Women in Leadership: Jumara Stone

Throughout March, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by sharing the stories of inspiring women in leadership positions across the sectors we work in.

We’re joined by Jumara Stone, CEO of University of East Anglia Students’ Union (UEASU). Jumara started her professional life as a supervisor for a volunteering programme, moving to marketing work before finding UEASU, an organisation which aligns with her core values. Here, she learned how much she loves working with students and doing advocacy work as a project coordinator for an initiative to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jumara bought what she learned at UEASU to the Student Services team at UEA, delivering a range of training programmes on topics around mental health, well-being and social causes. From here, she became the Head of EDI at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, focusing on restorative justice in the institution for students and staff. She then led the University of Suffolk Students’ Union through a difficult period of change and growth as their Chief Executive Officer.

Since then, she has returned to UEASU as their Chief Executive Officer, delivering strategic direction and helping it become a sustainable organisation for its students. Jumara supports the strategic growth of LGBT+ charity Norwich Pride as a Trustee and, until very recently, was a Magistrate for Norfolk. Jumara has also used her core values of equity, diversity and inclusion to create a network called The Women of Colour, which is a space for WOC to build relationships and feel psychologically safe and valued.