Black History Month Feature

Tell us about your professional background and your role at Ashfield MedComms.

I’ve always been interested in people and learning about what motivates them, how they interact with others and fundamentally how they live life. My passion for people brought me to communications as a profession.

I was fortunate enough to intern at a host of global agencies – cutting my teeth in healthcare communications and public affairs before chancing my arm at corporate and then brand communications. I’ve gone full circle and realized Healthcare is where I ultimately wanted to build my career.

I’m currently an Account Executive at Ashfield MedComms, working within my business units’ infectious diseases team (Influenza and COVID-19). As an account exec, I project manage the various publications and medical affairs projects we have within our portfolio—working with our client, my line manager, and medical writing team to deliver agreed projects to scope, on time and within budget. I get to work with extremely intelligent people who are so refined within their professions, and who have spent large portions of their careers contributing to bodies of work that inform clinicians, health care providers and patient groups, all of which really helps make a positive change to people’s lives.

What does Black History Month mean to you?

It’s a time for celebration as well as reflection. We reflect on our painful past, but we don’t carry that pain. With every passing year, we progress and push forward. It’s a time to celebrate Black leaders past and present that have provided a platform for so many to be inspired.

What about opportunities? How can our industry provide new opportunities to support individuals at work or in the community?

Being a British Born African, son of first-generation immigrants—I know the hope for many parents belonging to this group is to see their children become a doctor, lawyer or something to that effect. These are seen as the ‘most stable’ professions, and I think parents from these communities need to understand there are other routes to success. A lot of students from African or Caribbean communities would have studied the hard sciences as a route to Medicine, Pharmacy or Nursing—but not really had the passion for the work and not known about Medical Communications. As an industry we need to do more in terms of college and university outreach, educating what would be a talented pool of students on the opportunities available within the space.

Who is a Black pioneer in health, wellness, and medicine? How have they inspired you? And how can they inspire others?

Magnus Djaba, Global President, at Saatchi & Saatchi, is a man I greatly admire. He is a Black man of African descent and has achieved a great deal. As a leader of a mega organization, he’s a symbol to so many that we don’t have to be musicians, athletes, or entertainers—we can become a person that people look to for guidance within the boardroom.

What else would you like to talk about? Do you have any further things that you want to share?

It is important to highlight that diversity and inclusion does not stop at race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Social class also needs to be brought to the forefront. I grew up on a council estate in a white working-class area in South Manchester. That environment taught me that social capital plays a massive part in providing people with opportunities. Although I do experience challenges as a Black male in western society—I have the social capital, and that comes from the decisions I’ve made through the guidance of my parents. I could have easily been led down the wrong path and I recognize my privilege. We must do more for those who want to participate within the ‘professional space’ but just don’t know how to go about it.

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