Broderick joined Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s International Equity team in 2020. She recently played a key role in launching two Luxembourg-domiciled funds, one of which has attracted over $350m in assets. She has also built an external profile, speaking at industry forums such as Citywire and at innovative client engagements. Alongside her role, she has been involved in outreach with a north London secondary school, delivering talks to support female students considering careers in finance. She recently spoke on a junior talent panel to 60 students as part of Morgan Stanley’s Empowering Women initiative, and to 150 students during the firm’s Early Insights programme.

Aniugbo is the founder of Design Chics, a non-profit, empowering African women in design, a senior product designer at monday.com and a career growth creator. She launched Design Chics in 2023, which has since supported 2,500+ women across 17 countries through mentorship programmes, scholarships, job placements, educational events and career development initiatives. At monday.com, she designs enterprise products for some of the world’s largest organisations. Beyond her full-time role, she has taught over 12,000 professionals how to build thriving careers and transition into tech. In 2022, she was named a Top 15 Exceptional African Product Designer, and in 2024, she received recognition from the CEOs Network Africa Awards.

At Coutts, Bassalian helps shape the firms’ private markets offering, supporting fund selection, onboarding, activation and education. She also contributes to strategic initiatives including the Wealth Gender Network and Coutts’ internship programme. Bassalian has been recognised as a UK finalist for the Women in Financial Advice Rising Star Award, a McKinsey Next Generation Women Leader, and a Nova111 selectee. Previously, she worked for an international, third-generation luxury jewellery business and wholesale loose-stone supplier. Outside work, Bassalian mentors young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, championing access, confidence and opportunity.

Innate curiosity led Nigeria-born Bisuga to become a self-taught software engineer in 2018, after graduating with a degree in geophysics. As a technologist and community leader dedicated to innovation and closing the gender gap in tech, she has architected solutions used by millions across fintech, mixed-reality and iGaming. She is also a voice for African talent, currently leading partnerships at NexaScale and formerly serving as technical coordinator at She Code Africa. She has mentored hundreds of women, was awarded the UK Global Talent Visa for her exceptional contributions to technology, and the IESE Future Female Leaders Award 2026. Bisuga represents a new generation of multifaceted leaders building world-class technology and the communities that sustain it.

Having founded Leverton Wealth Partners at just 28, Leverton is recognised for her entrepreneurial leadership and outstanding contribution to the private wealth sector. As an appointed representative of St James’s Place, she combines institutional rigour with a modern, values-led and highly personalised approach, advising a client base of entrepreneurs and City professionals. Prior to launching her own wealth advisory firm, she spent almost a decade at Coutts. Beyond her commercial success, she is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of talent. She maintains an active presence across professional networks, including the Women in Finance Group, contributing to panel discussions and sharing her insights, while championing broader access.

Casazza is an in-house lawyer at Fidelity International, advising the fixed income, equity, and private assets investment teams. She has advised numerous pro-bono clients, including through The Door’s Legal Services Center’s Emancipation Clinic in New York and the University House Legal Advice Centre’s Housing Clinic in London. She speaks on networking, finance and legal panels, including through Practising Law Institute’s faculty. Casazza received WeAreTheCity’s 2025 Lynne Freeman Rising Star Award for Law and was shortlisted for the British Legal Awards’ 2025 In-House Rising Star. A singer and arts enthusiast, she is co-founder and on the board of Muses in the City, a London-based women’s arts, heritage and culture network.

Kehily is an investment adviser in private banking specialising in serving UHNW UK clients. Passionate about impact investing, connecting and empowering the next generation of professionals, beyond her advisory role, Kehily is a relationship manager for Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), and she serves on the Future Leaders Shadow Board, contributing to initiatives including the Future Leaders and Student Engagement Strategies working alongside leadership to promote positive change in the industry. As a One Young World Ambassador, she is committed to fostering personal development and empowering women in the financial sector. She regularly partners with local schools, universities and professional organisations to share her insights

Leung brings a global perspective as a finance professional in London, combining strong commercial acumen with a commitment to social impact. He is a founding member of the Neurodiversity Forum at an investment bank and was appointed secretariat to the bank’s Sustainability Forum. In addition, as subcommittee chair of the Global Advisory Committee, he has improved the day-to-day experience and wellbeing of junior bankers, and he undertook a short-term placement at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the pioneer of microfinance. Beyond the workplace, he organised Harvard University’s largest overseas student conference, convening 550 delegates from 61 countries, bringing together Nobel Prize winners, senior global leaders and CEOs to exchange ideas on pressing global issues.

Lummis works within public policy and corporate responsibility, where she runs the People and Engagement agenda. She began her career on the Barclays HR graduate scheme and spent several years working in inclusion, delivering enterprise-wide initiatives focused on engagement, progression and organisational effectiveness. Her work includes relaunching colleague networks into a globally consistent Employee Resource Group model, delivering high-impact engagement campaigns, and supporting executive committee and board-level decision making. She also holds a leadership position within Win, Barclays’ Gender Employee Resource Group, where she leads the Talent pillar.

