In my career, I have faced numerous challenges, but two stand out: unfairness and gender bias. I am often the only woman on the team, and I am always the only Black woman on the team. Many of the obstacles I have encountered are rooted in either my gender, my ethnicity, or both. And the negative impact of discrimination can weigh heavily on one's mental health.
Even though I was excelling in my role, it was difficult to get involved in high-visibility or strategic projects. I faced a lack of recognition for my work and did not receive a deserved promotion when due. This experience motivated me to work tirelessly to strategically showcase my work and gain influence in the corporate world.
My goal has always been to influence others to do the right thing, whether by fostering collaboration through the platform I created or by advocating for meaningful change from the top.
Today I witness so much wasted potential, particularly among Black women, due to a lack of information, knowledge, mentorship and sponsorship. This was my experience earlier in my career before I decided to create the change I wanted to see - for myself and future generations. While corporate initiatives and nonprofits are making efforts to bridge these gaps, many opportunities still don't reach those from disadvantaged backgrounds or areas with limited access to resources.
This is why I established my mentoring platform, eMentormi, to support mid-senior women and disadvantaged groups through mentoring, coaching and personal branding. Additionally, through my consultancy, bolaadesinamba.com, I work with senior leaders and other stakeholders to address structural and systemic barriers. Overcoming these obstacles is essential to creating a conducive and inclusive environment for attracting and retaining diverse talent.
I believe that the work of ensuring fairness and inclusiveness in recruitment and people practices must begin within our workplaces. This, in turn, will have a positive ripple effect on society, giving diverse talent and individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds a fair chance to succeed.
Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, but some of us need to be trailblazers in removing barriers for others along the way.
Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, but some of us need to be trailblazers in removing barriers for others along the way. Years ago, while working as a middleware expert, I became involved in the firm’s Women in Tech forum and later established the ethnicity network, which grew into the company’s largest employee resource group. Reflecting on that time, advocating for change - such as reviewing internal recruitment practices and volunteering on industry DEI initiatives - was particularly challenging for me. This was at a time when DEI was not a buzzword and discussions about race within the workplace were taboo.
As we know, change often brings uncertainty and resistance. However, my ability to present a compelling case for change while building trust with senior leaders and colleagues led to decisive action within the business to do things differently, such as focusing on attracting diverse talent and improving representation.
On the positive side, the impact of my efforts attracted support from senior executives (C-suite), and I benefited from having them as mentors and sponsors who played a significant role in my journey. The inclusive environment I was helping to foster, supported by inclusive leadership at the C-suite level, made the adoption of a new, more inclusive culture easier and faster. But the work is ongoing.
On the flip side, my early experience of going against the grain to drive change required me to establish my voice while juggling dual roles both in tech and DEI. This had a negative impact on my tech career, as my direct management failed to view my contributions to transforming workplace culture as relevant to advancing in my technical role. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the experience, good and bad, and the skills I’ve acquired, like gaining buy-in, trust, respect and using one’s agency to achieve bigger and better things.
The journey to effect change was challenging but the tremendous impact on the workplace and the industry made it all worthwhile. The hard work paid off with significant improvements in the representation of diverse talent. One of the most transformative outcomes was the creation of an enterprise-wide professional forum that fostered dialogue and encouraged meaningful multicultural exchanges. This initiative helped transform the workplace into a more inclusive one.
Over the years, there have been numerous milestones worth celebrating, particularly changes that started as a conversation between colleagues, to being successfully implemented and integrated into the business. Here are a few highlights:
1. C-Suite Reverse Mentoring: One of the most impactful achievements was getting the entire C-suite, consisting of thirteen senior leaders, to participate in reverse mentoring at very short notice. What began as a small group mentoring discussion between a C-suite sponsor and I resulted in the entire global C-suite engaging in reverse mentoring with around forty ethnic minority employees - an industry first.
The significance of this initiative was underscored by its timing, as it occurred at the height of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. Hearing firsthand about their employees’ experiences with racism, both at work and in society, inspired the C-suite to take meaningful action. The insights generated from all participants led to a draft strategy document that became the foundation for the firm's first DEI strategy. This was a proud moment for me and other colleagues who made it happen, and a testament to the impact of my DEI work.
2. Creating Psychological Safety and Belonging: Another significant milestone was the creation of safe spaces where employees could express their ideas and share their differences and commonalities. The forums I co-established provided employees with a platform to voice their perspectives within a psychologically safe environment. One standout event was the role model panel event I hosted in 2018, the first of its kind in the asset management industry. Alongside ethnic minority professionals, it featured Black excellence across various fields, from politics to fund management to entrepreneurship.
Against the negative media narrative at the time, which often focused on knife crime statistics, my attempt at changing that negative perception, showcased a positive representation of Black professionals. The immediate impact was a shift in the perception of ethnic minorities especially Black professionals within the City, whilst establishing our voice within FTSE100 firms and the investment management industry. As one senior leader said, "It's the first time in my 20-year City career, being in a room full of ethnic minority professionals and feeling like a minority."
3. The City Belonging Project: The City Belonging Project was a City of London initiative aimed at promoting inclusion within the Square Mile. I became involved early on, even though the scale of the initiative was daunting at first. It sought to bring together financial institutions and other firms within the City of London. The project's objectives included promoting collaboration between firms on inclusion initiatives, and ensuring that corporate employees, business owners and other stakeholders had a voice on matters affecting the Square Mile.
My innate ability to bring the right people on board and convince them to embrace alternative approaches to solving complex problems is what defines me as a social Disruptor. I am tenacious and will not cease driving meaningful change.
From voting in various wards to contributing to improvement projects and making the City of London an attractive place for employees to work in, especially post-lockdown and the new hybrid working era. I relished the opportunity to widen my impact beyond the workplace and I advised, influenced and helped shape The City Belonging Project led by the Head of Campaigns and Community Engagement. The initiative successfully launched at the Barbican last year.
These milestones highlight the significant progress I have been a part of in fostering inclusion and diversity within the workplace and beyond. Each achievement underscores the importance of persistence, collaboration and a clear vision in driving meaningful change.
I have always been a Disruptor, even as a teenager, I secretly called myself the "quiet rebel". I challenge what needs challenging, but I do so in a non-confrontational way. Like many other incredible women and trailblazers, I am passionate and determined when it comes to driving change and I strongly believe in the power of collective action to achieve positive outcomes. My innate ability to bring the right people on board and convince them to embrace alternative approaches to solving complex problems is what defines me as a social Disruptor. I am tenacious and will not cease driving meaningful change.
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