2023 Shortlist: Future Leader Award nominees
news published date 6 October 2023Following our announcement on 14 September, we are delighted to share another set of details of each of the shortlisted nominees – this time for our Future Leader Award. But before we do, here’s a reminder of the category:
Celebrates someone aged 35 or younger (on 31 May 2024) who has had an exceptional impact within an organisation with regard to diversity and inclusion (D&I), either as a burgeoning role model or by leading progress. This person is shaping their company’s success, not only in terms of the business culture, but also in the example being set for colleagues. This individual outperforms peers across their firm, demonstrates ambition and has already seen career success, while helping others to also progress.
But why did those listed make the shortlist? Below we include a brief summary of their submission so you can see why they thoroughly deserve to be on the list. Scroll down to read the full list and some of the amazing successes already achieved to date.
| Alice Cooke, Coutts (NatWest) | Alice was put forward due to her lead in creating and co-chairing the “Your Family, Your Career” network. As a mum of two children under the age of 6 and having had to take two lots of maternity leave, Alice is passionate about supporting any parent from before they take parental leave to when they return and beyond, ensuring their career trajectory continues in the direction it should do. Promoted to director level since returning from having her second child, Alice talks openly about the mum-life balance and actively advocates for transparency and honesty about the struggles that the juggle can and runs the network while managing a function of nearly 40 members of staff and being a committee member for the Wealth Gender Network. “Your Family, Your Career” now brings together hundreds of colleagues across the whole organisation. |
| Amber-Louise Pocklington, Lloyds Banking Group | Amber is a role model and inspiration in the workplace in many ways, from leading national Breakthrough Women’s Network communications, to building digital and financial skills across the UK, and founding a non-profit charity. Aged 26, she is an advocator of change for social mobility, volunteering frequently and set up D&I initiatives such as ‘Glass Ceiling Mentoring’ in the commercial bank. Amber also mentors interns and colleagues across the organisation, giving frequent presentations to share her story as a diverse voice from a low-income background. Amber recently successfully completed a Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship with CMI and MSc in Management for Future Leaders with Henley Business School and continues to care for her mother – a role she has had since a young age. |
| Amy Paterson, Alba Bank | Amy recently took on a new role at Alba Bank to help build out its enterprise risk capabilities. Prior to this, Amy was a Vice President at Barclays UK, where she managed the second line risk function through the acquisition of Kensington Mortgage Company and was awarded the DE&I Role Model of the Year Award by Barclays Scotland in 2022, all while pursuing an honours degree at the London Institute of Banking and Finance. Empowering the next generation of emerging leaders, Amy is Chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals, growing the membership by 20% year to date. In connecting young talent across the industry, Amy ensures that initiatives and objectives are tailored to members’ needs and connects the leaders of tomorrow with those of today to arm them with the confidence, knowledge and skills for effective career progression. |
| Bethany Drew, TLT LLP | A banking and finance lawyer at TLT in Bristol, Bethany demonstrates leadership through her client relationships and through her commitment to her firm’s social nobility network and her support for Women in Banking & Finance (WIBF). The events lead for the South West and South Wales WIBF branch, Bethany has organised two sell-out events and sat on the panel amongst senior women in financial services. As head of TLT’s social mobility network, she regularly hosts workshops for university students hoping to “break into the corporate world” in partnership with The 93% Club. |
| Hannah Oades, United Trust Bank | Hannah is a Corporate Account Manager in the mortgages division of United Trust Bank. As a LGBTQ+ woman with a neurodivergent condition and through her role and participation in the bank’s D&I forum, she continues to raise awareness for key D&I issues and has influenced bank-wide initiatives to improve opportunities and work life for people with different gender and sexual identities, as well as those with neurological conditions. In the last year, Hannah played an important role in UTB’s reverse mentoring programme between members of the bank’s management team and less senior employees. Paired with Georgie Reisser-Weston, UTB’s HR Director, a number of initiatives from the new starter onboarding process to accessibility began, including a a trial of Microsoft’s TextHelp Read & Write software which helps neurodivergent people understand documents more easily and efficiently. |
