity. What challenges do you feel we need to be aware of when tackling gender gaps?

In 2019 I went to Paris to see a game in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the Stadium was full of men, women and children. Those men are allies. We need more men who are allies to get involved and help us lead the drive to dismantle the gender gaps. 

Q12.  There can be an onus on those facing discrimination to be the ones that also help to fix it. In your experience, what can we do to demonstrate that it is everyone’s responsibility?

Be courageous and vulnerable and admit you need help to drive the change and make a lasting difference. 

I remember reading an interview with Brene Brown who said “Courageous leaders are never quiet about discussing the hard topics around diversity and inclusion. To not want to have these difficult conversations is the definition of privilege. Brave leaders choose courage over comfort. It is not the job of the people targeted by racism to invite people to the conversation. It is the role of the leader to start the conversation”. This really sums it all up.

Q13.  What advice would you give to those who traditionally hold positions of power on how to be an ally in advancing women and ethnic minorities into football and our boardrooms?

Working together doesn’t mean that we want to take over football! Woman and ethnic minorities are not a threat and will not damage the brand.  I am still in football Boardrooms and still have a seat at the table, and I want more women like me to also be at the Boardroom table. I’m a Trustee and ally for a small LGBTQ+ Sport Organisation and DEI Advisor to the CEO and Board of a Futsal organisation ensuring DEI is the golden thread that runs through everything they do. I still go to Football events such as conferences, etc in the UK. There’s often instance when out of say 300 people, there are many senior men in attendance, yet I am still the only Black woman (not counting the waiting staff serving the food) in the room.