We are thrilled to reveal Brummell’s annual Ones to Watch in the City listing for 2025, showcasing the outstanding achievements of rising stars in London’s financial services, law and allied fields. Each of the 30 individuals under 40 years of age have been selected for their exceptional accomplishments in their day jobs, as well as their passion for making the world a better place for others. The expert judges, whose bios are listed to the right, applied rigorous criteria to the nominations, looking for candidates’ demonstration of drive, energy and entrepreneurial spirit alongside positive contributions inside and outside their workplace. We thank the judges (whose bios are featured here) and congratulate those who made the final list.

Lee Chambers, Founder and CEO, Male Allies UK 

After a diverse career, from corporate finance to building and exiting tech company, Chambers is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women, Regenerage UK and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business. He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, the first Black British scientist to be awarded in its 33-year history, received for his work on health inequalities. He is the 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year and is an ambassador for the UK Governments Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship. He speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and the Bloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the bestselling book, Momentum: 13 Ways to Unlock Your Potential.

Adora Nwodo, Founder, NexaScale

Nwodo is a multi-award-winning Software Engineering Manager working at the intersection of cloud engineering, developer platforms and intelligent systems. She is the founder of NexaScale, an ed-tech nonprofit that has provided simulated work experience to over 11,500 tech professionals. Formerly at Microsoft, she contributed to building Microsoft Mesh. She has authored six tech books, including Cloud Engineering for Beginners and Beginning Azure DevOps. She creates tech content on YouTube and her blog, AdoraHack, and teaches infrastructure automation online. She’s a graduate student at Georgia Tech, a Stanford LEAD alumna and VP of the Nigerian VRAR Association. Recognised by WomenTech, Future Africa Awards and the Impact Leadership Global Awards, she actively shares her tech journey on LinkedIn and X, speaks globally and is committed to growing the developer community.

Heeral Shah, Senior Banking Executive, Barclays 

Shah is a highly accomplished banking executive with over 25 years of experience in the sector. She has held a variety of leadership roles across the corporate and investment banking divisions, with deep expertise in global loan syndication, leveraged finance for financial sponsor-backed buyouts, international corporate banking and financial institutions groups. Most recently, she led the UK Debt Structuring team within Wholesale Lending at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank through Covid and beyond, where she was instrumental in running the team through Covid and thereafter shaping the strategy for wholesale lending, particularly around sustainability. Beyond her professional career, she is a passionate advocate for DE&I, with a particular focus on gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic mobility, and she actively contributes to several influential organisations, including the Alzheimer’s Society as a Finance Committee member and the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO) as a board member for the Greater London Chapter and Women’s Business Network Champion, London.   

Brummell’s Rising Stars of the City

Zaahirah Adam  

VP, Strategy and Analytics, Crown Agents Bank 

Adam’s career spans management consulting, fintech, cross-border payments and FX. At Crown Agents Bank, she played a key role in the company’s IPO, led international expansion into the Middle East and is now driving innovation in stablecoins and digital assets. Known for delivering strategic growth and operational excellence, she combines commercial acumen with a deep sense of purpose. Outside of work, Adam is passionate about social mobility and community, having volunteered for years with Childline and youth mentorship programmes while also competing at British Championship level in bodybuilding. She recently founded Hati, a mission-driven dating app tackling the loneliness epidemic by fostering intentional, meaningful connections, one five-minute phone call at a time. 

Maudlyn Akosua Awuku  

Founder, GEWE Network  

Awuku is an award-winning leader, women and youth advocate, and international speaker dedicated to promoting women’s leadership, social advancement, and youth inclusion for sustainable development and gender equality. She received the prestigious Alumni Rising Star Award from the University of Salford’s Vice-Chancellor, where she earned a Master’s in Project Management. Awuku holds a Sociology and Political Studies degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, an Executive MBA and a Diploma in French Language Studies. She was honoured with the Young Achievers Award at the UK House of Parliament and recognised as a 40 Under 40 UK Influential Young Leader and among the 100 Most Influential Young Africans. 

