Poornima Luthra

Dr Poornima Luthra is a globally recognised author, keynote speaker, facilitator and consultant specialising in talent management and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

She has written four influential books, including Can I Say That? (2025), Leading Through Bias (2023/2024), The Art of Active Allyship (2022) and Diversifying Diversity (2021).

In 2023, Thinkers50 ranked Dr Poornima as one of the world’s 30 up-and-coming management thinkers and named The Art of Active Allyship as one of the 10 best management books of the year. Most recently, her latest book, Can I Say That?, was recognised as one of the 10 best new management books of 2025.

Dr Poornima spent ten years at Copenhagen Business School, most recently as Associate Professor, before joining Imperial Business School as Principal Lecturer of People, Culture & Inclusion, where she also holds a senior leadership role. She combines rigorous academic research with practical application to empower organisations to foster inclusive cultures.

An engaging and dynamic speaker, she delivers between 70 and 90 keynotes, panel sessions and leadership workshops annually for global organisations and has spoken on platforms such as TEDx, Thinkers50 and Doha Debates.

Dr Poornima works with leading organisations – including Lego, SAP, Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk, Reckitt, KPMG, Deloitte, L’Oréal, Amazon Web Services, Danske Bank and Doctors Without Borders – to deliver keynotes and leadership sessions focusing on intersectional diversity, active allyship and inclusive leadership.

By bridging deep academic expertise with real-world experience, she equips leaders and teams with practical tools to create systemic and cultural change, positioning inclusion as a strategic priority and a driver of organisational excellence.