With nearly a decade spanning fintech, crypto compliance and education technology, at Sumsub Mgbenu architected compliance infrastructure trusted by seven of the world’s 10 largest crypto exchanges and hundreds of other companies. He led the delivery of Travel Rule frameworks and partnerships, helping virtual asset businesses meet FATF obligations across jurisdictions, embedding this infrastructure at the centre of global crypto compliance. Beyond his day job, he regularly speaks at conferences across Europe and beyond, including the European Blockchain Conference and Nordic Blockchain Conference. He is the technical co-founder of PMhelp, a free, community-driven platform for aspiring product managers from underrepresented groups.

As an M&A strategic projects manager at VMO2, Lupton helps to coordinate high-impact initiatives that shape strategic direction and enable transformational change. She is also committed to creating opportunities for women and early career talent in technology, and since 2022 has served on the VMO2 Women’s Network Leadership Team, leading the Women in Tech workstream by designing and delivering initiatives, including large-scale events for International Women in Engineering Day and Ada Lovelace Day. She also coordinated VMO2’s sponsorship of the Girls Talk Step UP Mentoring Programme and is the Technology Graduate Learning Scheme lead, curating a robust programme that blends technical immersion with business insight.

Mayani is a People and Culture leader redefining how organisations connect people strategy to commercial success. As group head of People and Culture at B&S Group, he leads cross-border transformation across the UK and India, modernising people practices by embedding data-driven decision-making, elevating leadership capability and aligning culture with business outcomes. Alongside his corporate role, Mayani is chairman of CYE-CYL, a youth-focused charity in Gibraltar dedicated to unlocking potential beyond traditional academics. He is also the founder of Plant-It consultancy, a boutique advisory practice. He has advised organisations including Virgin StartUp, Lottoland and Trusted Novus Bank, helping them scale effectively.

Kalsi founded Matriarch aged just 18, to help people navigate life’s toughest moments – from grief to mental health – with confidence, knowledge and empathy. She experienced racial discrimination and grief after the loss of her dad, and was determined to ensure others don’t experience the same alienation. She has grown Matriarch from its origins as a blog by working with schools and leading organisations, including Amazon, Sainsbury’s, The Telegraph and King’s College London, reaching thousands through workshops and resources. She is also a public speaker, panellist and writer, passionate about education and entrepreneurship, as well as a charity ambassador for It’s Time, which supports young people who have lost a parent.

Nwokwu works at the intersection of product, data and applied AI, with experience at global firms including Microsoft and Bank of America. She is the author of two books, A Techie’s Guide into Big Tech Companies and Data Engineering for Beginners. She has received the Author of the Year and Women in STEM award from the Women’s Business Awards, and was a finalist for the Young Digital Woman of the Year Award by Digital Women UK. Outside her core role, she contributes to the global tech community through educational content, has trained over 40 professionals through her mentorship programme and has spoken at over 150 tech and career events. Nwokwu’s ambition is to become a world-class engineer and leave a blueprint that empowers others to thrive in tech.

Okwudili works across global climate policy, youth empowerment, and infrastructure delivery. With almost a decade of engagement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Youth Constituency (UNFCCC-YOUNGO), she served as co-coordinator and communications lead for the Africa Youth Mobilisation for COP, and as lead for YOUNGO TV she delivers UN COP coverage. Her experience spans institutions including the ECOWAS Parliament and the World Bank-funded FADAMA III AF programme. She is deputy lead of the Association for Project Management Sustainability Interest Network and host of its podcast. At Turner & Townsend, she contributes to the delivery of decarbonisation and sustainability across major infrastructure programmes, helping shape the transition to net zero.

Currently a senior content marketing manager at Photoroom, Owolabi leads global storytelling for an AI platform used by over 300 million people worldwide. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, commerce and creativity, shaping how modern businesses understand and adopt emerging technologies. Beyond her role, she founded Smarketers Hub, a global community of over 7,000 marketers across Africa and the diaspora, providing access to knowledge, opportunity and pathways into international careers. Since founding it, she has delivered over 150 free mentorship sessions through ADPList. She is also the author of Inside the Marketers’ Room, which draws on insights from 50+ global marketing leaders.

Promoted to counsel in his firm’s 2026 promotion class, Gates is a tech and media lawyer at Reed Smith, advising leading household names, tech giants and innovative digital brands on complex AI, privacy, data and consumer law matters. Beginning his legal career in Edinburgh before relocating to London, he is dual-qualified in Scots and English law, and his contributions have been noted in legal directories, including Legal 500. In his public speaking and thought leadership, he tackles topics including AI transparency, the digital regulatory landscape, accessibility laws and adtech developments. Gates also co-chairs Reed Smith’s LGBTQ+ network, mentors peers inside and outside the firm and provides pro-bono legal advice to charities and startups.

Oyeleye is responsible for delivering BNY’s philanthropic strategy, focused on building a more inclusive economy through strategic investments in social mobility and economic empowerment initiatives. She sits on TheCityUK’s Next Generation Leadership Council, collaborating with high-potential future leaders to influence the direction of the financial services industry. She also serves on the Board of Junior Achievement Uganda, supporting young people to develop the skills needed to thrive in their future. Charlotte won the 2025 WeAreTheCity Rising Star Award for Banking & Capital Markets. She has presented at the UK Cabinet Office and addressed parliamentary researchers on the role philanthropy can play within financial services, policy and society.

