Catherine Kenny | EY
I am enthusiastic, with strong people management skills and passionately champion diversity and inclusion both in the workplace and outside.
With over 13 years of risk and controls experience in the Wealth and Asset management industry, both in-house and as an advisor I have a strong technical track record in Internal Audit and in building trusted relationships with a range of stakeholders.
EY Senior Manager – Wealth and Asset Management Internal Audit October 2016 – Present (more details of EY below).
As a senior member of our Wealth and Asset management risk and controls industry practice, I worked with several large UK and global financial institutions. I am also actively involved in promoting our talent agenda and the performance of the team.
SEI Europe Investment Limited (UK) Head of Internal Audit May 2013 – October 2016
SEI is a global provider of asset management, investment processing, and investment operations solutions. I led the European Internal Audit Team where I helped improve Internal Audit’s focus on the high risk areas of the business, and worked closely with senior stakeholders as a trusted advisor for insights and assurance on control frameworks, program assurance and business monitoring
PricewaterhouseCoopers Ireland Senior Associate (Asset Management) October 2009 – May 2013
I was selected for the PwC graduate programme from University, and I also qualified as an ACA during my time at PwC. I gained a wide range of experience in statutory and financial funds audits, as specialised in alternatives and hedge funds whilst at the same time contributing to the people agenda within PwC.
Claire Cochrane | Aon
I am a qualified actuary working in Aon’s Retirement business with around half of my time spent advising clients on their pensions strategy and the other half supporting the leadership of Aon’s corporate consulting department.
My number one focus is the people that I work with, both colleagues and clients. I enjoy building strong trusted relationships with clients helping them to achieve their objectives. I am passionate about helping those I work with at Aon to develop and reach their goals as well as ensuring they are enjoying their day-to-day work.
I have recently been appointed to support the leadership of Aon’s corporate consulting team of circa 100 consultants across the UK. In addition, I have local leadership responsibilities across Leeds & Manchester and lead a group responsible for driving improvements in employee engagement. I also formally mange four colleagues and have provided both informal and formal mentoring to colleagues across the business.
I studied Actuarial Maths & Statistics at Heriot Watt university, joining HSBC Actuaries and Consultants (subsequently taken over by JLT) in Edinburgh as a graduate in 2007. I moved to London with JLT in 2015 and subsequently joined Aon in 2017.
Emily de Courtenay Wellum | Capgemini Invent
Before entering consulting, my background consisted of diverse experiences.
Interested in many things and achieving strong grades in arts and sciences, I went from school to university to study Architecture. However, I soon realised this wasn’t for me and became a university drop out, instead enrolling with the Open University. The next four years of remote study enabled me to work in the police and later the Home Office, progress in retail from the shop floor to management, live in Paris and travel across the world, all the while gaining exposure to different lives and occupations. It was through this experience I realised I enjoy, variety, problem-solving and helping others, and discovered consulting as a career that delivers all three.
I gained a place on the Capgemini Consulting graduate programme, where I achieved variety and problem-solving working across our four key sectors in a range of projects over my first three years. Whilst it was stretching and fascinating, I couldn’t help feel some dissatisfaction as I realised I lacked a personal direction or expertise, leading me to identify user centred design and psychology as my personal topics of interest. I left consulting in July 2019 to complete a Masters degree in Psychological Science. This was truly fascinating, and as I fell into a specialism in weight-management I was introduced to the applied field of Health Psychology.
Like Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology is a recognised profession requiring accredited qualifications, and so after graduating with a Distinction I began a second Masters in Health Psychology. Health Psychology is the application of psychology to promote public health at the individual, system or policy level. This bigger picture application then attracted me back into consulting, as the desire for variety, problem solving and helping others remained, whilst being able to apply an expertise. I returned to Capgemini Invent in October 2020 as a health and service design specialist, setting up a user centred design community and expanding our consulting work in health by winning new clients. In July 2021 I was promoted to Senior Consultant with a clear career ambition to become a fully qualified Health Psychologist consulting at a systems and policy level.
Connie Parkin | Capgemini
My professional career started with a placement year in HR at Nestlé, as part of my undergraduate Business Management degree.
I was part of the Talent Acquisition team, taking joint responsibility for hiring a year's intake of Graduates, Interns & Apprentices for Nestlé Academy.
After graduating with First Class Honours in 2016, I returned to Nestlé in a tailor-made role as their Employer Brand Specialist, focused specifically on attraction of junior talent and supporting Nestlé's position as a top entry-level employer. This was a demanding and wide-reaching role, growing my project management; stakeholder engagement; strategic thinking; digital, social and communication skills... plus had me travelling all over the country - great fun!
