Hannah Elderfield | Canvas8
I graduated in 2015 with a First class BSc Honours degree in Psychology and now I work at the forefront of strategic insights by helping business understand human behaviour to impact change.
After a short stint in the events industry and a few months working for a van leasing company, I landed a job with behavioural insights practice Canvas8 in 2016 as a Junior Behavioural Analyst doing exactly what I loved doing at University - learning about people.
Over the past three years, I have been instrumental in delivering insight to inform campaigns with a direct contribution to society. From tackling taboos around intimate health and working with nonprofit organisations helping young people better manage their money, to presenting at international conferences for senior stakeholders at media agencies, brands and governmental organisations across the world. I’ve also authored Canvas8’s first ever journal, The Science of (2018), which uncovered the commercial applications of recent academic work from scholars across the globe and made behavioural science accessible to business within the industry.
Within my day-to-day, I work to actively develop and mentor junior team members through personal mentoring, training initiatives and by leading the Canvas8 Graduate program to help senior management build a strong supportive culture for new talent. Outside of Canvas8, I’ve worked with the National Citizen Service program as a Senior Mentor for teenagers enrolling in its summer program, ‘The Challenge’, where I was responsible for leading, inspiring and developing a team of 13 young people aged 15-17.
I’m so passionate about finding ways of translating the learnings from my experiences into opportunities for others - either by helping them find better ways of working or different ways of thinking - so that we can all benefit from the sense of achievement and empowerment that comes from breaking through invisible barriers. I’m now our youngest Senior Behavioual Analyst and am determined to uncover a deeper understanding of human behaviour not just for our clients, but for Canvas8 itself so that we can truly practice what we preach.
Olivia Hawthorne | Cycle For Your Cycle
Olivia is a 22 year old fitness professional who has been working in health and fitness world since she was 18.
It was at age 18 she was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome after suffering with symptoms for 5 years. It wasn't until she started working in Central London and spent two nights in hospital after a cyst had burst, that she realised the general public didn't have a clue what PCOS was and so she decided to make a change.
Combining her love of teaching spin and her love of educating women, Cycle For Your Cycle was born. An event that opens the eyes of the masses to what this condition is and how women can help their symptoms, as currently it's not something that can cured entirely. She also has a passion for breaking the taboo of periods and feminine health. She worked alongside charities such as Bloody Good Period to help raise funds for women who are in the depth of period poverty and don't have the means to buy themselves period products.
Louise Maynard-Atem | Experian
I have always been motivated to do things that haven't been done before and to have a positive impact on society, so it was these motivations that drove me to complete my PhD in materials chemistry in 2013.
My research was tackling the issue of greenhouse gas emissions, and I was developing new materials that would capture carbon dioxide. Whilst I enjoyed my time in research, I felt that I could have greater impact outside of academia and so decided to take the highly numerate and analytical skills I had developed and apply them to policy making in the Civil Service, driving evidence based decision-making in a number of teams across Health and Defence.
My passion for doing things differently and my domain expertise leading me to helping set up the Futures Innovation team at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, and I am currently using the skills I developed in this role to help set up the data innovation team at Experian - focusing on products and services that drive financial inclusion in emerging markets.
Hope Virgo | Hope Virgo
I am the the Author of Stand Tall Little Girl, and an international leading advocate for people with eating disorders.
I help young people and employers (including schools, hospitals and businesses) to deal with the rising tide of mental health issues which affect one in four people and costs employers between £33 and £42 billion annually. I have been described by Richard Mitchell, CEO of Sherwood Forest Hospital, as "sharing a very powerful story with a huge impact". I am also a recognised media spokesperson, having appeared on various platforms including BBC Newsnight, Victoria Derbyshire, Good Morning Britain, Sky News and BBC News.
For four years, I managed to keep it hidden, keeping dark secrets from friends and family. But then, on 17th November 2007, my world changed forever. I was admitted to a mental health hospital. My skin was yellowing, my heart was failing. I was barely recognisable. Forced to leave my family and friends, the hospital became my home. Over the next year, at my lowest ebb, I faced the biggest challenge of my life. I had to find the courage to beat my anorexia.