Afsal Backer 

Senior QA Engineer, Freetrade 

Backer leads the QA function at Freetrade, the UK’s award-winning investment platform. He focuses on building robust systems and processes that ensure the app’s reliability and performance while fostering a strong culture of quality. Before joining Freetrade, he held a senior role at Zoom, where at the height of the pandemic he played a key role in ensuring the platform could handle the unprecedented surge in users, helping millions of people stay connected during a critical time. He is also passionate about giving back to the testing community, and as the BrowserStack Chapter Lead for London, he organises and speaks at events to share knowledge with others in his field, including for The Test Tribe’s London chapter. 

Gordana Balać 

Barrister, Black Antelope Law 

Balać’s family work covers private children, financial disputes and domestic abuse matters. To date, her many successes include securing a significant financial settlement at the FDR stage for a vulnerable client, securing favourable outcomes in child arrangements and non-molestation proceedings and appearing in the High Court in respect of urgent wardship matters. Her immigration law work covers asylum appeals, judicial review applications and Article 8 claims, and she successfully objected to Civil Penalty Notices imposed by Immigration Enforcement. Outside her main practice areas, she has been instructed in an airline compensation dispute and acted pro bono to obtain a settlement in an unfair dismissal case. She contributes to the Family Law Bar Association’s tri-annual magazine and is Education Secretary for the Inner Temple Junior Bar Association. 

Henry Birkbeck 

Counsel, Reed Smith LLP 

As counsel in Reed Smith’s highly regarded Entertainment and Media Industry Group, Birkbeck advises clients in creative industries across a broad range of digital content including film, TV, music and video games. He trained as a finance lawyer and has significant experience acting on complex film and TV financings, including top-tier international productions. He also advises rights-holders (from record labels to online platforms to A-list talent) on legal issues concerning AI, content development, rights acquisitions and media regulation. He has a strong commitment to pro bono, advising charities on various intellectual property matters, and outside of work, he is an approved foster carer, has served as trustee for a leading mental health charity, and teaches copyright law at Tileyard Education, a leading postgraduate centre. 

Sandra Blaga 

Strategy and Innovation Manager, AI Delivery, NatWest Group 

An emerging leader at the intersection of responsible AI, inclusive leadership, and data innovation in financial services, Blaga also sits on Natwest’s Ethical AI Panel, helping shape governance for high-risk AI initiatives. She actively contributes to industry dialogue around ethical and practical applications of AI and has recently spoken at events hosted by Finextra and NexGen Banking. She organised NatWest’s flagship Data Science & Engineering Conference in 2024 welcoming over 300 attendees, and she co-leads Allyship at Work, engaging over 400 colleagues across the organisation in 2024. She also leads a partnership with Hatch Enterprise charity, overseeing a mentoring programme connecting over 100 underrepresented UK founders with NatWest colleagues, and she serves as a trustee of the NatWest Pensioners Benevolent Fund.  

Oluchukwu Chiadika  

Founder, Your Personal Finance Girl Ltd 

A marketing professional and financial educator advancing the tech ecosystem by leveraging digital tools to make personal finance simple and actionable, Chiadika founded Your Personal Finance Girl (YPFG) a digital-first platform to help individuals and businesses across the UK, Europe and Africa take control of their money, invest wisely and build long-term wealth. Through YPFG, she has launched initiatives including the 21-Day Financial Fitness Challenge and the YPFG Investment Club, and leads the YPFG Community—a thriving digital space for insightful financial discussions and networking. As a growth marketer at Cowrywise YC20, she helped scale the ambassador programme from 500 to over 3,000 members across 120 institutions, driving 5,000+ signups. She continues to drive change through corporate training, consultations, and community-driven initiatives. 

