Committed to creating organisational transformation that is grounded in a deep seated belief that all our liberations are tied to each other's. My approach is both creative and strategic – and done with lots of heart. I am the Worldwide Head of Culture & Inclusion for the M&C Saatchi Group, an Activist, Public Speaker and Writer. I am a former Visual, Sonic & Performance Artist, and I was the Founder of All Here: a social enterprise that connected individuals, brands and agencies; supporting them to think more critically about the world and the work that they create. I have worked with organisations such as Creative Equals, and I am one of the few Diversity & Inclusion experts advising the UK Advertising & Media Industry Diversity Taskforce.
I believe that the advertising industry has the ability to change the world, that advertising can be used for good. Transforming and inspiring a more connected and empathetic society. The creative industry is in a unique position as it allows space for all of our individual and collective experiences to be brought together and shared, and where all our distinct nuances have the opportunity to be celebrated.
I am currently working towards a part-time masters in Postcolonial Culture & Global Policy at Goldsmiths, University of London, where I'll be continuing my research into a part-time PhD.
I have spoken at D&AD, Campaign 360, The Mill, ICA, Ustwo, YCN, Monzo and the Oxford Media Convention, to name but a few, and I've written for Campaign Live, Communication Arts and The Drum.
This year I was nominated as one of Pitch Magazines 100 Creative Superwomen, and I also sat on this years DIMA Summit Advisory Board.
I am British, Persian-Iranian, Jamaican and I have lived and worked in the U.S, the Netherlands, Iran, Spain & UK.
Projects
- Bloom: The Myth of the Difficult WomanA Bloom event tackling 'the myth of the difficult woman' has lifted the lid on the challenges faced by women deemed 'too nice' or 'too difficult' to become leaders in the creative industries. Sereena Abbassi, head of culture and inclusion at M&C Saatchi Group Intersectionality was the opening theme for Abbassi’s wide-ranging and thought-provoking talk. "The traits for the idea of femininity isn’t attached to black and brown bodies in the same way it is attached to the white body," she said. Abba
- 'Ask for more': the story behind the Creative Hackathon designed to drive industry diversityWhile the advertising industry has no shortage of words when it comes to admiring its well-documented diversity problems; tangible solutions to move the dial are harder to find, but Abbassi is on a mission to change this. Today All Here will launch a Creative Hackathon with partners The Mill, Access VFX, (a cross-company initiative led by The Mill and supported by the UK Screen Alliance to promote diversity and inclusion in the creative sector and The Brit School. The hackathon aims to promote d
- Creating structural change: why I'm joining M&C Saatchi as head of culture and inclusionInternal diversity and inclusion roles are fundamental to driving meaningful change, writes the founder of All Here. The Creative Hackathon, which launched last week in partnership with The Mill, aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the creative industries by bringing young people who would never have considered a career in advertising the opportunity to work on a live brief. At our first Hackathon we were all blown away by the standard of work produced. Though here underlies the problema
Projects credited in
- Our first event - April 2018DON'T SLEEP ON US started out as a fun space to celebrate women of colour creating a difference. Whilst this has since evolved to celebrate all people, the format and vibe has remained the same. It's coming up to 3 years since this first event (whewww), and we'd like to thank everyone who took part and attended, from the exhibition artists to the DJ to the people who came alone. ❤️❤️❤️ DJ: TSHA (Teisha Matthews) Exhibition: We Are Here UK Photographer: Poetic Aaron Videographer: Gerald Onyan1
- International Women’s Day 2020, meet 100 trailblazers redefining the creative industryAt The Dots, International Women’s Day isn’t just a day – it’s a whole month! A time to take over the site and shine a light on the women and non-binary people redefining the creator landscape. For #IWD2020, we asked industry leaders to nominate the trailblazing women and non-binary people they think will redefine the creative and digital industries over the coming years. The list we’ve put together is one that beams with brilliant, talented people and their dedication to positive change. Book168
- Diversity in ActionA month ago I launched my previous uni project into a diversity consultancy, with the aim to moving the conversations into action, Leonie Owiredu introduces her 'Diversity Health-Check' to empower you to do diversity. Writer, Strategist and D&I Consultant Leonie Owiredu presents new ideas around actualising diversity within the creative industries, through sharing impactful experiences and action-based solutions around the matter. She was joined by - Sereena Abbassi,head of D&I at M&C Saatchi G
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Work history
Group Head of Culture & Inclusion at M&C Saatchi GroupM&C Saatchi
London, United KingdomFull Time
Creating organisational change that is grounded in creative and strategic thinking
Skills
- Marketing Strategy