TRANSFORMATION

*Photo credit: Paras Griffin/Getty*

"I am still in progress, and I hope that I always will be."

~ Michelle Obama ~

Welcome to the October 2022 edition of?The Diversity Accelerator newsletter!

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS!

On 17th October 2022, I was privileged to join Korn Ferry (a global organisational consultancy) as a?London-based partner, providing diversity, equity and inclusion consulting services to clients across EMEA.

But what was my main driver for moving from being a successful entrepreneur running The Austen Bronte Consultancy (a thriving, six-figure independent consultancy) to joining Korn Ferry?

The answer is simple:

I want to have even more impact in providing diversity, inclusion, belonging and equity services and solutions to corporate clients globally.

Through The Austen Bronte Consultancy, my team and I have had the opportunity to work with some well-known global and national clients including Levi Strauss & Co, Booking.com, Johnson & Johnson, Charlotte Tilbury, Macquarie Bank, Hiscox, Covington & Burling, Higgs LLP, The Law Society of England and Wales, Home Group, Homes England and many more.

And Korn Ferry is a company that I have long since respected and admired for its mission, vision, values, stellar client delivery, global reputation, collaborative working environment and the range and quality of its know-how and intellectual property.

As ever, I have been reflecting on key learnings and my own personal development, this time focusing on my evolution from being a full time employee to an "accidental entrepreneur" running The Austen Bronte Consultancy.

To put this in context, as of April 2020, I was on study leave, studying towards a mini-MBA online with Wharton Business School, focusing on Positive Psychology and its application to C-suite leadership.

I was on a planned 6-month break from full time employment, with every intention of returning to a full time, C-suite role within the global pharmaceutical industry later in 2020.

• Then the UK went into its first lockdown in March 2020.??
• George Floyd was murdered in May 2020.??
• My global network reached out to me for urgent help regarding race and ethnicity issues.
• So I had to very quickly set up a business so that I could invoice my clients!

Here are the top 10 things I learnt from building up my own business, The Austen Bronte Consultancy:

1. Cash is king. Timely payment of invoices is essential! It is one thing to raise an invoice and quite another to actually receive payment. My PA's support was invaluable in navigating multiple procurement and payment processes to ensure that The Austen Bronte Consultancy was quickly onboarded as a supplier to our clients.
2. Branding matters. Choose a brand name that is unique and memorable. I chose Austen Bronte because Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte are 2 of my favourite female authors. This name really stood out and made the business distinctive.
3. Don't forget to register your trademark! I did this as soon as I was able to do so.

4. Market positioning is critical. Positioning The Austen Bronte Consultancy as an ultra-premium brand made it clear who our ideal clients would be.

5. Consistency, consistency, consistency! Running your own business is tough, even with the support of my wonderful team of freelancers including my son, Max. But stay consistent no matter what!

6. Quality over quantity. Take on board feedback from clients and commit to continuously improving your service.

7. Operational efficiency is critical. Lean Six Sigma principles can really help in streamlining and automating processes, removing wasted time and effort.

8. A good accountant is worth more than its weight in gold! The Austen Bronte Consultancy was successful, hitting the VAT threshold within its first 12 months of trading. This presented its own unique set of challenges. My accountant's advice in navigating the VAT regime was invaluable.

9. Scaling up is inevitable. Every successful business will reach the point where it needs to scale up to have more reach and impact. Explore all your scale up options wisely.

10. Self care is critical! Running your own business can easily lead to burning the candle at both ends. Take sensible breaks for your mental health and well being.

Is there anything else you would add to this list? If so, please comment in the comments section below!??

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022 - Time for change: Actions not Words

It has been another busy October celebrating Black History Month in the UK with an overwhelming amount of activity as always.

But this year's theme focused on Time for change: Actions not Words.

I am highlighting just 2 events in particular involving various organisations including Speakers for Schools, Virgin Money, National Grid, Credit Suisse and my clients Legal and General Investment Management.

Have a look at the links to the detailed posts below - and let me know what you think in the comments section! ??

THE 2022 AKINDOLIE MEDICAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS

My siblings Dr. Mo Akindolie and Dr. Olufemi Akindolie and I established the Akindolie Medical Scholarship in 2016 to honour our late father, Dr. Frank Olufemi Akindolie.

This year marked the 7th year of the scheme and we were able to award 10 scholarships to UK medical students from a minority ethnic background.

You can read more about the 10 talented recipients by clicking on the link to the post below:

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

I have really enjoyed providing media commentary over the years, including being part of the BBC's team of external news reviewers.

Here's an example of one of my BBC 1 appearances alongside BBC broadcast journalists Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty.

We discussed a range of different news stories including issues surrounding digital access and consent, the messaging behind what we wear.........and the perfect chip! ??

APPOINTMENT OF DR. JOANNA ABEYIE MBE

I was thrilled to read that Dr. Joanna Abeyie MBE has been appointed as Permanent Head of Creative Diversity at the BBC!

Congratulations to you, Joanna.

LINKEDIN LIVE EVENTS - AUTUMN SERIES

My son Max and I are continuing our LinkedIn Live events series focusing on 'Starting Conversations: Why Diversity Matters'.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming announcements!

LINKEDIN CREATOR ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME

I was stunned to be selected as part of the first UK cohort of LinkedIn's Creator Accelerator Programme!

My focus during the 6 week duration of the programme will be exploring 'Why Diversity Matters' through a wide range of LinkedIn tools including more use of video.

Thank you to my LinkedIn Creator Manager, Priscillia Mudiaki, for encouraging me to apply for this programme.

PODCAST SPOTLIGHT

May 2021 marked a year since the tragic death of George Floyd.

I interviewed Dr. Olamide Dada, Dr. Khadija Owusu, Dr. Jacob Oguntimehin and my son Max to mark this first year anniversary and explore where we are on race following George Floyd's death.

Have a listen to our insightful discussion by clicking on the link below!

A PODCAST MILESTONE!

Max and I are thrilled that The Power of Privilege and Allyship has reached such a significant milestone of over 7,500 downloads!

I shared my thoughts on this in a recent post - have a read by clicking below:

That brings me to the end of the October edition of?The Diversity Accelerator!

If you have enjoyed this newsletter, please?subscribe?and?share?it widely across your LinkedIn network.

Thank you for your support!

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ABOUT PROFESSOR FUNKE ABIMBOLA MBE

Professor Funke Abimbola is a London-based Partner at Korn Ferry, a global organisational consulting firm that unlocks the potential of organisations through people.

Her focus is on providing clients across the EMEA region with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consulting services.

She is a multi-award-winning Corporate Lawyer, global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Leader, C-suite and healthcare executive, BBC commentator, Non-Executive Director, Public Speaker, and podcast host.?

Most importantly, she is the proud mother of a 19 year old son and future software engineer studying computer science at university.

She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by HRH Queen Elizabeth II for services to diversity and young people in the 2017 birthday honours list.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @Champ1Diversity

Instagram: @professorabimbola