Daniel Percy-Hughes | Synechron
I have held roles in investment banking operations, business and technology change and as a business consultant, specialising in financial services regulation for the last 10 years.
More recently, I’ve focused on the application of emerging technology. I like to get to the root cause of problems and am keen to deliver innovative solutions that provide real value.
As a political science graduate, I understand how structures have an impact across society, often with unintended consequences. I've always been interested in data and its central role in decision making across multiple industries and particularly its impact on the economy and am aware of the negative outcomes caused by bias within that data.
Early in my career, I was given opportunities to train others, inspiring me to really get involved in people development. I am currently running a programme where I have been the first to encourage our consultant group to define their own career development needs. I continue to manage and mentor colleagues across my company as a result, and continuously strive to develop as a leader.
Annabelle Juffs | MUFG
I am an Analyst in MUFG’s Corporate Coverage team, focusing on the Relationship Management of our Nordic clients.
I joined MUFG on the Graduate Scheme in September 2017 and over the following two years I completed rotations gaining experience throughout the Corporate and Investment Bank. In early 2019, I joined the UK, Ireland and Nordic Corporate Coverage team, and now focus on the Relationship Management of our 30 Corporate Clients Headquartered in the Nordic region. In my role I am responsible for maintaining relationships both externally with our clients and internally with numerous product teams and stakeholders. We ensure that collectively we deliver the best outcome for MUFG’s clients. In addition to my day job I have been working towards the Association of Corporate Treasurers Certificate in Treasury qualification.
Prior to joining MUFG, in 2016 I graduated with a 2.1 from the University of Nottingham in BA Contemporary Chinese Studies. The course involved studying history, politics and business with a China-focus, as well as learning Mandarin. I spent the second year of my course studying at Nottingham’s campus in Ningbo, China at the world’s first Sino-foreign University. It was during my time in China that I joined ‘Enactus’, a student-led organisation which uses social entrepreneurship to empower those in need. Our team focused on social mobility, namely of migrant workers and HIV-carriers respectively, both of which are often segregated groups in Chinese society.
Following my graduation, I was offered a place at LSE to undertake a Master’s in China in Comparative Perspective. Here, I focused on developmental studies and completed my Dissertation researching gender inequality in India and China, considering the impact of this discrimination over many decades resulting in a male-dominated gender skew in both populations.
When I first joined MUFG, I became an active member in the ‘Balance’ Inclusion and Diversity Network which aims to promote gender equality in our organisation and industry. My motivation to become an ambassador for gender equality within the Bank came after I left University and realised that there was a stark difference in awareness and understanding of these issues between the banking industry and the outside world. Thankfully this is now improving and it has been particularly interesting from a personal perspective to see this positive change over a relatively short timeframe. Since joining MUFG three years ago, I have led a number of initiatives including planning commemoration events for International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day where we welcome external speakers and host an internal panel session for c.80 employees. I have also collaborated with the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) to host a gender-focused I&D event in September 2019 where we welcomed c.70 ACT members. In addition, I have worked with The Gender Networks to host their Careers Club event in October 2018 and Quarterly Breakfast event in October 2019 where we welcomed c.60 and 100 attendees respectively. For my contribution to Inclusion and Diversity, I was awarded with MUFG’s Excellence Award in the EMEA region in March 2019. I now lead the Employee Engagement Workstream comprised of 15 members and have been running a series of Managing Director Focus Groups across the business to discuss ways to improve active participation in the most efficient way. I also engage with HR in Intern and Graduate recruitment initiatives.
Beyond this, I have completed the accreditation to become a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) in the workplace, which provides MHFA’s with the tools to assist colleagues in a mental health emergency. I also lead the Community Engagement workstream comprised of 10 members within MUFG’s Environment Committee working closely with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team. We aim to educate within our organisation and within the local community and have held three environment-focused CSR days open to all employees. I actively attend CSR days, spending time practicing interview skills with female ex-offenders to help them re-enter the workforce and reviewing local school children’s CVs and personal statements. In addition, I am an active member of MUFG’s Sports and Social Committee and founded MUFG’s Netball team, which was the first regular team sports offered to females.
