Emma Couper | Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Emma Couper is the EMEA Risk Regional Business Manager, within the Chief Risk Officers, Chief Operating Officer’s team. She is based in London.
Emma joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in May 2010 as part of the Business Management team supporting the Head of EMEA Technology Infrastructure. She moved into her current role in August 2011 and was promoted to Director in December 2014. Emma has won two Global Diversity and Inclusion Awards (2012 and 2013) and was nominated again in 2014.
Prior to joining the firm, Emma was a Commissioned Officer in the British Army, where she reached the rank of Major. Emma was a logistician by trade but during her last few years became a humanitarian specialist and led on the interface between the military and civilian communities. During her service she was posted in Germany, UK and Canada and deployed on operations to Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"My time at Bank of America Merrill Lynch is where I have transitioned from a Military Officer to a civilian and I have been very privileged to undertake this in such a supportive environment - it has been truly intellectually demanding and ultimately rewarding. For me our people/team mates/ employees are all important so I am very grateful that I have been able to create, drive and empower a number of initiatives within EMEA Risk and the wider firm to support their personal & professional growth.
I am a great believer in the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone both in and out of work, simply to remind myself that ‘to succeed, you have to try'. As such I did my first ever triathlon at Windsor in early June over the Olympic distance. I was the only one of my friends who had not done a triathlon before and was utterly terrified - but I got round and actually rather enjoyed it.
I am now ready for the next challenge which will see me becoming business manager to the Chief Executive Officer at Aviva Investors in September 2015. I feel that my career in the financial sector is just beginning and as such am very grateful for this nomination."
Dawn Riley ǀ Aon Hewitt
As one of Aon Hewitt's brightest young consultants, Dawn is equally comfortable taking complicated pension proposals to financial directors as she is running the consulting skills training day on our graduate induction course. In an industry where age and experience are seen as key qualities, Dawn has already established herself as a lead advisor to several of the UK's most familiar companies.
Away from consulting, Dawn is passionate about creating an environment where people feel valued and their talents are fully recognised through her work as Training & Development co-ordinator for the Women's International Network within Aon. Dawn is an active member of the Women in Leadership group within Aon Hewitt and a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries' Diversity Advisory Group. She is also a keen advocate in giving back to the community and has organised volunteering events where she and her colleagues in Epsom have worked with Mencap to transform the garden and interior of one of their residences.
In short, Dawn is a well-rounded and personable consultant with excellent technical and consulting skills. However, it is her courage and integrity that really set her apart. She always does what she believes is right, even when it is difficult and is not afraid to challenge the status quo to help push the business in new directions. Dawn really is a great ambassador for Aon and both clients and colleagues appreciate her authenticity and quick wit.
Liana Johnstone ǀ Barclays
Liana graduated from university with an honours degree in Public Administration and Management. Following this Liana worked in Washington D.C. as in intern for a non-partisan Government organisation creating models of legislation. Liana returned to Scotland and joined ScottishPower working as a P.A. to the Director of Business Transformation. Here Liana played a key part in rolling-out the Six Sigma programme. Liana moved to Guernsey for 3 years and worked as an Assistant Corporate Secretary for a multinational offshore bank. In 2008, Liana joined Barclays Wealth as P.A., working with colleagues to make Barclays the ‘Go To’ bank. Liana’s role encompasses a wide range of activities including management and business support, budgetary administration, event organising and communications co-ordination. She is heavily involved with Barclay’s Citizenship initiatives and is passionate about leaving things better than she found them.
Liana enjoys travelling and hill walking in her spare time.
Karen Glenn | BritVic
I have done various jobs during my lifetime, ranging from back office support in the money markets, being a “Havenmate” for Haven holidays, customer assistance for Ford Motor Company, through to working in IT as a database administrator. It was during that role I found myself facing redundancy at the end of 2008. It was a complete shock but I was determined to find myself a new challenge.
Within a month of being made redundant, I found myself a new career direction and moved into the role of Office Manager and PA in a new start-up company. There I found myself involved with setting up the office from scratch, writing policies & procedures, project managing the conception, creation and completion of the company stand at exhibitions (both nationally and internationally) along with being the PA to the CEO of the company. Unfortunately the business began to struggle and things were looking gloomy as the company was hit by the economic recession, so that business was then put into administration. It was during that time when the administrators were appointed that I found my next PA role within Britvic Soft Drinks in 2010 and was excited to be appointed the PA to the Chief Procurement Officer.
