Graeme Fox | Director of Technical | BESA
I am refrigeration engineer by background and achieved my Chartered Engineer status in 2020 after evidencing my technical and professional competence via a professional competence review panel.
I was also elected a Fellow of the Institute of Refrigeration in 2012.
As Director of Technical at the BESA Group my role is to ensure industry standards are kept updated, to provide members with advice and guidance to help them comply with legislation and regulations, and to advise Government departments and assist them in keeping legislation effective and workable. I am also currently a Director at ACRIB (UK industry Board) and President of the IOR (Institute of Refrigeration), and Past President of European contractors’ association AREA.
With over 30 years’ experience in the HVAC sector, mainly in building services refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC), I have been the driving force in helping the United Nations Environment Programme to develop minimum competency levels globally to assist developing countries with their transition to more environmentally sustainable refrigerants to meet their Montreal Protocol Kigali Amendment requirements.
I ran my own family contracting company for over 20 years and gave hundreds of hours a year on a voluntary basis in performing most of the roles outlined above before selling up in 2016 and taking a paid role at the BESA Group running REFCOM – the UK’s registration body for companies working in the RAC sector before being promoted in 2022 to Technical Director for the whole group.
Kabir Alam | Business Manager | HSBC
I’m a Bengali, Muslim, gay man from Birmingham, university educated, spending 15 years in the city as an Actuarial Consultant before moving 5 years ago to HSBC HQ in Birmingham working originally in Fraud before moving to People engagement.
I’m passionate to support gender equality and equity and those in the underrepresented parts of the community, intersectional identities i.e. black ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ and disabled colleagues. I create events that highlight issues faced within these communities, with hope of providing insight for those outside of these communities, creating further support for those within the community, hopefully empowering them to be their best selves
In the last 12 months I have spearheaded 9 HSBC-wide events and numerous specific gender equality events, with the support of 20 senior executives acting as hosts or panellist. These events have tackled a number of issues, many of a sensitive nature, including men and women’s health issues; discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community; HIV and testing, and transitioning. With 7500 colleagues from across the globe attending these events, I have received 100+ messages telling me how these events have provided awareness, knowledge and understanding for colleagues. There’s been a 15% growth in ally-ship across the Balance & Pride employee resource groups (ERGs) by those not affected by the same issues, realisations of the challenges faced by their colleagues and the need to provide support.
Active in supporting change of bank polices that have included procedural change on guidance on gender identity and sexual orientation effecting 5200cc
Mark Smith | VP Digital & Talent Supply | bp
I am a transformational leader within procurement and supply chain.
I have a passion for digital and people, and the huge power that can be created when you bring them together in operating models that are effective and create inspiring places to work. Having worked for 10 years in consulting with some of the world's biggest energy, mining and utilities companies, I joined bp in 2012. Since then I have held a number of roles across our businesses, championing the power of procurement and supply chain to transform our business and support the energy transition.
Martijn van der Meulen | Development Director | Snap Finger Click
Martijn is the Development Director and co-founder of Snap Finger Click, an independent game developer based in Brighton, UK.
Martijn has 25 years of experience in the technology industry, starting his first business – a digital design agency – when he was just 18 years old. He started his career in the games industry at Electronic Arts working on huge franchises such as Harry Potter, The Simpsons, The Sims, and FIFA. He moved to the UK in 2008 to work for Sony PlayStation, being a senior member of the PlayStation Home team and forging key partnerships with companies including Red Bull and Rockstar Games during his time there. Martijn co-founded Snap Finger Click in November 2015 with the vision of making games people can play together, both in the living room and online over streaming platforms like Twitch. Under Martijn's leadership, Snap Finger Click has so far released seven games.
Mike Smith | Wells Superintendent | bp
I joined the bp Women International Network in 2017 while working in Baku.
On my return to Aberdeen in 2019 I joined the Women in Wells North Sea Chapter and in 2020 I founded the Men as Allies Wells group in the North Sea. Since then I've helped to set up Men as Allies groups in London, Baku and Houston, with all groups staying closely connected to their local Women in Wells colleagues.
I grew up in a small town in Scotland. I met my wife when we both worked in Aberdeen. We married in 2014 and have two beautiful daughters and an adorable labradooble.
I work as a Well Superintendent for bp. My role is to ensure safe, compliant and efficient well intervention operations in the North Sea. I have 18 years of OIl and Gas industry exerience and have worked in Angola and Azerbaijan in addition to Aberdeen. I have a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Aberdeen University and a Master of Science in Subsea Engineering from Robert Gordon University.
Amy Woo | Operations Manager | Sullivan & Stanley
I am a dynamic and accomplished professional with a track record of success across multiple disciplines.
With extensive experience in Business Operations, HR, Finance, People Management, Sales Operations, and Process Optimisation, I have been described as a force to be reckoned with in the business world. My relentless drive to excel and passion for continuous learning have led me to achieve remarkable feats and earn the respect of colleagues and industry leaders alike. Whether I’m leading a team through challenging times or optimising processes to improve efficiency, I’m always pushing myself to reach new heights and make a meaningful impact on the organisations I serve.
