Jennifer Grint | Consultant | FTI Consulting
Jenny is ambitious and determined to use her relentless optimism and psychological background to drive changes in the workplace.
Jenny consistently demonstrates excellence and a passion for people, focussing on the human aspect to encourage the best from her team.
At university, Jenny juggled her degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences with tutoring, interning as a Content Creator, and working as a Research Assistant. She enjoyed psychology because she enjoyed learning what creates a nurturing environment that encourages success. Jenny used this to get her pupils into their desired schools, and to drive the content of her internship. Jenny was the second Tongan to graduate from Cambridge; the first with a first-class degree, a prize for her results, and a published research paper on the impact of the digital world on adolescent social needs.
In her 2.5 years at FTI, she has assisted on several projects relating to fraud allegations against large banks while simultaneously working towards her ACA. Continuing her focus on people, she helped start two internal workstreams to improve communications and transparency within the workplace. Most recently, she was made lead Project Manager across two multi-million-pound contracts, at just age 23. She leads senior stakeholder management, coordinates multiple workstreams, and facilitates delivery of the projects overall.
Jenny is an advocate of finding a healthy work-life balance, and continues to make time for mentoring young students, as well as baking. She’s excited to see where her career goes, and hopes to build a workspace that is more human!
Dillon Anderiesz | Associate Director | Macquarie Group
I was born in Australia in a family of four, after my parents migrated from Sri Lanka during the civil war in order to keep the family safe.
I graduated with a Civil Engineering and Commerce degree and began working as a graduate in asset management in Australia.
I started working in asset management in 2013 and over the last 11 years, I have had the opportunity to across Sydney, New York and finally settling in London for the last 7 years. My role requires me to work with investors like pension funds, to invest and manage their capital.
I am thankful that throughout my career I have been able to be part of a very supportive and diverse team, that has provided me with the ability to progress my career and in asset management. This support has helped me through challenges with mental health and some difficult personal circumstances. It has also allowed me to form strong bonds with all of the people I have been lucky enough to work with, as well as the clients whose capital I am responsible for managing.
Rob Preston | Director | Amazon
I started my career at PwC where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant, working in Audit & Business Advisory Services.
Following spells in FP&A, Financial Controller and Finance Director roles at Pentland Brands and Virgin Galactic, I joined Tesco in 2018. During my time at Tesco, I was fortunate enough to work in a number of different roles in the UK, China, Thailand and the Czech Republic before returning to London late in 2016.
I joined Amazon at the start of 2017, where I took a role in Finance Operations partnering with business and technology teams across Amazon`s diverse business channels to address issues in our end to end systems and processes which prevent us from paying invoices and collecting cash on time.
Joney Ramirez Soto | Principal Planning Consultant | RPS
I am a chartered town planner (MRTPI) with over 10 years of experience in the UK and abroad, specialized in residential, leisure and renewable energy projects.
Originally from Venezuela where I was formed as a Town Planner, I moved to the UK in 2012. Since then, I obtained a MA in Planning and Sustainability from Kingston University London and worked as a Planning Officer at different levels in a number of London Boroughs (Hammersmith and Fulham, Newham, Hounslow and Ealing) and in the South East of England (Slough). I also hold a certificate in Leadership and Management from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Since 2019 I`ve been working at RPS based in Oxfordshire, leading projects of different scales of complexity and budgets, most notably on the Outline and initial Reserved Matter applications for Valley Park (circa 4,000 new homes) in Oxfordshire.
I was awarded the South East Young Planner of the Year award from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in 2023 and sit in the Regional Activities Committee and Regional Management Board of the RTPI South East. I also enjoy mentoring other planners and volunteering with Planning Aid England assisting communities with planning matters.
Helen Lees | Senior Sales Manager | Fine & Country
I am the Senior Sales Manager for the Mid and South Essex operation of Fine & Country based out of our Brentwood office, with 20 years property experience and a background in the airline industry.
Having previously gained a wealth of knowledge at British Airways and Virgin Airlines - both extremely fast paced and demanding work environments needing first class customer management skills I moved across to the property sector over 20 years ago. I have worked within various estate agency positions at a range of organisations nationally.
Gemma McLaughlin | Associate Director | Gravita
11 years ago I arrived in London from Derry, embarking on a transformative journey filled with new experiences and growth.
Although moving to London was not short of its challenges, the excitement and opportunities that came with it made the relocation truly worthwhile.