Anya Chowdhry 

Associate Business Management & Operations, Data & Analytics Engineering, The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)  

Chowdhry has successfully led initiatives such as the rollout of Career Navigator (career development platform) across various divisions within LSEG and exceeded the usage target by 12 per cent in just five months within D&A Engineering. Additionally, she introduced the D&A Engineering Awards and co-leads the Education & Resources Pillar of BEING (LSEG’s Black Network). Outside work she actively supports those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and has been a panellist, mentor and work experience host for students from organisations including Young Enterprise UK, Future Leaders and Urban Synergy Mentoring. During her graduate programme at LSEG she was Chair of the Graduate Steering Group, and her current role as a Culture and Workplace Champion at LSEG further solidifies her commitment to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all. 

Alice Cooke  

Proposition and Performance Director, NatWest / Coutts, Global Co-Chair, NatWest Gender Network 

Securing the prestigious role of global co-chair of the NatWest Gender Network, Cooke leads a group of over 8,000 members across the world through three main pillars – Career & Personal Development, Allyship and Intersectionality and Gender Specific Lifestyle and Wellbeing. She has also taken the lead of co-creating a new, award-winning colleague initiative called The Village. As a mum of two young children with experience of taking maternity leave within her career, she is passionate about supporting new parents with parenthood before, during and after leave and encouraging flexible working arrangements where possible. Additionally, with no higher education qualifications, she is a champion of social mobility and the challenges this can present make her career trajectory to a director in banking more impressive. 

Emmanuel Crosser 

Principal Consultant, Ivy Rock Partners  

Before recently joining Ivy Rock Partners to lead and expand their charity and not-for-profit recruitment function, Crosser earned five promotions at his previous company, Diversifying Group, in just four years. He was instrumental in transforming Diversifying Group’s executive search function into a trusted partner and adviser for organisations of all sizes, with expertise in multiple sectors including charity, public, education and commercial. Passionate about driving organisational growth by identifying and securing outstanding senior talent, his commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion ensures effective recruitment processes while being fair and representative. Beyond his professional achievements he is committed to fostering talent and empowering others, and as a dedicated mentor, he has supported numerous individuals to attain their dream roles.  

Supriya Davda  

Talent Acquisition Partner, Northern Trust  

A role model within her field advocating for meaningful change and greater representation, Davda has a strong track record in connecting talented professionals with opportunities across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Alongside her core work she is involved in initiatives that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with a passion for supporting women in technology. Outside her core role, she serves as co-chair of the Asian Leadership Business Resource Council at Northern Trust, where she spearheads initiatives focused on community engagement, early career development and cultural awareness. She is also an Associate School Governor at Holy Family Catholic School and Sixth Form, as well as a board trustee member for Sister Circle, a charity dedicated to prioritising women’s health and well-being. 

Kasia Dutch 

Software Engineer, Starling Bank 

Dutch is known as a passionate champion for diversity in tech. At Starling Bank, she builds tools to protect customers and enhance operations, and serves on the committees of the internal women’s and LGBTQI+ networks. Dutch pivoted into tech from a non-traditional background, and being the only woman in her bootcamp cohort motivated her to help shape a more inclusive industry. As a public speaker, coding instructor and mentor volunteering with One Million Mentors, Code First Girls, Next Tech Girls, and Women in Tech Global, she tirelessly supports others to succeed. In 2025, Dutch launched Code Your Confidence – a workshop series empowering ambitious technologists with career development skills. Her advocacy work has earned her recognition on the GirlCode D&I Power List and WeAreTechWomen TechWomen100. 

Isaac Eloi 

Business & Legal Affairs Manager, The Orchard, Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd 

In addition to his work providing commercial advice and drafting and negotiating commercial contracts in Spanish and English, Eloi is co-founder of the Black Men In Law Network (BML) – the largest network of Black male lawyers in Europe – and was the 2018 recipient of the Black Solicitors Network Rising Star in Entrepreneurship award at the Diversity Legal Awards. BML’s mentoring scheme has supported over 100 Black male students, trainees, qualified solicitors and barristers and Eloi has spoken at the Black Counsel Forum, the Inner Temple, White & Case LLP, Linklaters LLP, BCLP LLP and Kingsley Napley LLP, as well as featuring on podcasts such as BBC Legal’s Not All Lawyers Have Law Degrees.  