As a second generation immigrant, the value of diligence and striving for self-improvement has always been instilled in me. Upon completing my English Literature degree at University, I was determined to find a career that would inspire and engage me in the same way that my studies did. My professional career has spanned across various industries, ranging from Law to the Arts. I developed my understanding of the mechanics of how a successful business runs and the importance of company culture, vision and purpose.
My commitment is to create an impact through my work and motivate those around me. As an Operations Manager in a specialised Change Consultancy, I persistently challenge the limits of what we can achieve and strive to move closer to our company's ultimate goal.
Lily Mortimer | Supervising Associate | Simmons & Simmons LLP
Lily is a Supervising Associate and Solicitor-Advocate in the Disputes and Investigations team at Simmons & Simmons, specialising in complex multi-jurisdictional disputes.
Her recent experience includes defending a high-value dishonest assistance claim in the banking industry and acting on a range of aircraft leasing disputes. She also has experience acting in cross-border arbitrations and advising on contentious regulatory investigations.
Lily has also been secretary of Simmons’ gender network The Number One Club (TNOC) since around 2019, and is a regular contributor to its committee meetings and events. Recently, Lily has led on TNOC’s webinars for International Women’s Day in 2022 with UN Women (exploring what the UN has done to improve gender parity within its organisation) and in 2023 with Joy Burnford (discussing themes from her book “Don’t Fix Women” and, with a panel of her Simmons colleagues, how to drive male engagement in gender equality issues).
Lily holds a law degree from the University of Cambridge, as well as an MA (LPC with Business) from BPP University and Higher Rights of Audience from the University of Law. As part of her MA (LPC) qualification, Lily conducted a research project on gender balance in modern law firms.
Lina Khanom | Associate solicitor | Dawson Cornwell LLP
I am an Associate solicitor at a top tier law firm in the City.
I am a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Child Abduction and Private Children Law. I have been recognised as a “Recommended Lawyer” by The Legal 500 2023.
I have experience dealing with all aspects of family law. However I have dedicated my career to helping the most vulnerable in our society, including domestic violence victims, young females at risk of forced marriage and FGM, and children who have been abducted and alienated from a parent. I help people during the worst moments of their lives to find a path towards rebuilding their lives. For example, I represented a client in a transnational spousal abandonment case, after she was left stranded in Iraq with her two children by her husband without their travel documents. I assisted in securing new Iraqi and British travel documents, and subsequently secured their safe return to England.
Coming from humble beginnings and being the first generation graduate and lawyer in my family, I dedicate my time to mentoring aspiring lawyers to achieve their dreams. I am also a part time lecturer in law at the University of Law and teach law students to achieve their potential. I relish in inspiring the next generation of young people that they too can make their dreams a reality.
Megan Hulme | Associate | Mishcon de Reya
I went to the university of Lincoln (a non-Russell Group University) to study Law.
Neither of my parents went to university and I did not have any contacts in the legal industry so this was a big step for me! After graduating, I went straight on to do my LPC full-time at the University of Law. At this stage, I was also working part-time as a paralegal in a small firm in order to fund the costs of moving to London and the LPC course. I self-funded my entire education due to coming from a socially mobile background.
After completion of the LPC, I landed a paralegal role where I stayed up until I got my Training Contract in September 2020. I am now an Associate in the Insolvency & Restructuring Litigation team at Mishcon de Reya LLP. Since qualifying, I have been involved in very exciting multi-million-pound and complex matters. I usually advise directors, creditors and insolvency practitioners in the context of financial distress and contentious insolvency situations.
Alongside my full-time role, I run an Instagram page called It’s All Hearsay, which was created to offer help, motivation and guidance to all aspiring lawyers (as reported in the Times). It's All Hearsay provides succinct typographic-style posts that include information on training contract applications, assessment centres, networking and rejections, plus more. This platform was nominated for the Best Use of Social Media, last year and listed as the top 20 "lawfluencers" to look out for in 2023 by Legal Cheek.
Rachel Duffy | Principal Associate | Eversheds Sutherland LLP
I joined Eversheds Sutherland on qualification in September 2016, having completed my training contract at Howes Percival LLP.
Since then, I have built a strong reputation amongst colleagues and clients alike, as a commercial, pragmatic, well-respected and well-rounded corporate real estate lawyer. I work across sectors with a particular focus on Industrials, Financial Institutions and Consumer. My day to day role includes portfolio management and work allocation, disposal and acquisition programmes, re-financing, sale and leasebacks. I have developed a reputation as a positive, open and ‘can-do’ member of my team and the wider business - someone who is always willing to drive projects forward whether for clients, colleagues or the firm as a whole. In addition to my 'day job' I have also invested a lot of time in driving forward growth opportunities for my practice area and supporting my firm's Diversity and Inclusion networks, taking a leading role in Eversheds Sutherland's gender network.
In my role within the gender network I am passionate about driving forward change in respect of health and wellbeing with a particular focus on fertility health and baby and pregnancy loss. I have delivered various campaigns and shared stories and information amongst colleagues to try and break the ‘taboo’. My work in this area has led to direct feedback commending me for my “inspiring advocacy for change in the approach to miscarriage and baby loss, the firm’s gender targets and the importance of wellbeing at work”.