OUR GUEST SPEAKERS

Nathalie Richards

CEO, SEO London

Nathalie joined SEO London in May 2022, after a two-decade strong and varied career in consulting, education, and the third sector.

She is the founder of EduKit, a social enterprise dedicated to helping schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their students, as well as a trustee of Virgin Unite, the charitable foundation of the Virgin brand and the Branson family.

She has an MBA from INSEAD, a BA (Hons) in Economics & Law and an MSc in Ethnicity, Migration and Culture. She's has also volunteered as a youth mentor and coach for a number organisations including EduKit, the 100 Black Men of London and Young Enterprise.

Dr. Mark Prince OBE

Founder of Kiyan Prince Foundation

The Kiyan Prince Foundation was established in 2008 in memory of Kiyan Prince, Dr Prince’s fifteen year old son and a talented footballer who was stabbed in the heart, whilst trying to break up a fight, outside his school gates. This devasting tragedy marked the beginning of a journey which has not only transformed Dr Prince’s life but also equipped him with the knowledge and skills to support families and help prevent similar cases In this process, he has had to defeat two of life’s toughest challenges anger and revenge, find the strength to forgive and the commitment to substitute anger with positive life skills.

Bilal Hilton-Leigh

Executive Director, Head of Data Integration for the Investment Bank, UBS

Bilal Hilton-Leigh is an Executive Director in Technology at UBS, with over 20 years’ experience in banking technology and management consulting. He is passionate about unlocking the value of data and has built successful, world-class data engineering and data science projects in organisations. Bilal leads data and analytics platforms in the Investment Bank within UBS. By leveraging emerging technologies, Bilal has created and led transformative data products and services, which provide insight, enhance trading strategies, and foster deeper client relationships. These advancements increased both revenue and client balances, by billions of dollars. Bilal is a diversity champion, advising firms on how to attract and retain diverse talent. He has been both founder and chair of employee ethnicity networks and is a longstanding supporter and judge of The Precious Awards – which celebrates outstanding achievements of women of colour. In his spare time, Bilal enjoys spending time with friends and family, loves reading, and supports mentoring initiatives and junior elite sports teams.

Courtney Boateng

Co-founder, To My Sisters

Courtney Daniella Boateng is an award-winning entrepreneur, content creator, and author. After graduating from Cambridge University she went on to be the founder of CDB London, a Forbes-mentioned online beauty brand. She is now an author, philanthropist, podcast host, and co-founder of To My Sisters, a global digital sisterhood community and podcast spreading the message about the power of female friendships, and advocating for the wellness, and development of women around the world.

Ufondu Udeze

Head of Corporate Legal and HR Legal & Employee Relations, Nomura

Ufondu is Head of Corporate Legal and HR Legal & Employee Relations for Nomura Europe Holdings plc. He has been working in Financial Services for sixteen years, both in house and private practice, specialising in employment law. Prior to Financial Services, Ufondu worked in the FMCG, Telecommunications and Technology sectors over a career which spans twenty five years. He is of African heritage and was born and brought up in South London.

Ugo Agbai

Chief Strategy and co-founder, Ruka

Ugo is the Chief Strategy and co-founder at Ruka. Born and raised in South London of Nigerian heritage, she experienced first-hand how under developed the black hairstyling industry was; from the lack of innovation to disregard for ethical standards. Prior to Ruka, Ugo studied Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College, where her interest in using technology to solve consumer health and personal care problems was solidified. She went on to work at McKinsey &Co., supporting clients across Consumer and Healthcare. Seeing multi-national companies lacking the insight and strategic interest needed to serve her community, she was inspired to join Tendai in building Ruka.

Deborah Conteh

Programme Coordinator, Untold Creative

Deborah Conteh, Programme Coordinator at HMP ISIS/YOI, is a corporate creative, dedicated to empowering young men in prison by helping them share their stories. As a published writer, actor, and poet, she also had the opportunity to be on Netflix. Fun fact she excelled as a D2 basketball player at university and is currently writing a short film.

Seun Sontan

Graduate Communications Executive, Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland

After completing his masters in Respiratory Medicine, Seun is now a Communications Executive at Roche Diagnostics. Outside of work, he plays semi-professional basketball, has been ranked as the #2 British 3x3 basketball player U23s, and creates basketball content. He has a passion for public speaking and hosting, having been on panels and hosting pharma-related events.

Emmanuela Obazuaye

Credit Risk Analyst, Barclays

Emmanuela Obazuaye is a Risk Analyst at Barclays. Joining Barclays in 2022, Emmanuela has made significant contributions within Wholesale credit risk, with a particular focus on emerging markets. Currently positioned within the chief risk office, Emmanuela plays a pivotal role in evaluating and managing risk across various business portfolios.

In addition to her core responsibilities, Emmanuela is deeply passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Recognizing the importance of fostering an inclusive workplace culture, she actively engages in a variety of DE&I efforts. One notable aspect of her involvement is leading the Early Careers Black Professionals Resource Group at Barclays. Through this role, Emmanuela spearheads initiatives aimed at promoting, developing, and fostering a sense of community among early-career black professionals within the organization and the broader black heritage community.

With a commitment to excellence and a passion for fostering diversity and inclusion, Emmanuela continues to make a positive impact both within Barclays and the wider community. As they navigate their career journey, they remain dedicated to driving positive change and promoting an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

Victoria Fayemi

Marketing Analyst, Barclays

Victoria Fayemi joined Barclays in 2021. She currently works in the Barclaycard Payments Marketing Team and is a member of the Black Professionals Resource Group. Victoria has a passion for communications, social mobility and lifestyle. She believes in the power of storytelling to inspire change.