Dr Elizabeth Feigin 

Founder, Dr Elizabeth Consultancy  

Dr Feigin is a London-based psychologist, speaker, workplace engagement consultant and educator, with a specialist focus in the workplace on optimising millennial and gen Z performance and retention. She has worked with a wide cross-section of society; from offenders in prison to B2B companies and the C-suite that lead them. She works extensively with at-risk adolescents and adults with trauma, harmful behaviours and suicidal ideation. She has her own private practice as well as working in community organisations and is proud of the new mental health education programme she is developing for community schools. Challenging glass ceilings, status quo and good-enough practice, she strives for better and the best: bridging gaps at work, enhancing performance and maximising potential. 

Mariam Hussein  

Software Engineer, On The Beach 

Hussein is currently a software engineer at On The Beach, and is dedicated to advancing social mobility through tailored digital skilling initiatives for women, girls and non-binary individuals. Within her professional career, she focuses on building products and providing digital transformation to customers through consulting and product roles. Since switching to tech from her previous role at the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre – a leading university-based startup-incubator – she has been dedicated to giving back to the community by highlighting pathways into tech. She is an MIRAI delegate and a JCI TOYP delegate, as well as a Code First Girls Ambassador, advocating for accessibility in digital skilling and mentoring those from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in technology, as well as helping to understand how to further equalities in the digital sectors for women. 

Dawn Kelly 

Partner, Oliver Wyman 

Kelly works to transform some of the world’s largest financial institutions, bringing a blend of strategy, innovation and change management. In 2023 she co-founded and became a trustee of the charity MEF2C Foundation, which partners with scientists to accelerate groundbreaking research to develop treatment for MCHS (MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome), a rare genetic condition her nephew Elijah was diagnosed with soon after birth. She is also one of the lead partners of Oliver Wyman’s Social Impact practice providing strategy consulting to charities to help them achieve their full potential, notably a multi-year partnership with the charity Ellen Macarthur Foundation. She led the Oliver Wyman Enabling Enterprise community partnership for several years, launched the firm’s Teach First volunteer partnership and regularly mentors women within her office. 

Tom Morgan 

Senior Associate, Reed Smith LLP 

Morgan is an insurance and commercial litigator at Reed Smith and has litigated cases before the English Court of Appeal and the UK Supreme Court. He has previously been named as the London office’s pro bono lawyer of the year for leading a team that successfully challenged a high profile, controversial, and ultimately unlawful, deportation order against an individual who had been separated from his young family in the UK for three years. Morgan also coordinates the commercial disputes group’s pro bono activities in London, recently leading the department to a record 100 per cent participation, and he founded and continues to lead the firm’s unique Environmental Working Group, a 100-strong team of lawyers across EMEA dedicated to supporting non-profits in this field. 

Obiageli Okafor 

Co-Founder, PMHelp 

As product manager at Gradwell Communications and co-founder of PMHelp, a free, community-driven platform for aspiring product managers from underrepresented groups, Okafor is on a mission to democratise access to tech careers. Her dynamic career spans high-growth fintechs in Africa, innovative telecom ventures in Europe, and pioneering SaaS tools in Asia. Her achievements include the UK Global Talent Award for Exceptional Talent in Tech, the Judge’s Recognition Award at the UK Climate InnovateHer Hackathon, and being named Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year by SIWA. She was the first honourary female CEO of Connected Development (CODE) and was recently selected as a UN Women UK Participant for the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). 

Hillary Omitogun 

Founder & Head of Community, HerSynergy Tribe 

Recognised as a First Check Rising Star in Tech 2022 and one of She Leads Africa’s Top 50 Rising Motherland Mogul 2024, Omitogun began her career in market research before transformative roles at Nestcoin and WhatsApp. At Nestcoin, a web3 startup opening crypto access for Africans, she led UX research across five products and her insights sparked a double-digit rise in active users. At WhatsApp, she co-led UX research targeting 120M+ potential users in Nigeria and Ethiopia. Outside her corporate success, she founded HerSynergy Tribe, a social enterprise and private community empowering 200+ mid-to-senior career women across EMEA, raised $2,000+ annually for underprivileged students, connected 50+ mentees with industry leaders, and secured sponsorships for an annual flagship women’s summit. 

