40 Minute Mentor

Our 40 Minute Mentor in this episode is the brilliant Tara Lajumoke, Managing Director of FT Strategies’, the Financial Times consulting arm.

After starting her career at Goldman Sachs, Tara moved in to consulting at McKinsey where she progressed to Junior Partner before taking the bold and entrepreneurial move in March 2020 to move to FTS.

As you’d probably expect, it’s been a roller coaster few months for Tara, walking into a new senior role right at the beginning of a global pandemic and having to juggle this with having a young family, which is something we dive in to in this episode.

Outside of work Tara uses the skills she’s learnt from Consulting to help develop the female leaders of tomorrow, working as a Business Mentor at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs.

In this episode, we dive into Tara’s story and explore how she’s been able to achieve the things she has, both from a personal and professional perspective, including:

Why Tara decided to leave McKinsey for what many would see as a riskier move and what it’s been like leading FT Strategies through a global pandemic.

The importance of education, why it’s such a big factor in Tara’s life and why it’s a huge focus for the way she’s bringing up her own children.

And we also discuss the Black Lives Matter movement and what companies and individuals can do to make a tangible difference to the cause

We have had the pleasure of working with Tara for a little while and we were so excited to get her on our podcast as she is such a positive and down to earth role model.

Needless to say, we loved hearing more about her career journey and how she’s managed to achieve so much in her career to date.

So whether you work in consulting or you’re just in need of some inspiration from a brilliant leader, this episode is packed full of gems for you to learn from and apply to your own life and career.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Tara, check out her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-lajumoke-40aa29/

And if you’d like to find out more about FT Strategies, you can have a look at their website here - https://www.ftstrategies.com/

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Today’s guest and your Mentor for the next 40 minutes is an England Rugby legend, a hugely popular broadcaster and journalist and a successful business owner – Will Greenwood MBE.

If you’re a Rugby fan Will needs no introduction, but for those of you who may not follow the sport, Will is one of the greatest English rugby players of all time, playing 55 times for his country, representing the British and Irish Lions on multiple tours and most famously, playing a fundamental role in England’s 2003’s Rugby World Cup winning team.

Today, Will is a popular rugby commentator and analyst for The Telegraph and Sky Sports, as well as hosting his own Rugby union podcast. Will is also a fellow entrepreneur, and started his own hospitality business in 2011, Legend Holidays and Events, where he runs family holiday experiences, corporate events and sports festivals.

It was a genuine honour to sit down with Will and hear more about his life and career, including:

Will’s upbringing and the influence his Dad (who was also a Rugby international and coach) had on his career

What it was like to be a part of World Cup winning team in 2003 and what made their culture so fundamental to their success

Plus, Will’s tips for anyone thinking of making a bold or difficult career change and his advice from his own experience of transitioning from Rugby into a career in media.

Will has achieved so much in his career and his passion truly shines through in our conversation as well as his dedication to inspire and help others. He is a brilliant 40 Minute Mentor and whether you’re Rugby fan or not, we're sure you will be just as inspired as we were, hearing his career story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Will, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/willgreenwood

If you’d like to find out more about Legend Holiday and Events, you can have a look at their website - https://www.ourlegend.com/

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Today’s guest and your Mentor for the next 40 minutes is the incredible Claire Valoti from Snapchat.

Having completed a degree in politics, Claire quickly realised that this wasn’t going to be the career for her and pivoted into marketing and advertising, spending a number of years at Mindshare before making the move into Tech with Facebook. In 2016 she was headhunted to become the GM responsible for launching and growing Snapchat in Europe and she has since progressed to VP of International.

It was an absolute pleasure hearing about Claire’s career, which has seen her recognised as one of Business Insider’s Most Powerful Women.

