Nadine Teape | Global Network Oversight and Controls Manager | Lloyd`s of London
Nadine's career path spans over a decade in the financial sector, in a variety of roles and disciplines.
Following a law degree from Reading University, she commenced her professional journey at the Financial Ombudsman Service, specialising in resolving insurance complaints while mentoring new starters and colleagues.
Starting at Lloyd’s of London, Nadine specialised in international regulation, navigating Lloyd`s complex regulatory landscapes and licenses.
Nadine transitioned to Lloyd’s commercial team, where she spearheaded governance oversight of the organisation`s global offices. Here, she played a pivotal role in developing and implementing robust governance frameworks to support strategic objectives.
Driving positive outcomes and fostering collaboration, Nadine continues to make significant contributions to the financial industry, leveraging her expertise and passion in mentoring to inspire excellence and drive organisational success.
Emily Griffiths | Founder, Activist, Writer and Speaker | For The Women UK
My name is Emily, I’m founder of For The Women UK, a Social Impact organisation.
I’m an activist, writer and speaker, my work is focused on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Women’s Health and Empowerment as well as Health Equity. I have campaigned on a political level working with local members of parliament involved in policy matters for changes. I have been a voluntary UN Women UK delegate for three years, a UN Youth Member and I have attended high level UN Youth Human Rights Meetings, as well as other large organisations.
I was delighted to hold a meeting with The Clinton Foundation about my activism work with Women’s Health. I speak at schools, colleges and workplaces to raise awareness on inequalities faced by Women and Girls in health, education and more. I’m dedicated to my work and I’m deeply passionate in creating meaningful changes.
Toyosi Olowe | Founder, Creative Director, Artist | TOYOWRITES
Toyosi successfully transitioned from a Tech position in a Big Four firm to a thriving startup in a short time span showcases her adaptability and entrepreneurial prowess.
Founded her high end art brand in 2020. This artist and entrepreneur demonstrated exceptional business acumen, achieving substantial success without external funding. She has previously been commended by the Iconic Telegraph newspaper as a top 100 female entrepreneurs in the UK to watch.
Having sold five-figure artworks to influential CEOs like Bracken Darrell the CEO of VF and famous Hollywood actresses. This highlights her global impact in the art market, making her a compelling candidate for the rising star award.
Diversity and Representation: By pursuing a creative path and breaking away from traditional corporate roles, she serves as a role model, creating representation for black females in Europe/ Diaspora who aspire to pursue their creative passions amid societal and career pressures.
Endorsements by Influential Figures: Gaining endorsements from multiple Hollywood actresses like Meagan Good further solidifies her credibility and influence in the creative industry.
Innovative Exhibition Locations: Hosting exhibitions at prestigious venues like Google HQ, Deloitte, and Barclays demonstrates her ability to innovate and collaborate in unique settings, contributing to her recognition in the Art and Style category. She is pioneering the corporate and creative synergy including the first-of-its-kind female-only exhibition at Barclays during Black History Month, showcases her ability to bridge the gap between the corporate world and the art community.
Ally Redding | Senior Account Executive | Guidewire
I work in enterprise software sales focused on the insurance industry. I am a Senior Account Executive at Guidewire responsible for managing sales across the UK and South Africa.
My focus is to work with new and existing customers to understand their strategic objectives and showcase the power of leveraging Guidewire’s SaaS capabilities to achieve them. Since joining in 2021, I have received awards for my sales performance including EMEA Newcomer of the Year. I am also the UK lead for Guidewire’s Employee Resource Group – GROW (Guidewire Recognition of Women).
At university I studied Forensic Linguistics and spent my weekends managing a call center focused on fitting telematics devices to vehicles. I was passionate about getting into a career within the insurance industry so alongside my first role in Public Relations, I embarked on the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) London Market qualifications and focused on meeting as many people as possible within the industry to learn more.
Outside of work, I spent the last 3 years volunteering with Mencap to support local adults with learning disabilities, which was very rewarding. I enjoy travelling, food, and live events whether that be sports or music.
Sara Yemane | Associate Director | RBC BlueBay Asset Management
Sara joined BlueBay Asset Management (which is now part of RBC Global Asset Management) in 2020 as a temporary RFP Writer.
She later became a permanent member of the team and within three years had worked towards becoming Associate Director within the firm’s Client Experience team.
Prior to joining RBC BlueBay, Sara worked as a Client Relationship Manager at Sarasin & Partners, working with charities and private clients across the UK and USA. She started her career as Fund Analyst at Waverton Investment Management.
Sara received a First Class Honours in Business Management BSc with a specialism in marketing from Brunel University.
Susanne Gardner | Financial Crime Compliance Operations Manager | Aviva Investors
I started working within my current company in 2010, in the customer service contact centre for motor insurance.
