Oona King

Oona King is a broadcaster, writer, and a life peer in her role as Baroness King of Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Previously the Head of Diversity at Channel 4, Oona is the Diversity Director at YouTube.

Until 2009, Oona was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister on Equalities, Diversity and Faith. She chaired of the Institute for Community Cohesion (iCoCo), was the Founding Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Genocide Prevention in the House of Commons; and Chair of Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, a £30m project which seeks to bring different communities together through art.

Oona has written for papers for countless prestigious publications including the Guardian, New Statesman, Sunday Telegraph, Express and Observer, and is a presenter for television and radio documentaries. Oona’s book about her time in the House of Commons, “House Music – The Oona King Diaries” was nominated for the Channel 4 Political Awards ‘Political Book of the Year’ 2008. In the same year, Oona broadcast a documentary on the life of Martin Luther King. Oona’s has presented for Channel 4, BBC and Sky News.

Before being elected an MP at 29, Oona was a Trade Union organiser representing low-paid workers, and spent 5 years as a researcher at the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg. Oona gained a 1st class politics degree from York University (1990), and a scholarship to Berkeley.

Oona has held a vast range of political appointments. She was MP for Bethnal Green & Bow from 1997-2005, became PPS to the Cabinet Minister for Trade & Industry, and was previously PPS to the Minister for e-Commerce. Oona was appointed to two Select Committees (International Development and Urban Affairs). Other roles included Vice-Chair of the British Council (1998-2002), Chair of the All-Party Group on Business Services (1998-2001), Vice-Chair of London Labour MPs (1997-2005), and Treasurer of Friends of Islam (2001-2005). Oona changed the law in five areas, including housing policy and equalities policy. The work of her All Party Group on peace-keeping was commended by the UN Security Council’s Expert Panel. In 2011, she was created a life peer and holds the title Baroness King of Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

With a vast range of political positions held and her roles within diversity and inclusion projects, Oona is an ideal keynote speaker to address current affairs, diversity, trade, commerce and peace measures.