Miriam Owusu 

Tech Sales Specialist, Career Coach and Keynote Speaker, Miri Elevates Ltd 

From selling mobile phones to multi-million-pound properties, Owusu’s sales journey spans over a decade. Now in the fintech industry, she has helped some “Big Four” accountancy firms to streamline operations through accounts payable software, bridging the gap between technology and human connection. Beyond her own success, she has spoken at Nottingham Trent University and York St John University. Sharing insights with students, she mentors young professionals weekly and has worked with Women in Tech Forum, Tech Job Fairs, BYP, and Making Moves to drive conversations around diversity in tech sales, ensuring more underrepresented professionals gain access to opportunities. She was named a Top 50 Women in Accounting nominee and won Young Businesswoman of the Year 2024. 

Dialid Santiago PhD 

VP Quantitative Analyst, Bank of America 

Despite growing up in a small Mexican town with a cash-based economy and limited exposure to banking, through hard work and dedication Dr Santiago is now a Cross-Asset Quant at Bank of America. She previously held roles at Citigroup, Barclays and The Co-operative Bank, and is an active member of the Quant community. Passionate about promoting finance to STEM students, she has delivered expert lectures and talks at universities such as King’s College London and the University of Warwick, mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds and supervised BSc theses. Through her blog “Quant Girl” – with over 100K visits – she advocates for female representation in finance. She also develops open-source libraries and free educational content, including online books, offering accessible alternatives to paid finance certifications. 

Laura-May Scott 

Partner, Reed Smith LLP 

Scott was made partner at Reed Smith at 35 years old, having swapped a musical theatre career on the West End in her 20s for corporate life in the legal world. As a commercial litigator with expertise in insurance recovery, she is regularly individually ranked in Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK for insurance litigation and is a partner lead for pro bono work at Reed Smith. She led the Afghanistan Working Group helping evacuate civilians from Afghanistan in 2021 and is a key driver of the firm’s racial justice work, leading on projects for charities including UNJUST and the Prison Advice and Care Trust. She is also Vice Chair of Reed Smith’s Women’s Initiative Network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.  

Krupesh Shah 

Head of Origination, Alvine Capital  

Shah was hired by Alvine Capital to support the institutionalisation and sustainable growth of the firm. With a keen interest in impact and climate change, he introduced the ESG framework for private markets at Tesco Pension Investment and led multiple climate-driven investments at Coal Pension Trustees Investment. He is also deeply committed to mentoring the next generation, particularly as they navigate pivotal early career decisions. He often dedicates time to one-on-one guidance, offering advice on career progression, industry trends and resilience in a competitive field. His mentorship fosters a mindset of adaptability and purpose, especially for those entering the world of investment management. He believes empowering emerging talent is key to the industry’s future. 

Amy Staines 

Senior Financial Education Manager, Better with Money Ltd (NatWest Cushon Group) 

Staines is a trailblazer in empowering others to strive for financial freedom. Drawing from personal experience – losing her mum to cancer at just 60 – she turned grief into purpose, helping others take control of their finances during life’s most challenging times. One of her recent initiatives, Managing Money Through Cancer, received overwhelming positive feedback, highlighting the real-world impact of her work. In her professional role, she manages corporate client relationships and delivers impactful financial education programs to their employees. She is also a dedicated volunteer for NatWest’s Gender Network, spearheading female financial capability events that have reached thousands over the past four years. Her involvement in charity fundraising includes organising an event for Breast Cancer Now, raising over £7,000. 

Ambika Virani 

Manager, Technology & Transformation Consulting, Deloitte 

Virani is a high-impact leader working on large-scale technology transformation for global insurers, while positively shaping Deloitte’s culture and talent development. A globetrotter with 40 countries under her belt, she brings global perspective to everything she does. Beyond client delivery, she channels her entrepreneurial mindset into causes she cares about. She has raised over £10,000 for women’s charities through more than 100 handcrafted cakes (over two years) each taking over five hours of voluntary time to perfect. Inspired by her grandmother, she’s documenting family recipes into a cookbook celebrating generational knowledge and resilience. As vice-chair of the Young Women’s India Association she curates leadership forums and community events, combining strategic thinking with social purpose. Her leadership blends innovation, drive and lasting impact – making her one to watch. 