In today’s conversation we discuss a whole range of topics, including:

How Claire’s upbringing helped shape her career and how her parents instilled certain qualities and values that have helped her become the leader she is today

How she managed to secure leadership roles at two social media giants, one including Snapchat where she received an offer while pregnant and joined 2 weeks before the birth of her 2nd child

Plus, Claire’s first-hand experience of climbing the ranks in the largely male-dominated tech industry and what tech businesses can do to help promote diversity and inclusion

Claire is one of the most inspiring and high profile female leaders in Tech and was an absolute joy to interview. She gave a truly honest and candid insight into her career and shared so many insightful pieces of advice – so whether you’re a job seeker, an aspiring GM or a leader in Tech, there is something for everyone in this episode.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Claire, check out her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevaloti/

If you’d like to find out more about Snapchat, you can have a look at their website - https://www.snap.com/en-GB/

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In today’s episode of the 40 Minute Mentor, we had the pleasure of interviewing fellow podcast host and serial-entrepreneur, Dan Murray-Serter.

Dan is Co-Founder of Heights, the holistic brand for the brain, and Co-Founder and Host of the UK’s number 1 business podcasts, Secret Leaders – one of my personal favourites.

Despite initially wanting to be a Football coach, he started his career in the world of advertising before co-founding his first business at the age of 24. Since then, Dan has been running his own businesses for the last 7 years, which has led to him winning multiple awards, including being named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 off the back of his success with his previous start up Grabble.

Over the course of our chat we covered a number of topics:

Dan’s candid insights into the life of an entrepreneur

How the idea for Heights was born and how the team leveraged high-profile expert opinions from the likes of Stephen Fry to help rapidly grow their community

Plus, he reveals who the most inspiring person is, that he’s had on Secret Leaders.

It was a real pleasure interviewing a podcast legend like Dan, who is such a honest and gregarious entrepreneur. We really enjoyed hearing Dan’s candid reflections on the ups and downs he’s faced as an entrepreneur and more about his ambitious plans for Heights.

So if you’re currently thinking about taking the leap and starting out on your own, or if you’re a Secret Leaders fan keen to learn more about the man behind the mic, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode!

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts once you’ve listened to this interview, just drop me an email at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Dan, you can check out his LinkedIn profile here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter/

If you want to find out more about Heights, you can have a look at their website following – https://www.yourheights.com/

And if you haven’t listened to the Secrets Leaders podcast, you’ll want to head over to - https://www.secretleaders.com/

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In today’s episode of the 40 Minute Mentor, we get the privilege of speaking to not one, but two inspiring mentors – Ina Kjaer and Maggie Brereton from EOS Deal Advisory.

Following successful careers as senior Partners within KPMG’s deal advisory business, Ina and Maggie took the bold decision to leave with a determination to shake up an industry known for it’s macho culture, long hours and a shocking gender pay gap.

To do this they launched EOS Deal Advisory– a diverse, tech driven deal advisory consultancy that has already grown to a team of over 15 and has an enviable client list.

It’s not every day that we get to talk to such impressive leaders who have reached the top of the Big 4 and then taken the bold leap of starting a business from scratch!

It was fascinating to hear Ina and Maggie’s stories and learn more about their experience and how they’re striving to do things differently at EOS.

Having started the business less than 12 months ago, today’s conversation focuses on the highs and lows of launching your own business, including:

The initial challenges they faced in the early months of EOS and how they were able to overcome them.

Why they decided to start EOS together, as equal partners, and how this has influenced the way they work and the way they’re building the business.

And the importance of culture and diversity and how EOS are actively trying to create a business that’s distinct from the ‘macho culture’ often found in bigger consultancies.

Ina and Maggie were fantastic 40 Minute Mentors and it was an absolute pleasure to dive into their careers and the vision they have for EOS.

So whether you’re currently working in a consultancy and want to understand how you can progress your career, or perhaps you’re contemplating starting your own professional services business – this episode is packed with great career advice and life lessons from two trail blazers, who are truly disrupting the industry.

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts once you’ve listened to this interview just drop me an email at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Ina, you can check out her LinkedIn profile here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ina-kj%C3%A6r-065540/

If you want to find out more about Maggie, you can check out her LinkedIn profile here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-brereton-99339814/

If you want to find out more about EOS Deal Advisory, you can check out their website following - https://www.eos-dealadvisory.co.uk/

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I have always found the world of politics intriguing, so I was especially excited when Sam Gyimah, the Former UK Minister for Science, Technology, Universities, and Innovation, agreed to be on the 40 Minute Mentor.

