Funke Abimbola
Nigerian lawyer
Funke Abimbola (1974) MBE is a Nigerian businesswoman and lawyer. She advocates for diversity across UK society with a specific focus on the legal profession.
Quotes
edit- At that interview, the head of legal (who is English but whose partner is of Asian descent) asked me if I thought my race had been a factor in me not getting interviews with other organisations. That was, honestly, the first time I had even considered race as being something that could inhibit my progress. Thankfully, I was offered a role by her and was able to qualify as a solicitor in-house.
- [1] Funke talk about being a solicitor in 2020.
- I have experienced bias and situations where, being a black woman, I was judged more harshly over other colleagues. You are more likely to be noticed and are far more likely to have negative judgements made about you if you are part of an ethnic minority.
- [2] Funke speak about ethnic minority in 2020.
- I have experienced both racial and gender-based discrimination in the workplace and was angry about this for many years. Instead of staying angry, I decided to do something about it! My aim is to level the playing field by empowering the next generation (and, indeed, others) to maximize their potential with a view to seeing an end to all forms of discrimination in the work place and in wider society. This challenge is huge but, to me, is worth pursuing and making sacrifices for.
- [3] Funke share experiences in 2019.
- I was absolutely stunned when I received an official letter from the Cabinet Office informing me of this in early May but have had to keep this news confidential until now.
- [4] Funke expresses joy over MBE honor in 2017.
- Studying law was a real break from what they expected of me. It was a big deal to choose an alternative career to medicine, so I had to make a real go of it.
- [5] Funke talk about studying law in 2016.
- When you have more than you need, build a longer table—not a higher fence.
- [6] Funke shares motivating words in 2016.
- I decided not to become a doctor – my mum and dad are doctors, my three younger siblings are doctors. I loved the science, but not the blood and pain. It wasn’t going to happen.
- [7] Funke talked about family in 2016.
- I found it extremely difficult to secure an entry-level position when I finished the QLTT (now QLTS) transfer test and needed to gain experience before qualification. To get my foot in the door, I drew up a list of the top 100 law firms specialising in corporate law and did the same with the top 50 in- house teams. I then proceeded to cold-call the heads of department at all 150 organisations.
- [8] Funke speak about prejudices she faced in 2015.
- My CV is sometime 2-4 pages long.i would never advise anyone to have a CV run 22-23 pages.certainly,my LinkedIn profile runs to 22-23 pages because I have been very creative.
- [[9]]
- My first career was in law, working as a corporate lawyer. I practised law as a corporate solicitor for 12 years. My second career was in healthcare where I worked as a C-suite healthcare executive for 2 global pharmaceutical organisations for almost a decade.
- Alongside this, my consistent goal throughout my career is to promote, encourage and campaign for more equality, diversity and inclusion across the corporate world and society as a whole.
- To this end, I personally lead on, sponsor, champion and support a wide range of initiatives and projects, working with a number of organisations to drive change. I have worked with the Law Society, large corporates, various national and global law firms, Aspiring Solicitors, Speakers4Schools and the UK Government to name a few.
- My focus is on 3 main diversity strands - gender, ethnicity and social background. I am also an LGBTQI and disability ally. I regularly spearhead positive change through various fora and write regularly about diversity and related issues.
- In addition, I provide inspirational talks to thousands of school children and University students annually as well as leadership mentoring & coaching to students and young professionals. A solid, rounded education is of paramount importance and I have twice served as a school governor. I proactively sponsor development opportunities for my mentees whenever I can.
- I am also a regular media contributor, providing commentary on both BBC TV and radio channels.
- I believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to maximise their potential irrespective of background. Sadly, it is often only those on the field who are aware of the uphill struggle that they face. We need to empower others if we find ourselves in a position of privilege, embracing and celebrating our differences to work towards building a better society
- Juggling all this is not at all easy and I do decline most requests for my assistance due to time constraints.
- Please understand that I must prioritise what I devote my time to. I am extremely mindful of the importance of my own wellbeing and I am careful not to over-commit, often saying 'no' to various opportunities and approaches for assistance as a result.
- It would be impossible for me to do everything and I mean no offence by declining your request.
- I have been honoured to receive several award nominations and other recognitions for my work which is truly humbling. I deeply cherish every single one and I am greatly encouraged and uplifted by them.