Kavita Singh | Refinitiv
I come from a family of limited means.
The societal outlook was largely patriarchal and when I would attend weddings/social functions, as a well-mannered kid, I often heard that one day I would make an excellent homemaker.
I often wondered what if I wanted to be someone else? Someone other than a homemaker? But I kept to such thoughts to myself because at the time, I was told such thoughts are ‘bad’.
Burying my head into books at school was a pleasant realisation. After all, there were no issues if a girl scored higher than a boy at Mathematics! It also opened my eyes to the wider possibilities beyond being a homemaker.
I remember discussing with my family, into the wee hours of morning that instead of getting married, I would like to focus on building my career, be strong, be financially independent and make a change. It took a few more nights, about 15 I think, before I managed to convince them and started my first role at Deloitte.
I immediately took a fancy to financial services through the advisory projects that I worked on and managed for leading players in the banking and capital markets. My work wasn’t unnoticed and one of the Partners gave me the opportunity to travel to New York and manage a challenging, complex and rewarding engagement.
It was here I developed strong fundamentals on change delivery, working through ambiguity and being a trusted advisor for my clients.
With a view to acquiring global exposure, I prepared for GMAT alongside my gruelling-but-enjoyable 16-hour workdays and significant personal issues. A score of 700+ allowed me to realise my dream of purusing an MBA from London Business School, a top tier global B-school.
I started the programme in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the diverse fabric of London. I vowed to further my career here and pay it forward to the diverse community.
After completing my MBA as a Dean’s List candidate, I started my career in London in 2018 at Refinitiv – a leading content and technology provider to banking and capital market clients. I joined Refinitiv on its highly selective and coveted Management Associate Programme as a Management Graduate. I had previously been an intern in 2017 in the Summer Associate program at Refinitiv where I successfully executed and delivered very critical and high visibility projects to become one of the four interns to be offered a place as a management graduate.
I had the opportunity to work on some very interesting and challenging projects, including launching a novel service for delivery of market data to banking and capital market clients and their customers while reducing infrastructure and compliance costs for the clients’ customers. I drove results through a relentless focus on execution which helped me get promoted as the Proposition Manager responsible for the $30mn funds content business of Refinitiv, which is my current role.
The highlight of my current role has been me, along with my larger team, turning around the funds content business, especially in EMEA and Asia, after having been underinvested and underperforming for almost a decade. I drive the creation and execution of strategy for the business with the goal of carving a place for Refinitiv as the #1 provider of funds content to the financial services industry.
For fun, I love having a casual walk around London and trying different cuisines – Lucky Cat is my new favourite! I have also been working on my Golf swing and up for a BBQ in any season!
Ericka FitzGerald | MUFG
I have always been passionate about helping others.
My parents come from a very poor background and as they progressed in life they taught me and my sister that giving is more rewarding than receiving and having empathy would make us better human beings. Probably that’s why I worked as an ESL teacher for nearly 10 years teaching children, teenagers and adults in Brazil and Canada. I also taught for large corporates and a university in Brazil. Following the advice of a Head of HR who happened to be one of my students at that time, I decided to challenge myself by applying for a sales role at Bloomberg. In a couple of years I became the top sales person for LATAM and decided to move to the UK where my family was based. I then joined Barclays as an eFX sales person and later MUFG. I got married, had two boys who are now 8 and 4 years-old, and, besides my role as a Vice President on the eFX Trading desk, I am the founding co-chair of Family Matters, one of MUFG’s Employee Networks founded in 2016. I also lead the MUFG's Mother’s forum, where I support new mothers coming back from maternity leave. This has significantly contributed to MUFG’s ability to support and retain women. As I work 4.25 days a week, I have been a role model for many others (men and women), who I mentor inside and outside the organisation, to support them in finding balance in their day-to-day lives and careers. After my first child was born I suffered from PTSD and know how hard it is to cope with mental health, a stressful job whilst being a mum and a wife at the same time. This made me passionate about creating networks and helping others especially at work where people usually suffer in silence. I recently spoke for at the 2019 This Can Happen, the largest mental health at the workplace event, and shared my experience as a new mum, coming back to work and facing mental health issues. I also regularly sit on panels to support family related issues including caring for our elderly parents as I do. I have done Reiki and Healing courses and am an active fundraiser for The Fursa Trust, a charity supporting young kids and teenagers in Kenya.