Sam was born in the UK but raised in Ghana before returning to study PPE at Oxford University, where he was elected the first Black British President of the Oxford Union Society - one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies.

After starting out in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, Sam successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship, working in both Fintech and then a Logistic Training business which he scaled to £10m turnover and 70 staff in a 4 year period. His endeavours saw him voted the CBI Entrepreneur of the Future in 2005.

Following his entrepreneurial success, he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister at the time, David Cameron, which was the start of an impressive and high profile political career.

In today’s conversation, Sam shares a wealth of valuable insights from his incredible journey from a comprehensive school education to Number 10 Downing Street.

During our fascinating chat we discuss:

• How Sam’s experience at Oxford University set him on the path for a career in business and politics, despite initially being attracted to a career in law

• What you need to know about working for a high-profile person and how to overcome the challenges of being in the public eye

• Why working in politics is like being in a constant asteroid shower and the core skills you need to develop to survive and thrive in that kind of environment

• Plus we also touch upon his take on how his former colleagues are coping with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sam was a great guest - open and honest, he shared some fascinating insights into the inner workings of parliament and what a career in government really entails.

So whether you’re plotting to enter the world of politics yourself, or simply want to know how Sam came to be known as one of the most influential people in the country, I’m sure you’ll gain a lot of insights from hearing his story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Sam, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-gyimah/?originalSubdomain=uk.

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In recent weeks we have been having lots of conversations with candidates who are concerned about the impact the current economic climate will have had on their careers. If this has been on your mind too, then today’s episode is perfect for you.

That’s because our 40 Minute Mentor today is Amir Nooriala, whose story will both inspire and reassure you.

He has proved through his career that no matter what the circumstances are, there are always opportunities, if you’re willing to put in the work.

Amir is the Chief Commercial Officer at Callsign, a leading fraud detection, authorisation & authentication company.

Although he now is a highly respected FinTech executive, he started his tech career in Silicon Valley at a very challenging time - just as the dot com bubble burst.

Since then, Amir’s journey took him back to the UK and has seen him work in consulting and Banking, before pivoting into in the fast-paced world of FinTech at the Unicorn Oaknorth.

Alongside his impressive CV, something that we really admire about Amir is the fact that he is also incredibly passionate about promoting social mobility. Alongside his full-time job, Amir is a trustee of Making the Leap and the UK Social Mobility Awards. 

Alongside that, we take a trip back through Amir’s colourful career to date, where he shares some fantastic insights, including:

His top career tips for navigating through uncertain economic times, and his personal lessons from bouncing back from both redundancy and a demotion.

How you can tailor your CV and identify your transferable skills to break into the competitive FinTech sector, even if you have no direct experience and a limited network.

Plus, Amir’s entrepreneurial and productivity secrets and how he has successfully balanced all of his commitments over the years which have included full-on executive roles, advisory work, side hustles and 3 kids!

Amir is a fantastic person as well as a super impressive leader and this conversation couldn’t have come at a better time given everything that is going on in the world.

His journey has so much to teach us all about resilience, perseverance and staying positive when times are tough. No matter what stage of your career you’re in, we know you’ll get a lot of value and confidence from listening to Amir’s life lessons.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Amir, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirnooriala/

If you’d like to find out more about Callsign, you can have a look at their website - https://www.callsign.com/

Enjoyed this episode?

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Today’s episode features the incredible Shefali Roy, COO and CCO at TrueLayer.

Shefali started her career in financial services, working across the Australasian market, before moving to London to get her Master’s degree in Economic History at LSE.

Shefali decided to stay in London and joined Goldman Sachs before moving out of Financial Services and into the world of Tech.

Since then she’s gone on to work for a whole range of leading Tech companies including global tech giant Apple, FinTech trailblazer Stripe and most recently, the leading tech company TrueLayer.

In this conversation, Shefali shares some really interesting insights from her experience of building a successful tech career in the Compliance and Risk space, including:

What initially got her into compliance, and why this underrated sector could offer you a great opportunity to build a fantastic tech career.

What she learned from working across regions and across industries. Including her move into Tech and what it was really like to work at Apple.