Having joined Reed Smith as a trainee in 2012, Pattani was promoted to partner in Reed Smith’s Corporate Group in 2023, advising international clients on cross-border mergers and acquisitions. In addition to his corporate practice, he is heavily involved in a number of initiatives focused on the professional and engagement activities of the firm. He is the principal for the company’s newly launched Solicitor Apprenticeship programme aimed at increasing socio-economic diversity, as well as a member of the graduate recruitment leadership team. He is also an active member of the Women’s Initiative Network of Reed Smith and the Reed Smith Multicultural Network. Aside from the firm initiatives, he spends considerable time supporting and mentoring the next generation of Reed Smith lawyers.

Pinches dedicates significant time outside office hours to enhance her knowledge on issues including menopause, wellbeing, DE&I, mental health advocacy and the business climate challenge. She is the mental health and wellbeing officer within the firm as well as vice president of the events committee. She took part in a six-month research study conducted by the University of York relating to access and progression within the legal profession. She won the Rising Star of the Year award at the Modern Law Private Client Awards in 2023 and the Rising Star in Law (The Lynne Freeman Award) at the 2024 WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards. She has been a finalist for the Rising Star Award at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards for three consecutive years.

As CEO and co-founder of Purdy & Figg, Rubin is a standout British entrepreneur recognised for building one of the UK’s fastest-scaling direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. Starting his first business aged just 13, he is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe honouree, and alongside working in venture capital, at 21 he co-founded a venture-backed startup that raised approximately £1 million. At age 26, he started Purdy & Figg, helping to transform what began as his mum’s kitchen-table experiment into a scaled consumer platform. Under his leadership, the business has grown from zero to over £50 million in the past financial year. Beyond commercial success, he has built a business that is vertically integrated, manufacturing its own patented products that are non-toxic, refillable and made sustainably.

Since joining Barclays’ graduate scheme in 2021, Kilgour has built a diverse career across product management, earning two promotions, and now leads the payment operations and controls team at Barclays UK. Prior to payments, she delivered strategic change and new product innovation, including launching the Amazon Barclaycard. As the first generation in her family to attend university, she is a passionate advocate for DE&I, and as co-chair of the Win Talent Pillar, she leads initiatives focused on career development and talent mobility. One of the most impactful is Global Careers Week – a programme attracting over 11,000 attendees. She also mentors junior colleagues and university students.

Shafton is counsel in the white-collar crime, investigations and disputes team at Reed Smith LLP. With 15 years’ experience – including eight of front-line trial and advocacy experience at the London Bar, and service as both a prosecutor and secondee to the Serious Fraud Office – she has recently acted on high-profile matters that include representing a senior executive in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. Beyond her client work, she co-hosts the Reed Smith Compliance Breakfast Club, a regular forum for in-house legal counsel, and is frequently quoted in prominent media outlets, such as City AM and The Times, on financial crime and compliance developments. She is listed on the Pro Bono Recognition List England & Wales.

Currently working as a growth marketer at GoCardless, Uchechukwu specialises in executing high-impact, data-driven experimentation frameworks. She has spearheaded initiatives that consistently outperform industry benchmarks, including marketing campaigns that generated a 210 per cent increase in ROI. She is the founder of GrowthxSplendid, a women-led community and educational platform dedicated to narrowing the gender gap in technology. Through this initiative, she has mentored over 150 women, equipping them with the technical skills and strategic mindset required to excel in the tech sector. Uchechukwu also serves as a mentor at Birmingham City University, and is committed to fostering the next generation of talent.

Winnington-Ingram is an international arbitration partner with extensive experience in disputes arising in the mining, energy, construction and commodities sectors. She has been at Reed Smith for her whole career and was promoted to partner at just 7 years PQE. She is ranked in Chambers UK Guide 2026 for international arbitration, in The Legal 500 UK 2026 as a Next Generation Partner for public international law and international arbitration, and as a Future Leader in the Lexology Index: Arbitration 2026. She has also been named on the 2025 Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list for International Arbitration. Winnington-Ingram is the pro-bono champion for Reed Smith’s Afghan Pro Bono Initiative and represents victims of domestic violence in the family courts.

Vekaria works at the intersection of technology and business strategy, delivering AI solutions for the public sector. Graduating with a first-class master’s degree in computing from the University of Sheffield, she has focused her early career on how emerging technologies can create real, lasting impact. Beyond her professional role, Vekaria advocates for female representation and social mobility in tech. She co-led the UK’s first Girls in AI Summit in partnership with TechSheCan and champions social mobility through community initiatives with Accenture. Named on the Northern Power Women Awards Future List and recognised as a WeAreTheCity Rising Star in the digital category, she has earned national recognition for her contribution to innovation and social impact.

Photographed by Jooney Woodward, Hair and make-up by Grace Hatcher, Location – The Broadway, St James’s Park