I am originally from Prague in the Czech Republic. From a young age, I have lived an international life which saw me attend a different school approximately every two years, in Prague, Birmingham and Hamburg, before finishing my studies at the University of Edinburgh and then settling in London. This experience has taught me first-hand about the benefits of a diverse and inclusive environment.
I have worked in wealth and asset management for over 15 years, primarily in client relationship and business development roles, and in that time I have been lucky to have had many role models and mentors who have taken the time to offer me advice and guidance. This has been invaluable to me and lead me to believe that more formal early career and mentoring initiatives are essential for our industry to attract and retain the best talent from more diverse backgrounds.
Whilst the greater focus on DEI in our industry has been encouraging, an organisation such as the Diversity Project can play an important role in promoting and enabling the sharing of best practice. I am delighted to be able to contribute to that effort as an Ambassador and a co-lead for the Ambassadors’ programme. I am also aTrustee of the Diversity Project Charity, a grant making organisation funding projects to make ours a more inclusive society, Trustee of the GenEM Foundation, which is a not-for-profit organisation focused on supporting sustainable livelihoods in emerging markets, and a mentor for GAIN (Girls are Investors).