I began sharing my story in 2016 after my book was published and have gone from strength to strength. As well as working with organisations, I work closely with Government championing the rights of people affected by eating disorders. I launched the #DumpTheScales campaign in July 2018 reaching over 70,000 signatures, secured a debate in parliament, national media, an EDM as well as Ministerial support. The campaign has been something I have worked on completely alone with no support or funding from any organisations. I have used my passion, hardworking ethic and determination to get to where the campaign is today.
A huge part of the work I do is focusing on exercise and how this can be used to support recovery. This is why I chose to cycle across the country in October 2018 to raise awareness of mental health education and the importance of making it compulsory in schools. Along the way I spoke in schools and hospitals to share my story of recovery from anorexia.
Prior to working for myself to raise awareness and tackle stigma around mental health I worked for Alzheimer's Society in Public Affairs, UNICEF in their Corporate Partnership team and in Thailand volunteering for a year.
Claudia Craig | Centenary Action Group
Claudia is a women's rights campaigner and activist motivated by injustice and the potential for change.
Claudia is inspired by strong and powerful women on a daily basis, but finds it impossible not be infuriated by the way women are continually marginalised and oppressed. This fury fuels an intense passion for gender equality and inspired her to choose a career campaigning for transformative gender justice.
Claudia is currently Campaign Manager for the Centenary Action Group, a unique cross-party coalition of over 100 women's rights activists and organisations #StillMarching for women's right to take part in the decisions that affect their lives. Prior to joining the Centenary Action Group Claudia worked for CARE International UK on their global campaign to end workplace harassment whilst simultaneously studying for an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Originally from Scotland, Claudia started her career working as policy support in the UK and Scottish Governments.
In a personal capacity, Claudia successfully campaigned for home use of the abortion pill in England and Wales, sharing her own experience of abortion to highlight the need for change. Claudia appeared on BBC Newsnight and the Victoria Derbyshire Show to advocate for home use and has also been published in the Guardian and Independent.
Anna Blackwell & Kate Culverwell | Kayaking the Continent
Anna
I am an adventurer, speaker, writer and photographer. Over the last six years, I have pursued a number of large adventures, including walking 1,000 miles across France and Spain by myself; completing a five week solo trek across the wilderness of Arctic Sweden; hitch-hiking to Morocco; summitting Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa; and most recently, kayaking from London to the Black Sea in Romania with Kate, for which I was solely responsible for media creation (expedition outlined below). Alongside my adventures, I share my experiences and the things I have learned with a wide audience, through writing for a variety of platforms and speaking at events, festivals, schools, and businesses.
Kate
While I am a first-year university student, I have set out to encourage women to participate in sport and musical composition, two areas where women aren’t represented enough. As a composer, I was selected for the BBC Proms Inspire Scheme to encourage under 18-year-old composers, which included talking on BBC Radio 3 about the project. I have since set up various concerts where we only use new music set by young composers. As an athlete, I was a key part in my school’s successful rowing program as Vice-Captain, helping lead our two boats win two National golds. Now at Oxford University, I am becoming Captain of Women’s Boats for my college, to further inspire young women who are either new or old to sport. Further to this, I put together the Kayaking the Continent expedition with Anna (see below).
HSBC
HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations
We serve more than 39 million customers through four global businesses:
Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, Global Private Banking.
Our network covers 66 countries and territories.
We aim to be where the growth is, connecting customers to opportunities, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and ultimately helping people to fulfil their hopes and dreams and realise their ambitions
HSBC is one of the world’s leading international banks, with exceptional access to high-growth markets and a strong balance sheet. Our strategy builds on these advantages and positions us to capitalise on long-term trends affecting the financial services industry:
- The world is expected to become more connected as international flows of trade, finance and data continue to grow
- The global middle classes are set to expand further, led by Asia
- Significant investment will be needed worldwide to support the transition to a low-carbon economy
- More than 50 per cent of the Group’s client revenue is linked to international clients. Our access to high-growth, developing markets in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America gives us a platform for long-term growth. And our balance sheet strength continues to provide an excellent foundation for a sustained dividend.
