Robert Baker is an Allyship Specialist at Encompass Equality. He is a global thought leader on the issue of how to engage men as allies in gender equality and inclusion. Robert is Founder & CEO of his own consulting company, and collaborates with Encompass Equality on providing allyship services to our clients.

Robert is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. After a 40 year career in global HR consulting, he now advises organisations on attracting, retaining and developing the best talent and building diverse teams. A key element of his focus for clients is on helping them develop inclusive cultures and workplace environments. Robert runs workshops and speaking events for organisations on engaging their male leaders in DEI and gender balance. He also coaches these leaders on how to be true allies and on how to put this into practice in their organisational roles.

Robert has mentored many women and men and invested in and supported their careers and businesses over the years. He is also highly active with women’s and men’s networks, being a Global Ambassador for PWN Global, a Trustee for One Loud Voice for Women in the UK and an Associate at Token Man Consulting.

Robert’s other roles include being a Trustee for UN Women UK, Vice Chair of European Women on Boards and a Non-Executive Director of Talupp, the AI driven talent development platform. Robert is Disrupter in Residence in D&I on the Global MBA Program at EDHEC Business School in Nice, France and also a visiting lecturer on Male Allyship at the University of Amsterdam Academy.

In recognition of his work in gender balance, Robert was named a Top 50 Trailblazer in Gender Equity in January 2023 by We Are The City. He was also named Corporate Male Champion of the Year 2024 by Women in Management UK.

Robert is one of a select group of leaders to have been elected as a Companion to the Chartered Management Institute in recognition of his work in leadership and management.