I found that I had taken to the role of PA like a “duck to water”, I had finally found a career that I enjoyed and turned it into an opportunity where I could embark on a successful career as a flourishing PA, it was an area I found that I had a natural enthusiasm and interest in.
The main aspect of my current role is to support my boss and her Executive team of 5 other directors within the Procurement function, which ranges from the typical PA duties of diary management, travel arrangements, expenses, enquiries from suppliers, and helping new starters within the team find their feet when they join the function. Plus the event management side for large meetings, from sourcing the venue and taking it through to the close of the meeting (when I can then relax). I also get involved in various ad-hoc projects (some team focussed some confidential business projects). Recently I have set up an internal PA network within the business, it is early days but it has been well received and the feedback has been really positive.
I also belong to various external networks, and enjoy networking with other PAs from other Industries at those events. It is great to meet other PA/EAs and to hear that we all experience the same challenges. It is rewarding when you can help another PA out with advice or guidance from something you have personally learnt from in the past. I would encourage other PAs to network with others outside of any internal PA group they have.
In my spare time I give back to my local community in Essex as a volunteer at a local community youth group for children aged from 7 to 12. My allocated role within the group (as well as Youth Leader) is the "Event Manager" for the group, which makes me responsible for ensuring the activities are age appropriate, fun, engaging and different. I also try to theme events to tie in with special events e.g. Easter, Halloween etc. The club usually has around 60 children attending each event and is all mostly funded by the youth group with occasional funds provided by the local parish council.
I am so proud to be part of the Top 50 Rising Stars Awards, as I am passionate about the role of the PA/EA and providing a high level of support to my executive and her team. Described by my line manager and her executive team as there rock. I am able to successfully build strong, trusted and valued relationships and being in "tune" with the feelings of others around, knowing when to offer additional support or advice.
If I was lucky enough to win this award, I would be extremely proud and honoured to be recognised in the PA/EA field, as this is often a role that gets overlooked for all the hard work that the PA/EAs put in for their line managers/businesses.
Faye Kilgour | BDO LLP
Faye is a Senior Personal Assistant at BDO LLP, in addition to being a Board member of the professional women’s network ‘Ladies in London’ and a trainee Co-Active Coach.
Faye loves connecting with likeminded women and using her network as a platform to help promote others. Now training to be a Co-Active Coach, Faye is working with a number of clients with a focus on helping them live in line with their values and going for what they really want in life.
Passionate about education, Faye is creating opportunities to use coaching to transform the school environment.
Claire Sng ǀ DLA Piper
Claire Sng is a Senior Associate in DLA Piper UK LLP's London Intellectual Property and Sport teams. Claire was previously employed by London 2012 as one of only four Brand Protection Lawyers. Claire worked closely with enforcement bodies and was awarded a commendation by the Commander of the Metropolitan Police Service for "Professionalism and Outstanding contribution to Operation Podium" relating to her work in tackling illicit ticketing at London 2012.
Since returning to DLA Piper, in addition to her full workload, Claire has continued to give up her time to advise on strategy relating to brand protection and hosting major sporting events, including speaking at the World Intellectual Property Office's (WIPO's) first IP and Sport conference in Asia, held in Singapore in November 2014, which was attended by representatives from 12 Asian countries from the Asia Pacific; and WIPO's first such conference in Senegal in 2013 talking to government representatives and the sports industry. In addition, Claire has supported the UK Intellectual Property Office in projects aimed at sharing knowledge with Government and authorities, including speaking at a variety of workshops and sessions in Brazil in February 2014 and April 2015. This resulted in Claire being nominated by the UK IPO to attend a Royal Garden party at Buckingham palace to thank her for her "outstanding work".
Back at the office, Claire is a mentor in the firm's scheme, and has set up a breakfast training club for her team to share knowledge and keep up-to-date.
In her spare time, Claire is a keen sportswoman and is involved in raising money for charity. She has just completed the London to Brighton bike ride, raising money for the British Heart Foundation and she is currently training for the Amsterdam marathon for which she is raising money for Cancer Research UK.