My career in London began at Simpson Wreford in Southeast London, where I progressed rapidly from a Senior position to a Managerial role in a mix of audit and accounts, and ended up staying there for 6 years. Seeking further skill development, I moved to Fitzgerald and Law (now Zedra), assuming the role of Audit Manager. Here, I was focused on overseeing the audit and preparation of financial statements under both UK GAAP and IFRS of UK subsidiaries of overseas companies. At this time, Covid struck, bringing with it a new era of remote work and professional challenges such as overworking, an unclear work-life balance, and stress.
Fast forward to 2024, I am now an Associate Director with Gravita (legacy ABG team) and flourishing in this role. Through seeking professional help and moving roles, I put better boundaries in place and am now reaping the rewards of a more balanced work-life dynamic. However, I would never change the struggles I faced as they have fostered my personal and professional growth. I now use these coping mechanisms I learnt to mentor my team while maintaining my own self-belief. I am now pushing myself to the next level with confidence and am excited to see what’s next.
Faridah Ramirez | Team Manager support | Ethos Farm
I've always been involved in customer service from working 10+ years in the retail field.
Being able to work myself up the ladder to where I am today. I have always had a passion to work at the frontline for guests and to bring a sense amazing customer service to my role.
Carolyn Barnard | Audit Apprentice | KPMG
My career in Accountancy at KPMG began in 2018 when I joined as an Audit Apprentice straight from Sixth Form on a six year apprenticeship in the Milton Keynes/Watford regional areas.
Since joining the firm I have taken on key roles in both audits and wider departmental activities, consistently contributing to the success of our team and the firm as a whole. In 2023, I became the audit In-charge on two of my department`s largest and high-risk audit engagements of which one was a first year audit. My project management, coaching, and up-front planning led to the first engagement receiving a gold award in the Audit Quality and Culture awards within the firm.
In addition to my day to day role working on audits I was selected to participate and contribute to a high-profile audit tender representing both my department and KPMG.
I have also endeavoured to embrace further opportunities beyond my role within KPMG, such as becoming an assistant draw adjudicator for the National Lottery in 2021. This includes working as an assistant independent adjudicator for all National Lottery draw types which are held in the UK. This includes Euromillions, Lotto, Set for Life and Thunderball.
In addition to this I have also made use of KPMG`s volunteering hours which are offered to all employees by taking part in local volunteering projects through the firm. This has notable included time spent working with local schools as part of National Numeracy Day to promote the importance of numeracy skills.
Andriana Stampoli | Researcher | Odgers Berndtson
As a Greek National, I moved away from home and to the UK when I was 18 to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Warwick.
After completing my undergraduate studies, I completed a postgraduate degree at the LSE in Development Management, with the aim of working in the notoriously tough world of International Development. At the time, I believed it was the only way to make a difference. Covid-19 hit the world halfway through my degree and therefore forced me to reconsider my options. I joined the executive search industry in January 2021 in a small boutique firm before moving to Odgers Berndtson in June 2022 in the Financial Services Practice.
As a search professional, I place senior leaders into executive and non-executive directors into financial services institutions across all sub sectors including insurance, asset management, fintech, banking and regulation. I am a firm believer that the leaders we place can effect real change, and therefore as search professionals we can have a profound impact through our work in the future of leading organizations, across all sectors including financial services. Throughout my career, I have championed diversity and believe that through my role I am well placed to ensure diversity across all protected characteristics.
Alice Huang Miller | Business Development Manager | PwC
When I moved to the UK five years ago, I encountered various challenges. Starting in an entry-level position, despite prior experience in China, proved frustrating.
Adjusting to different working cultures and social norms posed further obstacles. The lack of supportive community exacerbated these struggles.
Despite the gloomy start to my UK journey, akin to its winters, I persevered to witness the blossoming of opportunities. Now I proudly work as PwC’s Deals Business Development Manager. I was selected to be a Global Digital Accelerator in 2021 to hone my data skills. I was promoted to manager within three years. I helped build a proud Chinese community supported by the PwC foundation for social mobility and color brave initiatives. I was even selected to represent my firm at the One Young World Summit talking about empowerment from an inclusive culture.
I kept exploring opportunities within my firm`s vast platform. I took on a 6 month Tech Enablement secondment amidst the heated discussion with revolutionary genAI. Returning to my team, I was lucky to support the new genAI proposition driving the pipeline. I kept upskilling myself on strategic mindset and new tech adoption. I obtained qualification with Said Business School, and got admitted to the strategy and innovation program with Warwick Business School for this Sept.
The ESEA community lacks female role models. But my late mother`s resilience and entrepreneurship spirit inspired me to pave my own way, to grab the bull by the horn and dance with it.