In 2018, through global restructure, I faced the risk of redundancy, which sparked a change in focus for my career. I came across Capgemini's Accelerated Solutions Environment [ASE] and I instantly fell in love. The ASE are a diverse team of facilitators, creatives, technologists and designers from a huge range of backgrounds, who design and deliver experiences to drive outcomes for clients in complex moments. Joining as a Co-Designer, I was part of the Knowledge Working team for countless client events and DesignShops across all sectors, around the UK and abroad. Nine months into role I progressed to be a Process Facilitator, leading the team of Co-Designers during an event and taking responsibility for smooth behind-the-scenes process management.
In 2021, I stepped up again, to my current role as a Co-Facilitator, managing and designing multiple high-priority client engagements, across a range of industries, challenges and opportunities. The responsibilities of a Co-Facilitator are numerous, but the role is mainly characterised by complex stakeholder management of senior colleagues and clients; combining methodology with understanding of human dynamics to design experiences that drive outcomes; responsibility for ensuring delivery teams execute; and multi-faceted project management including commercials.
As the ASE is a self-managed system, alongside my client delivery role as a Co-Facilitator, over the last 2 years, I have been the UK ASE Marketing and Comms Lead. I stepped into this role just before the impact of COVID was felt, meaning I played a key role in the quick pivot required by the capability to adapt our services, messaging and marketing in a changing world.
In complete contrast to life in the corporate world, my portfolio of work also includes being a professional performing Princess / Fairy for childrens’ parties and events!
Philippa Allen | Aon
After studying accountancy and finance at university in New Zealand Philippa worked as a graduate accountant for a chartered accountancy firm.
She gained valuable skills, and wanted more varied and challenging work and was attracted to the finance industry. To facilitate a shift in industry she began studying for the CFA and got a job on a private wealth graduate programme for one of Australasia’s largest banks, Westpac. After spending time in Westpac’s investment operations and insurance products teams she moved into the investment solutions team as an analyst. Her focus was on investment manager research, with involvement in all areas of the investment process, from strategic and tactical asset allocation through to client reporting and governance committees.
After four years in the investment solutions team she wanted to further develop her skills and look for different opportunities within the asset management industry. After a six-month career break doing charity work and travelling in Eastern Africa and South America, she relocated to London from New Zealand, and built upon her investment experience by moving into her current role as a portfolio manager in Aon’s fiduciary business.
Since joining Aon in 2019, Philippa has become lead portfolio manager for 14 clients (c.£1b AUM) and three asset class funds (c.£2.6B AUM). She is the fiduciary lead for responsible investment, and is heavily involved in presenting to researchers and clients and pitching for new business.
She enjoys helping more junior team members develop and does regular formal and informal development and mentoring sessions with colleagues. She has recently taken on people management responsibilities, managing four junior colleagues. She also contributes outside her formal role responsibilities, and has participated in several initiatives, including initiatives focussed on boosting social mobility, and tutoring students from underprivileged backgrounds. She is passionate about health and fitness and outside of her role at Aon is a group fitness and Pilates instructor.
Sarah Woodard | H.I.G. Capital
When I finished school I went to study medicine, thinking I would be a doctor for the rest of my life.
However, two years into the degree I realised this was not the career path for me and went to Bristol University to study International Business Management. Not afraid of challenges, I sought new encounters and was exposed to the world of finance and never looked back.
My first experience of finance was through University Societies. I had the privilege of being President of the Women in Finance Society for two consecutive years and led the Society to being awarded ‘The Most Inspiring Committee’ by the Bristol Students’ Union and ‘The Most Improved Society’ at the NUS National Societies Awards. I launched a mentoring scheme, which helped the Society membership base to grow by 122%, and I continue to be a strong advocate of the benefits of mentoring.
Having completed a Spring and a Summer Internship, I joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) in the Summer of 2019. I worked as an analyst on the UK and Ireland Institutional team, focussed on maintaining and strengthening existing relationships with corporate pension funds and endowments. When COVID hit six months into my career I noticed there was a lack of events for juniors to address the impact of the pandemic. I sought to address this scarcity by launching a Future Leaders call series; inviting junior clients and colleagues to share experiences and receive virtual coaching sessions to help navigate the pandemic. My idea was awarded the ‘GSAM 2020 Differentiated Client Engagement Award’ and the initiative has since been rolled out globally across America, Asia and Australia.
An exciting opportunity to move into the world of Private Markets came in 2021 and I joined H.I.G. Capital. I am part of the Capital Formation Group and work with European and Middle Eastern clients to raise funds across the H.I.G. platform. I am committed to improving gender diversity within the firm and am collaborating to launch equity, diversity & inclusion training for employees.
My commitment to gender diversity in financial services extends to my volunteering work through my role as Co-Chair of the Future Leaders Shadow Board of the Women in Banking & Finance Organisation (WIBF). I am currently driving the development of a Future Leaders Network, to connect junior females across the industry, and a Graduate Engagement Strategy, to widen the pool of female talent applying for finance jobs.
Bola Adesina | LGIM
Bola is a seasoned technologist who continues to work tirelessly to empower others especially women from underprivileged backgrounds through industry initiatives and her eMentorMi platform.