Diane Kennedy ǀ Lloyd's
Diane is a solicitor in the Legal & Compliance team at Lloyd’s. Diane’s work spans a number of areas, including international licence development activity, IP/IT, commercial contracts and data protection. Diane has more recently focused her work on supporting internal project teams on Global Market Access and Making it easier to do business at Lloyd’s, two of Lloyd’s strategic priorities which underpin Lloyd’s Vision 2025.
Prior to this role, Diane worked in the Regulatory Division at Lloyd’s and subsequently joined the newly created compliance team which had responsibility for implementing the Financial Services and Markets Act regime within the Corporation.
Diane is Deputy Chair of the Lloyd’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and a founding member of WorkAbility@Lloyd’s. Diane is also joint pro-bono co-ordinator supporting Lloyd’s membership of LawWorks and a volunteer for Lloyd’s language coaching initiative.
Sarah Brakebill | BNY Mellon
Sarah Brakebill is a Sales Manager in the Global Financial Institutions group at BNY Mellon Investment Management and is responsible for managing sales relationships and distributing funds to complex, cross-border organisations, wealth managers and family offices. BNY Mellon is one of the world’s 10 largest investment managers. Sarah joined the firm in 2010 as an intern in Corporate Trust before moving into a Business Development role in Global Client Management, which focused on growing business with strategic clients across the breadth of the company’s product and service offering.
Sarah is in her second year sitting on the Board of City Women Network as Secretary, contributing to enhancing the Board’s governance and effectiveness. She is an active volunteer with the Junior League of London, an organisation committed to promoting voluntary service, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. She has served on a number of different committees in the organisation with the common goal of alleviating poverty in London. Prior to moving to London, Sarah volunteered during her gap year teaching HIV/AIDS classes in a village in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and teaching English in Rayong and Chumphon, Thailand.
She earned an MSc Management degree with Distinction from Cass Business School, City University London and a BSc Psychology degree from Northeastern University in Boston.
Angela Cooke | PwC
Angela Cooke is an experienced HR professional with specialist expertise in diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing at PwC. She is a qualified business psychologist having gained a Master’s degree in Occupational Psychology and CIPD qualifications.
As part of her role as a diversity specialist, she is a trusted business advisor who works collaboratively with senior business leaders to help them create inclusive and diverse working environments. She has done this through a number of key initiatives:
She leads PwC’s long term behaviour change campaign, ‘Open Mind’, which focuses on unconscious bias. This campaign has transformed the attitudes and behaviours of partners and staff in PwC. It has also positioned PwC as thought leaders externally in the diversity space and Angela has developed a commercial proposition to sell aspects of the campaign to clients and works with them on their diversity issues. This has represented a significant and unexpected return on investment of £150k for the firm.
See here for details on the campaign
Angela leads the firm’s approach to diverse recruitment, ensuring that it is attracting from as wide a talent pool as possible. For example, she has introduced the innovative new initiative, ‘Back to Business’, a practical and positive way to help senior women return to their careers after a long break. The programme is helping the firm redress its gender balance and achieve its diversity targets.
She presents to students and potential applicants on the importance of diversity. Her presentations have helped attract more women to the firm - feedback received from one participant who attended a recruitment event at which she spoke: ‘I enjoyed the diversity and open minded presentation the most’.
As a result of the leading work she has been involved in Angela is frequently called upon by other organisations to share best practice.
Jessica Kemp ǀ Travers Smith
Jessica is a tax partner at Travers Smith. She specialises in mergers and acquisitions with a particular focus on private equity. She advises private equity houses, investee companies and management teams on a wide range of transactional, structural and incentive based issues.
Her recent experience includes advising on the IPOs of British Car Auctions, Revolution Bars and Spire Healthcare and the buyouts of Big Bus Tours, Aspen Pumps and the ASK/Zizzi Group.
She was educated at Grangefield Comprehensive School in Stockton-on-Tees and then at Oxford University (Merton College) and Harvard Law School, where she received her Master’s degree in Law.
Before coming to Travers Smith she worked for Clifford Chance in London and Dubai and prior to that she lived and worked in Malawi defending prisoners on death row and those accused of capital crimes.
She has carried out pro bono work at a West London law centre and is a member of her firm’s Women’s Initiative as well as a maternity mentor.