Vanessa Kingori OBE

Vanessa Kingori is an award-winning businesswoman who broke boundaries as British Vogue’s first female business lead in its history. She then joined Google as MD, Technology, Media & Telecoms. Vanessa transformed Vogue, shifting the brand’s purpose and strategy to emphasise a diversity of perspective, social responsibility, and female empowerment. The success of her strategy led to an expansion of her role to become Chief Business Officer across the entire British company and encompassing all Condé Nast brands. Vanessa is a prime example of how business transformation, digitalisation and change management can succeed with diversity and sustainability at its core.

Starting out as an intern at the Evening Standard, Vanessa rose through the ranks to become the Co-Head of Magazines before leaving to become the Fashion Manager at Esquire. She then began her career at Condé Nast as the youngest and first female publisher of GQ where she led the brand to record annual revenues. In these positions, she learnt to harness the unique power of print while also embracing the digital age and extending the brand's reach to resonate with a new generation of consumers. 

As well as leading British Vogue and Condé Nast Britain's media brands, Vanessa advised the European Vogue Business Leads across the region to ensure that every angle of the brand was strategically aligned. She believes that organisations have to be ‘360’ but, if there is enough diversity of perspective and skills within a team, individuals shouldn’t have to be. She considers how to keep a company agile and how to stay true to the original purpose of your brand while keeping up with the rapidly changing digital landscape and consumer needs. Vanessa has taken this perspective to Google, where she leads the UK company's partnerships in technology, media and telecoms sectors.

As well as championing diversity within her brand and her industry, Vanessa organised and lead the #SHARETHEMICUK social media movement to magnify the voices and accomplishments of inspiring Black women across the country. She is also a judge for the Black British Business Awards, the Veuve Clicquot Business Women of The Year Award, and The Mayor of London’s TFL’s diversity in advertising competition. In support of women entrepreneurs, Vanessa is also part of a microfund Peanut StartHer which helps get tech and business startups founded by women on their feet.