Carol Ann Whitehead (FRSA)

Managing Director of The Zebra Partnership

Carol Ann Whitehead is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and Managing Director of The Zebra Partnership, a publishing, events and campaign agency. She regularly works with Stockport Council and local charitable bodies on initiatives to increase access, equality and diversity. Carol Ann grew up in Sale and Withington, moving to Cheadle as an adult with a family of her own. She studied Business, Fashion and Textiles at Preston Polytechnic before a brief spell in London, working as assistant buyer and merchandiser for the Arcadia Group. On her return to the North, Carol Ann worked in various journalism and commercial roles for the Manchester Evening News. She left there to establish Metro Girl, a free magazine handed out weekly to commuters at bus and train stations across Greater Manchester. In her interview, Carol Ann discusses both professional achievements and struggles, outlining different times when she has faced discrimination. She also explains her reasons for moving to Stockport and the close-knit community she feels a part of.

• Jamaican, Arab, African