In partnership with the London Stock Exchange Group, we celebrated International Women's Day as 100 students explore careers and gain professional exposure. Students from Lilian Baylis Technology School, Prendergast Vale School & Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls joined us for a day packed with insight, inspiration, to show that no career path is out of reach.
A Market Open to celebrate International Women’s Day
The day began with a simulated Market Open Procession which set the stage for a celebration of ambition and achievement. With Urban Synergy branding proudly displayed throughout the venue, students were reminded that opportunities and inspiration are all around them.
“Organisations like Urban Synergy are important because they really level the playing field for our young people. Exposure to opportunities like this is something they wouldn't usually have access to and is difficult for schools to provide because we don't have the connections or capacity to organise events like this.” - Rokayah Abdulmajed, Assistant Headteacher, Prendergast Vale School
Leila Thomas, CEO & Founder of Urban Synergy and former IT professional at LSEG, welcomed students to the event. Tamara Dews, Head of Business Management in the Office of the CFO at LSEG, shared her career journey and encouraged young people to identify what energises them, as that will be their fuel to do their best work in their chosen career.
Career insights from the UK’s most influential female leaders
Our panel featured influential leaders, who shared invaluable insights on their career journeys and what their roles look like day to day. They spoke about the importance of staying open to learning and growth, and reassured students that it’s okay not to have everything figured out.
- Jennifer Thomas, Global Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), LSEG
- Dolores Barrett, Senior District Crown Prosecutor, CPS
- Jacky Wright, Former Senior Partner and Chief Technology & Platform Officer, McKinsey & Co & Microsoft
- Rudo Manyemba, Finance Director, Trading & Banking Solutions, LSEG
- Naomi James, Software Engineer at LSEG
“Today made me feel more encouraged to take more risks and opportunities and it's ok to not know what career path you want right now.” - Daria, Year 12, Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls
Personal branding and global careers
The discussion encouraged young people to broaden their horizons, explore global career opportunities, and build cultural fluency. Panelists also highlighted how to use technology to tailor your personal brand and CV, the importance of taking action without waiting for validation, and not letting others define your capabilities. They emphasised the value of leveraging part-time roles to build experience, the benefits to financial freedom and so much more.
A huge thank you to the schools, our panelists, and to the London Stock Exchange team; including the Events and Hospitality team for all their efforts in making the day such a success!
“I’m eternally grateful to Urban Synergy for creating these opportunities because I would have given my right arm to sit in these chairs when I was in school.” - Dolores Barrett, Senior District Crown Prosecutor, CPS
We are looking for more corporate partners to align with our mission of supporting 50,000 young people by 2027. Get in touch with us.