Diversity is in our roots.
HSBC was founded more than 150 years ago to finance trade between Europe and Asia. We continue to bring different peoples and cultures together today.
We believe diversity brings benefits for our customers, our business and our people. Different ideas and perspectives help us innovate, manage risk and grow the business in a sustainable way
We want a connected workforce that reflects the communities where we operate and helps us meet the needs of customers from all walks of life
We want HSBC to be a place where people are valued, respected and supported to achieve their potential – and we foster an environment where people can speak up
Our employees lead seven global employee networks which play a crucial role in helping us achieve our diversity and inclusion ambitions. These groups focus on gender, age, ethnicity, LGBT+, faith, working parents and carers, and ability
At HSBC we put great emphasis on our values
Our values define who we are as an organisation and what makes us distinctive. We are:
- Dependable - We are dependable, stand firm for what is right and delivering on our commitments
- Open - We are open to different ideas and cultures, and value diverse perspectives
- Connected - We are connected to our customers, communities, regulators and each other, caring about individuals and their progress
These values reflect the best aspects of our 150-year heritage. They are vital to fulfilling our purpose of helping businesses to thrive, economies to prosper and ultimately helping people to fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions.
Since its foundation in 1865, HSBC has adapted to and helped serve the needs of a changing world. It has financed economic growth, fostered international trade and overcome events such as economic crises. We recognise our wider commitments to the communities in which we operate and understand that economic growth must also be sustainable.
Supporting Sustainable Growth
Today our sustainability approach focuses on three main areas: sustainable finance, sustainable supply chains, and employability and financial capability.
Sustainable finance
HSBC aspires to be a leader in financing, managing and shaping the transition to a low-carbon world. We have set out a series of commitments in support of this goal, including a pledge to provide USD100 billion of sustainable financing and investment by 2025. We also aim to source 100 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030
Sustainable supply chainsThrough our partnerships with customers, non-governmental organisations and other key stakeholders, we are encouraging responsible business in global supply chains. We aim to help our customers reduce the environmental impact of their supply chains and to foster the sustainable growth of small and medium-sized businesses
Employment and financial capabilityIn a rapidly changing world, workplace skills and financial literacy are more important than ever. We support our customers, communities and employees to develop the financial capability and employability skills they need to thrive in the modern world
Aviva Investors
Aviva Investors is the investment arm of Aviva plc, a multinational financial services company with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, Asia and Canada.
Aviva can trace its origins in the London insurance market back more than 300 years.
At Aviva Investors, we are dedicated to building and providing focused investment solutions for clients that include insurance companies, banks and other global financial institutions, charities, local government organisations, pension schemes, private wealth managers, financial advisers, as well as private investors.
Our goal is to deliver the specific and meaningful investment outcomes that matter most to today’s investor.
KPMG
We’re a leading provider of professional services, including audit, tax and advisory services.
We work across industry sectors, providing services to private and public-sector organisations. We are a member firm of a global network and also work on projects with multinational clients through teams based in different geographical locations.
We have a strategic approach to inclusion and diversity. Over the past year we have focused on increasing our Leadership Capabilities across the organisation by highlighting key behaviours to help create a more inclusive culture and on enhancing our interventions in all of our people-focused activities to support all of our colleagues to maximise their potential.
UMBRA International Group
UMBRA International source the highest calibre candidates from our extensively screened ex-military and civilian network to fulfill the full spectrum of private office requirements (including close protection, PA/EA, Chief of Staff)
We source opportunities for young future leaders going into the workplace, transitioning from one career to another in a discreet and handheld manner.
UMBRA provides our clients and their families with ongoing support, giving them the peace of mind in all aspects of their daily lives.
We deliver rapid and discreet solutions through significant life changes or crisis situations, such as relocation, divorce or bereavement.