| Jo Chileshe, KPMG | Jo is a passionate and motivated communications professional, people leader and change champion. As one of the youngest senior managers in KPMG’s media relations team, she leads on public relations for the UK Deal Advisory practice, oversees the firm’s regional communications team and chairs the African and Caribbean employee network across the Midlands. Alongside her day job, Jo mentors a finalist from the firm’s Black Entrepreneur Awards and she coaches members of her team and members of her employee network. She also volunteers to support the local community, helping people from historically underrepresented groups write and create compelling CVs and applications. She is seen as a role model by being willing to speak up if/when things aren’t right and through her role as an ethics champion. |
| Lauren Fuller, NatWest | Lauren is a qualified mortgage adviser who has a passion for financial innovation and project management to improve both customer and colleague experience. A Rising Star winner at the Financial Reporter Women’s Recognition Awards 2022, Lauren continually looks for opportunities to digitise, improve and manage the customer journey, particular for green mortgages. Her solution as a finalist in the 2019 Chartered Banker Young Banker of the Year competition 2019 to allow customers to use their EPC to improve their homes’ energy performance rating is being taken forward by NatWest. Lauren has recently completed her Masters in Innovation, Leadership and Business Management, leads the award winning NatWest Group Gender Network Initiatives & Partnerships Committee and has launched Women in Banking & Finance in the Norwich region. |
| Meredith Reynolds, Wells Fargo | Meredith Reynolds is a Director and leads the Corporate Debt Finance banking and origination team in London, within Wells Fargo’s Structured Products Group. Having moved from the US to London in 2017, she has developed her team, its business strategy and grown revenue while striving to progress D&I within Wells Fargo through her leadership roles for the EMEA Women’s Diversity network, which she now co-leads. In her time at Wells Fargo, she has championed diverse talent development opportunities by sponsoring external network memberships for employees, promoting mentorship opportunities, and collaborating internally and externally to bring thought leadership and career development training to the broader organisation. |
| Milly Batchelor, NatWest | Milly is the Business Manager to the Managing Director of Everyday Banking and Co-chair of the NatWest Group Gender Network Allied Men group. She sits on the leadership team of the wider gender network and works closely with other leaders to develop the network strategy, including how to integrate men into the programme. Previously chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals Network, Milly also volunteers at the NatWest Skillbank, which provides volunteering opportunities to colleagues, and outside her organisation. She has volunteered as a project manager over the past 18 months, primarily focusing on supporting efforts for Ukraine, and sits on the Scotland Board of Women in Banking & Finance. Milly has been recognised externally as a Rising Star in Technology and in the 2022 Business Insiders 35 under 35. |
| Nita Rajani, Deloitte | Nita is an ambitious leader working in capital markets advising investment banks on their technology transformation priorities, operating models and most complex programs. As a Senior Manager, she has progressed her career through exceptional client delivery and contribution to Deloitte’s Capital Markets strategy and wider practice development. Nita has built a strong global internal network, as well as a strong external network in the industry across several major banks, and has led diversity & inclusion initiatives for Deloitte and by supporting Women in Banking & Finance as a relationship manager. Motivated to grow and nurture future talent across our industry, she is recognised as a role model by supporting the career of many female and BAME colleagues. |
| Sophie Godbold, Bank of England | Sophie is seen as having had an extraordinary impact on the career prospects and lived experience of women at the most junior scales at the Bank of England. In driving policy and cultural change in her local area and her larger business unit, and more recently across the entire organisation via her leadership role on the bank’s gender network – first as a co-lead of an existing ‘pillar’ of the network, and subsequently leading a new pillar dedicated to her cause – Sophie has succeeded overcoming issues at the central bank that the team described as “intractable for literally decades”. By inspiring other to realise their full potential and demanding more from the bank in terms of a fulfilling career, Sophie leads a community of like-minded women, dedicated to breaking down the barriers they face. |
| Tinashe Shata, TD Securities | A Senior Technology Analyst, Tinashe has shown business acumen through her career and taken on voluntary responsibilities for TD’s European Inclusion & Diversity communities, as Leader of the Women in Technology committee and as a contributor to TD’s Black Professional Network. A recipient of a ‘Legendary Award’ for her significant contributions to TD and a TD Securities’ ‘Pinnacle Award’ – the highest level of distinction that recognises the top 1% of performers out of more than 95,000 colleagues globally – Tinashe also spearheads external relationships and engagement with youth enterprises like STEM Learning and STEMettes to inspire and guide young people into STEM related careers, all the while seeking to create career pathways for young people. |