And what a typical day as the COO and CCO at TrueLayer looks like and how the team have adapted and changed in the face of COVID-19.

Shefali shares so many great insights in this episode and goes into detail on how she tackled those big and important career decisions over the years to help you, if you’re considering a career change.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Shefali, check out her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shefaliroy/

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Keep up to date with all our latest episodes by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

Moving on to a different career path will always be a daunting prospect and it can be difficult to know how best to approach it. We regularly hear from candidates who are looking to make the shift and aren’t always sure where to start. And equally, from clients, unsure about taking a risk on someone with a different or out of the ordinary background.

If you’re in this position, then you’re going to love today’s episode as our guest tells you all about his remarkable career change.

Chris Severson has never been one to shy away from risk. Having started his career in the US Marine Corps as a TOPGUN fighter pilot, he took his adventurous approach into his post military career, successfully making the switch into leadership roles in the corporate and start up worlds. Chris has held senior positions across Barclays, Atlas Mara, Digicel and most recently at PMI, and has lived in the USA, the Middle East, Switzerland and the Caribbean.

As Chris explains in today’s episode, making a career change is going to be hard work, no matter your background, but building a great network is the key to success.

During our conversation we elaborate further on the power of networking and dig deeper into how leveraging your innate capabilities can help you as a leader. Some of the topics we discussed, include:

His experience of transitioning from a high pressure and disciplined military career into the private sector. Plus, how his background as a Marine taught him to be an enthusiastic leader and communicator.

The importance of networking when changing careers and how best to ‘find your tribe’ and build good relationships online and offline.

And his advice for building a high performing team. From hiring people smarter than himself, to his favourite interview question - it’s certainly one that might catch you off guard!

Chris has been a candidate, client and friend of JBM, as well as a personal inspiration to James throughout his career. He is an amazing and charismatic leader, so it was fascinating to dig deeper into his diverse and exciting career journey. We're sure you’re all going to really enjoy this one – especially any of you who are fans of the movie Top Gun!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Chris, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisseverson1/

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Keep up to date with all our latest episodes by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

When it comes to careers, there’s so many more options out there than there used to be even 5 years ago. Speaking to clients and candidates day in and out, we hear so many different stories of how people have got to where they are, the route they took and the different paths that people follow. The days of getting a university degree, joining a graduate scheme and staying with one company for 10-15 years are long gone. With rising university fees and increasing opportunity we’re seeing many companies starting to offer apprenticeships to enable talented young people to follow an alternative path to reach the career they want.

At the forefront of this major shift across education and employment is today’s 40 Minute Mentor – the amazing Sophie Adelman, Co-Founder and president of WhiteHat.

While Sophie has a very successful academic background herself, she saw her acceptance into Cambridge as a lucky break and in some ways an unfair advantage over all the equally talented people who for whatever reason didn’t get the same opportunity.

As Sophie explains in today’s episode, this helped her shape her mission in life to create access to opportunities for everyone, no matter the background, social status or upbringing. 

That’s where the idea for WhiteHat came from. Sophie and her co-founder Euan launched WhiteHat – a tech start-up building an outstanding alternative to the traditional university route – to level the playing field and open opportunities to work with great companies to more people, rather than a small selected pool of talent from well-known universities.

Sophie’s passion for creating equal opportunities, changing the way the university system works and topics, such as social mobility is truly inspiring. In today’s conversation, we dig deeper into a whole host of topics, including:  

The problems Sophie sees with the university sector and how her own experience has shaped her vision to change it.

Why she founded WhiteHat and her experience of starting and growing her mission-driven business from just herself and Euan to a team of 140 people.

And her experience of raising $16m Series A funding in 2019 and her advice for others looking to emulate her success.

If you’re interested in working for a mission-driven start-up like WhiteHat, or you're a leader looking at diversifying your talent pool, or you're considering whether to go to university - you’re going to love this conversation.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at [email protected]

If you want to find out more about Sophie, check out his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-adelman1/

If you want to find out more about WhiteHat, you can have a look at their website - https://whitehat.org.uk/

Enjoyed this episode?

Keep up to date with all our latest episodes by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.