After completing a Business Science degree at the University of Cape Town, I moved to London and joined The Royal Bank of Scotland. Two years later in 2009 I moved into Structured Finance at Deutsche Bank (DB).
While at DB I was nominated to join the department’s Sports and Social Committee, later chairing the group, and also the Global Transaction Banking (GTB) Connectors Committee. Both leadership groups aim to bring employees together through social, sporting and charity initiatives. In addition, the latter provides a conduit between senior management and staff fostering open communication and inclusion.
Throughout my time in GTB I was keenly involved in charity initiatives; contributing as a fundraiser, volunteer and being a department representative for the bank’s charity events. In late 2017 my career took an exciting turn when I was giving the opportunity to join DB’s Corporate Social Responsibility team (CSR). I now run DB’s Born to Be youth engagement programme. In the UK, Born to Be helps less advantaged young people reach their full potential through education initiatives.
Whist still working in the business in 2016, I was approached to join the Steerco of Deutsche Bank’s disability network – dbEnable. Made up of 15 employees across Deutsche Bank UK and Ireland, the Steerco’s objective is to enable an inclusive and supportive workplace where all people affected by disability or illness can flourish. Becoming part of dbEnable was a transformative step in my career. It exposed me to the diversity landscape and ignited a passion to create a more inclusive environment in the banking sector.
dbEnable arranges numerous awareness events throughout the year on topics such as Autism, Dyslexia, Stammering, Mental Health, Physical Disability to name a few. We engage with staff and senior management internally and are part of various external disability and mental health forums such as “This is Me in the City”, Purple Space and Wharfability.
At the start of 2018 I was nominated for the role of dbEnable Co-Chair. We strive to embed a culture of inclusion in the workplace and continue to drive awareness while at the same time have a keen focus on the bank’s disability and mental health policies. dbEnable is the bank’s go-to group on disability, mental health and illness matters and I am extremely proud to be leading it.