Nikki Jamieson | NatWest
I graduated from Brunel Uni, 3rd in my cohort, having studied Business & Finance specialising in Technology and Human Resources.
A great mix which I've built my career around and continued to develop my thirst and curiosity for knowledge in 'what makes people tick' and 'how can we do this better' every year since - a post grad certificate in the Psychology of Management, Psychometric Tester, Master Business Black Belt, Master Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner and Coach, Mental Health First Aider amongst them.
It often surprises people I work with to learn that for 15 years I gained several other Black Belts - in karate! Again through dedication and practice I competed for Great Britain for 8 years winning Regional, National and International honours. Once I retired in my early 30s, I then joined the British Coaching team training the females coming through the ranks through to International success - I also taught men how to fight! These days you are more likely to find me cycling in the local countryside, at Pilates or at a rugby match (spectator!)
I've spent the last 22 years working for NatWest in their Technology Division undertaking a range of management roles, some technical and others leading with my passion for coaching and inclusion. The common thread running through all of them is an ability to build rapport and networks to create self-belief regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability or age and to help others discover the best of themselves and to choose their career path so that they love coming into work every day.
Mirabell Mayack | African Investment Day
Using my heritage to promote Francophone Africa as a viable destination for investment.
Francophone Africa is a hard to access market which offers virgin opportunities. However, it is a world based on strong networks. With a mixed heritage, German mother and Father from Cameroon I have quickly understood that bringing these two worlds of opportunities together needs a soft sales approach and someone like me. Making these countries a viable destination for investment was done through Roadshows, conferences, and the informal way, which lead to becoming a true alternative to the usual institutional ways for investors. I believe in life skills rather then academic skills.
At the African Investment day which is an SME we have the flexibility and agility that I would have not found in a bigger structure to mould a place in the world of finances
I understood that there was a gap to be filled between the two continents of opportunities. so I invented the business events, a soft sales approach to sell a destination for investment which has led to generating leads, building an impressive portfolio of clients and being a sharp competition in the investment sector.
I have a strong international events background that has helped me, when bringing people together in a creative way. However, customer relations are my biggest strength.
Being a woman in a male dominated sector has taught me a few things but it has taught them to make space for female leadership and that soft sales paired with soft skills is not to be underestimated.
Millie Gooch | Sober Girl Society
In September 2018 - I founded Sober Girl Society which is an Instagram-based and real-life community for women who don't drink alcohol.
We run monthly events and meet-ups and as an individual I appear on panels and podcasts to talk about sobriety as well as helping with projects such as Club Soda's Be Rebel AF campaign in universities.
You can check out what we do at SGS here - https://www.instagram.com/sobergirlsociety/?hl=en
Carina White | Tongue Tied Media
Carina is Head of Business & Brand Partnerships, Head of Operations for the Best Of Africa Awards, BCOMS (The Black Collective of Media in Sport) Board Member, School Governor and Dope Black Mums Podcaster.
Carina started her career in football over ten years ago where she worked at a football agency Straight Ace Sports Management. With no experience within sports business, she learnt quickly on job and was responsible for player contract negotiation, player PR, crisis management and media training for clients.
Carina went on to join Tongue Tied Media, a sports management and production company from media agency MediaCom, and brought with her a wealth of experience in Media, Advertising and Marketing, Event Management and PR.
Carina was listed by the Voice Newspaper as one to watch for 2020 following a successful 2019 which saw her co-launch the Dope Black Mums podcast and initiative which provides a digital safe space for Black Mums.
Carina regularly takes parts in charity endeavours and initiatives which promote the positive welfare and outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
Lisa Marr | Barclays
Lisa Marr served 16 years as a Regular Army Officer with the Royal Logistic Corps.