- However, I want to be absolutely clear and say that I do this work for a cause and not for applause. Improving diversity and maximising potential is my calling and I would still make sacrifices for this cause even if no recognition was forthcoming. I am visible about what I do not to brag, show off or self-promote but because research has consistently shown that there remains a severe lack of visible, accessible role models in our society, causing fundamental issues for those looking for an example to follow. This is particularly acute within the ethnic minority community.
- I remained an invisible diversity campaigner for several years and shied away from the exposure and vulnerability that comes with raising your head above the parapet. I later realised that my influence and impact would be much enhanced if I was more visible. A friend once told me that "a world of opportunity awaits the visible". Since making the decision to become more visible a few years ago, I have been able to drive more impactful change.
- Staying focused, determined and tenacious, being brave enough to stand out from the crowd and be my own person, constantly learning from my mistakes and getting constructive feedback to help me improve, giving back to others and maintaining my faith have all been key to my success.
- With that in mind, I do hope that you will be inspired and motivated to join me on this exciting journey.
- Definitely! When my son was younger, I learnt to do a lot of things very quickly, especially if he was having a nap. We are a single parent family so I became a lot more efficient in how I spent my time generally. I found this mindset very useful when I returned to work full time after maternity leave. Part of this was learning to prioritise very quickly what was important and what could wait. I became less of a perfectionist after having my son and realised that ‘good enough’ was what was required – perfectionism is totally unattainable.
- Yes. I am less likely to suffer fools and my core values are deeply entrenched. I refused to compromise on my parenting, ultimately leading to me leaving my role as a corporate solicitor in a central London law firm for a similar role with a regional firm. At the same time, I moved out of London to Hertfordshire, creating a much better life balance. I became a lot more decisive (again, because this makes best use of time) and even more driven to deliver and get things done within the time available. Ultimately, having my son improved my leadership style and my overall performance.
- I look at my son and realise that I must have done something right! He is a very mature, 15 year old boy who helps me a lot with chores around the house and is really kind and considerate. He is popular at school with a very loyal and supportive group of friends. We, of course, have silly rows (he is a teenager after all!) but everyone comments on how polite, respectful and articulate he is. He knows right from wrong and has a clear sense of his own identity, always standing up for what he believes in. My diversity campaigning has also clearly rubbed off on him – he is a HeForShe advocate and a strong male gender champion. I am very proud of him.
- I love combining leadership roles with caring for my son when he can benefit from seeing the impact of my leadership.
On top of my day job, I do a lot of voluntary, diversity campaigning work within the legal profession which involves many speaking engagements. From the age of 9, my son has been coming with me to some of my speaking engagements. Initially, this was due to childcare issues but then I realised he really enjoyed coming to see me speak so I would take him with me as much as I could. He has been to several law firms and to Parliament to support me speaking. I have a picture of him sitting in Parliament next to several MPs when he was only 14!
- It was definitely the first time my son came with me to a speaking engagement at the London office of one of the world’s largest law firms. He was only 9 years old but immediately started ‘working the room’ and networking with others. He spoke to everyone from the receptionist to senior partners of the firm. I have a picture of him sitting on the balcony with the firm’s global chair, having a conversation, a priceless and memorable moment
- Initially, it was juggling long hours working as a corporate solicitor in central London with being a mum. Eventually I left London for a regional law firm where I could enjoy a much better life balance.
Living with some of our au pairs was my next biggest barrier. We have had several au pairs over the years, many of whom are still good friends of the family but several of whom I would be happy never to see again! They always took good care of my son but some of the young ladies were incredibly rude and disloyal towards me. This was very difficult because time and time again, I would compromise my own happiness at home to ensure continuity of care for my son.
- The responsibility that all parents have to shape a young life is truly admirable.
- I rarely feel guilty these days as my son is older but when he was younger, I did experience a lot of guilt. This is par for the course when you have very young children whilst also holding down a demanding career – you never feel as if you are doing a good job either at home or at work. However, before you know it, your ‘baby’ is a teenager who needs you less and less and you start yearning for the days when he was more dependant on you!
- To not worry so much about the things I couldn’t control and to focus on changing the things that I could control. This attitude would have saved me many sleepless nights and lots of angst.
- More affordable childcare provision for working parents. The economic benefits of empowering parents to work is huge yet many families find that it is not worth both parents working due to exorbitant childcare costs. This has a direct impact on the pipeline of women in business and is a huge factor in why we have such a small number of senior, female leaders. I would love the opportunity to radically shape and influence government provision and policy on this as a way of both boosting the UK’s economy and empowering parents.
