Introducing
VANESSA KINGORI OBE
"I am proud to stand alongside such a diverse group of women promoting the importance of healthy ecosystems and in ensuring the success of human-wildlife coexistence around the world. It’s important to listen to indigenous people who live alongside wildlife and the wild species with whom we share our Earth. In partnership with Lion Guardians , the Great Elephant Migration is a powerful initiative and a significant step in securing change, not only in our immediate future but for generations to come."
Photographer: Sane Seven
Vanessa Kingori OBE is a multi award-winning, British based, businesswoman, diversity proponent, youth advocate and mother. Her 20 year career in the media industry has spanned multiple categories of business. Vanessa has a special focus on business transformation, digitalisation and change management. Through her work she emphasises diversity of perspective, social responsibility and female empowerment.
Vanessa worked at Conde Nast for 15 years. Her appointment to British Vogue’s Publishing Director in 2017 made history. She was British Vogue’s first female business lead in its over 100 year history. She was also Conde Nast Britain’s first and only business lead of colour. Vanessa’s role at British Vogue involved a significant shift in the brand’s purpose and business strategy. In her first year, Vanessa helped lead the team to its most successful digital revenue in the website’s 30-year history. Business success at Vogue continued every year since. The unprecedented success of British Vogue’s revenue transformation during her tenure, led to a promotion to a role specifically created for her - Chief Business Officer, Conde Nast Britain. Vanessa now leads the business of all ten CNB brands - Vogue, GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Tatler, Conde Nast Traveller, Johansens, House & Garden and The World of Interiors.
Vanessa is a prolific public speaker. Her most frequent requests are from Footsie 100 companies to share her thoughts on digital transformation, change management and purpose in business. This includes speaking at the World Economic ForuM in Davos, Google/YouTube, McKinsey and many more. Vanessa has been credited amongst the 100 Most Influential Black Britons every year for the past 8 years. Her social equity work and services to British Media led her to be awarded an OBE in the King’s 2023 New Years Honours List and an MBE on the Queen's 90th Birthday Honours Lists, 2016.
In her work as diversity proponent Vanessa sits on a leadership committee of a microfund Peanut StartHer which is focused on helping pre-seed female entrepreneurs in tech and business, with a particular focus on giving purpose driven startups, founded by women, their first boost. In the height of the anti-racist uprising in 2020, Vanessa organised and led #SHARETHEMICUK to highlight the accomplishments and contribution of high achieving Black women, using the allyship of successful White women during Black history month UK 2020.