She served with transport units, training establishments before taking up staff appointments in 1 (UK) Armd Div and UKSC(G). She deployed on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. At her pension point she moved to New Zealand and joined up as a Regular Officer in the NZ Defence Force taking a Squadron Commander role with the Logistic Regiment based in Christchurch. It was during this appointment that Christchurch was struck with several catastrophic earthquakes and Lisa was selected to be the Mayor of Christchurch’s Military Liaison officer during the state of emergency.
Returning to the UK Lisa joined 4 Bde as the Head of Engagement for the Yorkshire and Humber region, responsible for engaging with businesses on behalf of service leavers and veterans, publicising the benefits of signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant and the ERS Awards. Being a diverse area a large part of the role was also to engage with hard to reach communities. Lisa excelled at connecting with these communities and became a much loved figure in the region; often developing relationships in areas where the military had found it difficult to connect. She was able to build excellent relationships and through her work in the region was recognised and awarded a commendation from the Consul General of Pakistan.
Lisa has a real passion for helping women and children and breaking down the barriers they often face in these communities. She joined forces with Opening Boundaries a charity which through cricket connects communities and advocates on behalf of women. Lisa devoted a lot of her own time to work with this charity and used the vehicle of cricket to expose these communities to the military, breaking down perceptions on both sides and showcasing the benefits that playing sport brings in both the physical and mental aspects. Through this collaboration she organised a joint event held at Headingly for a cricket match between the UKAF Ladies Team v’s Asian Inspirational Ladies Team. Bringing in the local community this was to showcase women’s sport and the opportunities in the military for people from all backgrounds. The match was a huge success and is now an annual event. The initiative saw Lisa and the Opening Boundaries initiative winning several awards both local and national – White Ribbon Award, British Muslim Awards, Leeds White Ribbon Awards and being selected as one of 3 finalists in the Women’s Sport Trust Game Changer Awards under the Inspiring Local initiative award.
Lisa joined Barclays to run the outward facing VETS programme, by the time of these awards just over a year ago, and has breathed new life into it and set the conditions for it to grow into a huge asset for the business and the veteran community. Her list of achievements in such a short time are remarkable, but to name just a few she has: increased the number of new VETS partners; created connections across the business, raising awareness of VETS and the Military and Veterans Outreach (MVO) team; created – and delivered – from scratch a brilliant, pioneering spousal employment pilot; overseen an exponential increase in numbers of mentors and veterans using the platform and worked tirelessly to ensure collaboration is taking place across this space to ensure the very best service and advice is provided for the service leaver, veteran or spouse wherever they may live in the country.
Virginia Stuart-Taylor | UK Civil Service
Virginia is an EU Negotiations Advisor in the UK Civil Service, a Digital Ambassador for global children’s charity Plan International, and an Ambassador from two One Young World summits in Johannesburg and Dublin.
She's also been selected by the Future Leaders Network as Head of the UK's Delegation to the G7 Youth Summit in Washington DC in June 2020. She currently lives and works in London, but has lived in 6 other countries across Europe, South America and Asia, has visited over 65 countries, and writes the award-winning travel blog www.TheWell-TravelledPostcard.com.
After graduating with a degree in Spanish, Italian & Portuguese from the University of Exeter, she started her career in the private sector by joining O2/Telefonica's European Graduate Scheme, working in the CEO's Office, Global Partnerships and Digital Strategy roles in London and Madrid. She then led a team of International Citizen Service volunteers on a 4-month sustainable development project in rural Nepal following the 2015 earthquake, for the charity Raleigh International, before obtaining a Double Master's degree in European Politics, Society and Culture at universities in the Netherlands and Sweden, using her thesis to research the impact of Brexit on EU27 citizens living in the UK.
Inspired by her experiences at One Young World summits and volunteering in Nepal, she followed her growing passion for tackling global and societal challenges at the international level, by leaving the private sector to join the 3-year Civil Service Fast Stream, specialising in UK-EU relations. Now in the public sector, she's worked on UK Government foreign policy, trade policy, international negotiations and diplomatic engagement at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Department for International Trade; and the Department for Exiting the EU.
She's passionate about tackling gender inequality in the UK and abroad, empowering young women to reach their potential through mentoring, organising Women in Leadership events, public speaking, fundraising for Plan International and raising awareness of their campaigns to advance girls' rights and education in developing countries.