Lord Simon Woolley

Lord Simon Woolley, Co-Founder, Operation Black Vote

Lord Simon Woolley, Ian Drayton

Hosted by Goldman Sachs' Ian Drayton, Lord Simon Woolley discusses his journey from a Windrush-generation upbringing to founding Operation Black Vote, where he pioneered a non-partisan strategy to mobilize 20,000 minority voters and force political parties to address racial justice. The conversation details how this approach secured legislative influence in the 1997 election and created a leadership pipeline that includes Mayors and ministers, while critically examining institutional exclusion in elite education. Woolley concludes by challenging the next generation to embrace their heritage and demand success, framing representation as a necessary foundation for drawing others into positions of power.