As a previous member of the C-suite led Women in Technology (WIT) forum, she contributed to ways of addressing gender underrepresentation within Technology and continues to help influence early careers initiatives e.g. work experience, insight days, internships and the IT apprenticeship scheme. Bola regularly carves out time for young women, peers and potential returners to help them enter and navigate a male-dominated industry. She also volunteers as the founder and Co-Chair of Culture Club, creating an inclusive workplace for future generations through collaborations with stakeholders at all levels, gaining buy-in, and aligning D&I initiatives with overall business & D&I strategy. Bola has been instrumental in effecting rapid organisational change with the support and commitment of senior leadership.
Roselyn Baah | Seilern Investment Management Ltd
Roselyn is the founder of The GRC Network, a knowledge sharing and career advancement community for professionals in Governance, Risk, and Compliance within financial services. The platform builds on several years of expertise accumulated whilst working in the financial and legal sectors.
Roselyn began her career within the Regulatory Internal Audit team at Goldman Sachs. She is now a Senior Compliance Generalist and Advisor with experience developing compliance frameworks and heading the departments in small to medium-sized investment firms. In addition to her experiential learning Roselyn has acquired a CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance professional qualification along the way.
Roselyn has a glowing track record of leading various regulatory change implementation projects such as MiFID II, SMCR, Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), and the UK Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR). She currently holds a Compliance Oversight Officer (SMF 16) and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (SMF 17)) role at Seilern Investment Management, a boutique asset management firm. As a compliance generalist Roselyn has benefited from being exposed to various compliance areas and has been very passionate about the power of knowledge sharing within the risk and compliance space. She remains determined to impart this knowledge to the next generation through various workshops, events, and public speaking engagements.
Katja Oakley-Bell | Quilter Financial Planning
Katja Oakley-Bell is an investment analyst with Quilter Financial Planning and is a senior member of a team which manages the investment proposition for a large proportion of UK financial advisors.
I started my career at Quilter in 2019 as a temporary administrator to help process applications over tax-year end. In 3 years, I have trained and qualified as both a wealth and mortgage adviser and completed the Investment Management Certificate. I am currently studying a Level 3 Transformational Leadership Programme with Future Talent Learn. Recently I have taken on the training and development of two new team members, practically demonstrating my leadership abilities. My skills shine when I create innovative and creative solutions benefitting our clients, advisers, and colleagues, for which I have received both company and group level recognition.
My background was in studying Chemistry at university; unfortunately dealing with illness throughout forced me to pause my degree. Despite this, I was recognised as one of the top 20 female undergraduates in the country (Rolls Royce organised by TargetJobs) in 2017. I also sat as a registered company director and charity trustee on the board of the University’s student union and as a committee member in several societies. I have found great fulfilment, over the last 15 years, fundraising with Rotary, Guiding and my university as well as independently. Most recently my husband and I hiked 26 miles in the Lake District in a day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support for our first wedding anniversary.
Beyond my day job, I have mentored several female colleagues; answering queries alongside specific interview preparation and have now initiated a working group to discuss how the company can help support and recruit more female advisers as well as support existing female staff. My experience is that many young people are uninformed and it’s becoming increasingly easy for inexperienced investors to take risks that they do not truly understand. Therefore, I have initiated a piece of research into younger people’s engagement and understanding of investments with a focus on cryptocurrency. My aim is that this research can provide a framework for further work in supporting and educating at-risk young people.
Starting in STEM and then progressing into finance, I am very used to being one of the only women in the room. This has driven me to push myself to a place where I can actively create opportunities for others; I believe that’s how we all succeed. True inspiration and innovation come when we not only hear everyone’s voices, but everyone feels empowered to speak.
Lydia Hamill | London Stock Exchange Group
While I was at school, I began to take an interest in finance, having attended a Goldman Sachs A-Level Girls Inspire Programme day.
Once i started my economics degree at Durham University, I applied to the spring week at Goldman Sachs during my first year, spending 2 weeks in the global investment research division. I then progressed to the 10 week summer internship in the equity investment research division in my penultimate year of study, where I developed my knowledge of the investment banking industry significantly. After graduating in 2018, I was successful in applying to the London Stock Exchange Group graduate programme, where i started as an analyst in Turquoise, an equities trading platform. After 6 months there, I started a second rotation in the FTSE Fixed Income and Multi-asset index product management team, which is where I am today. Along the way, I have learned from incredible colleagues who have years of industry experience, helping me to navigate a very steep technical learning curve in fixed income investment. I have also developed further technical skills by undertaking additional study, having sat the Level 2 CFA exam a couple of weeks ago. At the same time, I have improved key skills that I am very proud of, such as presentation/public speaking skills, something that I have always found challenging. I have managed to progress these thanks to a supportive network at the Group. I have also enjoyed being part of the LSEG Women Inspired Network (WIN), where I helped to organise a panel event for students in London looking to a career in finance, and helping with the Graduate recruitment effort, over my time at LSEG.