Mohsin Zaidi is a New York based British educated barrister who has become a leading LGBTQ+ speaker following the publication of his book A Dutiful Boy
Mohsin spent many years seeking to understand what he considered the conflicting parts of his identity; a Muslim boy, growing up in a deprived part of London in a strict religious household, who has to come to terms with his sexuality.
Following publication of his critically acclaimed memoir A Dutiful Boy (Penguin, 2020), which delves into the trials and tribulations Mohsin faced as he tried to reconcile seemingly irreconcilable worlds, he has become a sought after keynote speaker and panellist on LGBTQ+ rights, intersectionality, D&I and the power of representation.
Mohsin's keynotes give a unique perspective, and he speaks movingly, of the challenges he has faced, and is a powerful draw for your clients interested in Pride events.
TESTIMONIALS
“Mohsin’s speaker session at Bain was incredibly powerful. We had an outpouring of positive feedback after the talk – from people expressing both their gratitude for having the chance to be part of an open conversation on critical intersectional topics, and their praise for Mohsin as a powerful storyteller. If you’re an organization that cares about DE&I and mental health you MUST get Mohsin to come for a session with your people.”
Som Holliday, Partner, Bain
I hosted an event between PwC and NatWest where Mohsin talked about his book and the themes in it with PwC's Head of Client Experience…[it was] one of the largest events we have ever had in the Diversity and Inclusion space both virtually and in person. I have had a huge amount of positive feedback after the event that it was an incredibly important set of topics to cover (including social mobility and mental health) and that it was great that our company had taken the time to discuss them. Mohsin was a pleasure to work with - helped us prepare appropriately and spent a good amount of time with the facilitator to get her up to speed. He was brilliant on the day and helped us navigate through some difficult yet important questions.
Susan Smith, PWC
“Mohsin brought every bit of himself to the discussion and let the audience in on the conflict that was raging inside of him for a long time. He deeply moved his listeners and made them re-think what they can do to make their environments more inclusive. He is witty, thought-provoking, eloquent and worth every minute of your time"
Saleh Panahi, Blackstone
"I have engaged Mohsin as a speaker twice, once at BBC Studios for its Inclusion Summit in 2017 and again at The LEGO Group in time for National Coming Out Day in 2020. Mohsin is an engaging and charismatic speaker on D&I topics including social mobility and mental health, who gives his audience pause for thought and opens up valuable discussions within organisations. Mohsin's professional experience means he is a great collaborator in terms of designing a keynote session or panel discussion, and in both instances I've seen Mohsin tailor his content to specific audiences. The feedback on both his appearances has been excellent."
Charlie Henniker, LEGO Group
"We were delighted to have Mohsin talk to clients, partners and staff as part of a joint LGBT+ History Month event with Combar, Techbar and the Chancery Bar Association. Having read from A Dutiful Boy, Mohsin answered questions for nearly an hour – candidly engaging across many of the themes and stories so poignantly told in his memoir. He has a way of tackling difficult subjects such as mental health, intersectionality and class authentically, and in a completely non-preachy way. And he was a delight to deal with.”
David Stone, Partner, Allen and Overy LLP
“It was an absolute pleasure to have Mohsin speaking at the Faculty. The event flowed like no other and the conversation covered so many relevant topics, I wish we had him with us for longer. One could see from the numbers and the kinds of questions we received how needed this conversation was and how inspirational Mohsin story is. He was brilliant and we hope he will consider coming back, once the pandemic is over, as he can definitely captivate an audience!”
University of Oxford Law Faculty
"A Dutiful Boy is utterly brilliant, and a conversation with Mohsin to get an even deeper insight into his experiences is even better than that. At Mental Health First Aid England we had an hour long conversation. Mohsin answered our questions candidly and generously. I know from feedback that we got goose bumps, felt his pain and felt his joy. The sign of a brilliant conversation is wanting more when it finishes. I was left wanting more.
Simon Blake, CEO, Mental Health First Aid England