Adrienne is the Head of Internal Engagement / Head of Network at CDC Group where she has built a new internal communications function at the organisation over the last two and a half years, while defining and shaping its culture as it grows and expands globally. Prior to that, she spent 9 years at Pearson where she held global roles focused on strategic internal messaging, engagement and relationship-building. Adrienne has lived in the USA, Japan, China and UK each for several years and holds a Master’s of Education in Applied Linguistics, a Master’s of Research in Intercultural Communication and is currently doing her doctoral research in corporate anthropology approaches to values and internal culture.

CDC is the UK's development finance institution. We support the building of businesses throughout Africa and South Asia, to create jobs and make a lasting difference to people's lives in some of the world's poorest places. We invest in Africa and South Asia because over 80 per cent of the world’s poor live in these regions. We focus on investing in countries where the private sector is weak, jobs are scarce and the investment climate is difficult, but particularly in sectors where growth leads to jobs.