This was a stop gap job following the completion of my degree in Criminology whilst I figured out what I wanted to do with my career. Like a lot of people, I had no idea when I graduated what I wanted to do or how to go about getting into specific areas. Over my time in customer service, I explored other areas within the wider company to see what caught my interest. I saw a vacancy for a fraud investigator and went for it; I have been working in different areas of financial crime prevention ever since. My focus, now, is on the management of our Anti-Money Laundering (AML) controls, Know Your Customer checks and oversighting of our third parties who perform AML activities on our behalf. I manage a small team of 6 financial crime analysts who cover a multitude of operational activities required to ensure compliance with AML legislation across the investment management business. I love solving problems and helping others and my current role provides me with the opportunities to be involved in all areas of investment management. My day to day is always different and I am always up for a new challenge. However, what I enjoy most is being able to support those around me, helping with their development and seeing their confidence blossom as they progress in their careers.
Elizabeth Merrall | Investment Analyst | Top Tier Capital Partners
Lizzy currently works as an Analyst at Top Tier Capital Partners, a venture capital fund-of-funds headquartered in San Francisco.
Prior to joining Top Tier, Lizzy was an Analyst at BNP Paribas, working on their UK M&A team. At BNP Paribas, Lizzy worked on transactions for Pearson (FTSE 100), one of the top five chaebols in South Korea, and the UK’s largest independent solar and co-located battery storage developer.
Lizzy is originally from Malaysia and Scotland but has lived in over 8 countries including Brunei, New Zealand, and Qatar. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, reading anything behavioural sciences-related, and volunteers for SEO London and Women in Banking and Finance.
Pamela Remmer | Verification Team Leader | RBC Brewin Dolphin
I started my career with RBC Brewin Dolphin in May 2013 on a 6 month temporary contact, working on the verification team, after previously working on the fraud team at Santander.
It was a lovely environment to work in and after completing my induction and training period successfully I was able to thrive within the supportive team. After increasing my knowledge and skillset within the team I was able confidently interview for a 12 month contracted position which shortly turned into a permanent role. During my time on the team I was nominated to attend the emerging talent programme designed to help boast my skills and profile within the company. It was a great opportunity to strengthen my network connections and build my own personal brand within the firm. Being offered this development opportunity enabled my to utilize my skills and enhance my knowledge of the team procedures. This enabled my to further develop in my role and gain the job title of senior administrator, having increased knowledge within the team increased my work opportunities and I was able to progress even further, assisting with projects in an SME capacity.
Having such a varied knowledge within the aspects of the team led to my promotion as team leader in 2022, this was huge development opportunity and I believe that with the additional training opportunities I was able to thrive in the role. Most recently I have successfully completed the advanced lean practitioner certification and been awarded the accreditation for this.
Zixuan Wang | Investment Counsellor Associate | HSBC
I’m a Private Bank Investment Counsellor Associate, dedicated to the investment success of my clients.
Prior to joining the team, I was on the Graduate Programme. I’ve always believed that investment and finance is a bridge that connects people to each other, to their aspirations and to the betterment of the society and this belief has been driving me forward throughout my career. Outside of my day-to-day job, I’m one of the Sustainable Investment Ambassadors and an active member of the Private Bank`s Balance Employee Resource Group, working to improve the gender balance in the workplace. I believe in the strength of diversity and inclusion, passionate to contribute to a work environment where everyone can be their true selves.
Coming from South-Western China, I always endeavour to rise above my limitations and see from different perspectives. I moved to the UK in 2016 for my studies, fully embracing an international mindset. I hold dual-Bachelor degrees at University of Birmingham (First Class Honours) and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (GPA 4/5), as well as Master degree in Risk and Finance at London School of Economics (Distinction). I see myself as a life-long student, enthusiastic to seize the day and continuously broaden my horizon.
Helen Penwill | Associate | Reed Smith LLP
Helen attended state school in Devon and studied History at the University of Nottingham.
She obtained an LLM from the National University of Singapore on scholarship and worked as Vice President at JPMorgan Chase, as the youngest Vice President promoted in London, and later completed her training contract with Reed Smith LLP.
Following university, Helen was afforded a rotary scholarship to the National University of Singapore. Helen was partnered with a local club in Singapore and the scholarship itself is only granted to candidates who are committed long-term to measurable, sustainable change. In order to be afforded the scholarship, Helen displayed her academic experience but also volunteer experience which included 7 years of coaching Basketball at the local YMCA.
Since 2020, Helen has been an Associate in the market leading Financial Industry Group at Reed Smith, advising a range of clients on fund finance, leveraged finance and structured finance. Helen was promoted to mid-level associate just 18 months after qualifying. Helen is recognised for her technical skills, drafting expertise and good commercial judgement. She is calm under pressure and is respected by clients and colleagues alike, all of whom enjoy working with her and value her input. She is known for being very hard-working and a great team player who is happy to step into difficult situations.
Helen is a part of the team awarded ‘Best Law Firm – Lending and Securities’ at the European Credit Awards and is an integral member of the Tier 1 ranked Fund Finance Team.