Isaiah M Wellington-Lynn 

Lead of Integration and Synthesis Coaching, The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) 

Wellington-Lynn is an award-winning polymathic creative scholar from Stratford, East London. He cares about belonging, education and creative expression. In 2021, Wellington-Lynn received the inaugural Amos Polymath Award for his ability to simultaneously pursue various careers to a high level. Wellington-Lynn is part of the founding team at the London Interdisciplinary School, a new university (featured in Forbes) where he serves as assistant professor and Lead of Integration and Synthesis Coaching. He is also an anthropology PhD candidate at the University of Oxford researching social mobility and belonging, and a writer, public speaker and consultant. He has worked with organisations such as Adobe, the British royal family, Depop, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, Airbnb, J.P. Morgan, the NHS, Cambridge University, and Hachette (Little, Brown imprint). 

Rukevwe Laura Akpowaye 

Technical business analyst, PwC 

Akpowaye is a technical business analyst with a focus on driving innovation and digital transformation initiatives and fostering change within not-for-profit organisations spanning health, financial services, hospitality and educational services. Beyond her professional capacity, she is dedicated to making a positive impact within both the workplace and the broader community. Her passion for social mobility, education and gender equality is demonstrated through her active involvement in initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion and bridging the digital divide, particularly within the tech sector. Engaging in social causes, she has volunteered with non-governmental organisations, leading sensitisation workshops addressing teenage pregnancy, social misconduct and abuse among young women. She also contributed to programme design and implementation for a tech upskilling initiative with a not-for-profit organisation in Africa. 

Hanna Afolabi 

Founder, Mood and Space 

Afolabi founded Mood and Space, a development company that supports clients in embedding social value in their development vision and strategy as well as efficiently managing the processes to deliver community focused buildings, working environments and urban neighbourhoods. Prior to this she was a development director for Balfour Beatty Investments. She founded Black Women in Real Estate (BWRE) in 2019, an organisation that brings together black women in the built environment, creating opportunities for upcoming talent and organising workshops for those already in the industry. Previously, she was vice chair of the University of Greenwich’s Construction, Property and Surveying Practices Industry Advisory Board and is on Estates Gazette’s Diversity & Inclusion Content Advisory Panel, advocating for diverse representation in property. 

Jennifer Grint

Senior Adjuster, Adjusting Services Ltd 

Determined to use her relentless optimism and psychological background to drive changes in the workplace, Grint consistently focuses on the human aspect to encourage the best from her team. In her time as a consultant at FTI, she assisted on several projects relating to fraud allegations against large banks while simultaneously qualifying as a chartered accountant. Aged just 23, she was made lead project manager across two multi-million-pound contracts, supporting the government with post-payment compliance checks for the UK energy relief schemes. Continuing her focus on people, she helped start two internal workstreams to improve communications and transparency within the workplace. An advocate of finding a healthy work-life balance, she also makes time for mentoring young students and baking. 

Rhea Sam 

Data Scientist, Valtech 

Sam has led and contributed to several high-impact initiatives across data, AI and diversity. She has organised and facilitated a workshop on unconscious bias for International Women’s Day as part of TRG’s Engineering Roundabout x HerStory, delivered a second workshop for Rewriting The Code (RTC) and provided input across product design and development at HackathonParty. She has also engaged in multiple panel discussions and speaking engagements, including facilitating a data panel for One Tech World and appearing as a podcast guest on Bytes and Beyond by Sai and Let’s Talk Data by Mirai Talent. She is a member of Valtech’s AI community  group and leads and supports AI strategy development and implementation across projects. She is a big believer in community and passes knowledge forward through her mentoring initiatives to early career professionals, graduates and individuals transitioning into tech careers.