Funke Abimbola
Funke Abimbola MBE | |
---|---|
Born | Nigeria |
Residence | United Kingdom |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Alma mater | Newcastle University |
Known for | General Counsel, Legal Work and Public Service |
Funke Abimbola, MBE is a multi-award winning business leader, lawyer, public speaker, TV contributor, diversity leader, patron and board member. Until recently, she was the general counsel and head of financial compliance for Roche UK. She is of Nigerian descent. She attended Newcastle University to study law.[1] She had a son while working with Campbell Hooper. She works as a volunteer in advancing diversity across UK society with a specific focus on the legal profession.
Early life and education
Abimbola comes from a family of medical doctors.[2] She was educated at Burgess Hill Girls.[3]She did not study medicine because of her fear for “pains and blood” (algophobia and hemophobia). She obtained her law degree from Newcastle University.[4] She came to Nigeria in the mid-1990s to sit for Nigeria Bar examination.[1] Abimbola became a mother at the age of 28 years while working with Campbell Hooper.[1] In the year 2000, she qualified as an in-house solicitor.[5] She lost her dad in the year 2012 to cancer.[6][7]
Career
Abimbola became the most senior black solicitor for Roche’s pharmaceutical operations in the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta.[8] She qualified as a solicitor in-house in 2000.[5]
She went to Nigeria for the preparation for the Nigerian Bar examination. While there, she worked with F. O. Akinrele & Co.[7]
After her return to the UK from Nigeria in the mid-1990s, she worked with Wembley Plc where she qualified as a corporate/commercial lawyer. She later moved to Campbell Hooper where she became a solicitor.[7] In 2012, she joined Roche UK with the position of Managing Counsel (UK and Ireland). She also served as UK Data Protection Officer. In December 2015, she became the general counsel and company secretary of the same organisation and was promoted to general counsel and head of financial compliance in January 2017.
She encountered challenges securing an entry level job in the UK. According to First 100 Years, "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. This led to several interviews, including one with a major, fully listed PLC. 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."
Abimbola is a strong advocate of corporate and social diversity.[9] As a public speaker and legal practitioner, she was recognized and won many awards for her work. In 2013 she was featured in Diversity League Table publication as one of the Black Solicitors. In 2014, she was nominated for a National Diversity Award, and in the same year she was nominated for the Law Society Excellence Awards. In 2015, she won a Positive Role Model Award.[10] In 2010, she was appointed governor of Uxbridge College, London, on a four-year term.[11]
She received a 'Point of Light' award from the UK Prime Minister in October 2016, recognising the impact of her voluntary diversity work in the UK. In June 2017, she was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by HM Queen Elizabeth II for services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people.
Awards and recognition
Year | Class | Category | Awarding body | ||||||||||||||||
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2011 | Listed | Who’s who in the law” | Legal 500 directory | ||||||||||||||||
2011 | Recommended for commercial law | Legal 500 directory | |||||||||||||||||
2012 | Expert in corporate/M&A law | Chambers legal directory 2012 | |||||||||||||||||
2012 | Leading in-house lawyer | Legal 500 directory | |||||||||||||||||
2012 | Leading lawyer from a black ethnic minority background | Black Letter Law | |||||||||||||||||
2015 | Winner | Positive Role Model (Gender) Award | National Diversity Awards 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Winner | Career Woman of the Year Award | Women4Africa | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Winner | Outstanding Woman in Professional Services | Precious Award | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Winner | Inspiring Member of the Year | Inclusive Network Awards | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Top 30 Inspirational Woman Champion of Diversity | Brummells Magazine 2015 | |||||||||||||||||
2015 | Finalist | Outstanding Mother of the Year Award | Women4Africa 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Finalist | Diversity Champion of the Year | Excellence in Diversity Awards 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | 2015 Ranking | Most Innovative European in-house legal team | Financial Times (Innovative Lawyer Awards) | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | 2015 Ranking | Most Innovative European in-house lawyer | Financial Times (Innovative Lawyer Awards) | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Finalist | STEM Leader of the Year | Black British Business Awards 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
2015 | Certificate of Merit | British Citizen Awards 2015 | |||||||||||||||||
2016 | Winner | Outstanding Diva of the year | Divas of Colour | 2016 | Winner | International Diva of the Year | Divas of Colour | 2016 | Winner | Best Public Speaker | CA Awards by C. Hub Magazine | 2016 | Winner | Best Non-fiction | CA Awards by C. Hub Magazine | 2016 | Recognition | Recognition award for outstanding achievements and contributions | Women4Africa |
2016 | 2016 Ranking | Top 20 most influential minority ethnic leader globally | Financial Times (UPStanding 100 list) | ||||||||||||||||
2016 | Point of Light | Volunteers Award | UK Prime Minister 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
2016 | Ranking | 100 most influential creatives | C. Hub Magazine | 2017 | 2017 Ranking | Top 15 most influential minority ethnic leader globally | Financial Times (EMpower 100 list) | ||||||||||||
2017 | 2017 Ranking | Top 100 most leader of African/Afro-Caribbean descent in the UK | Powerful Media's Powerlist | ||||||||||||||||
2017 | 2017 Ranking | Top 20 most influential lawyer in Britain & most influential black lawyer in Britain | Debretts 500 list | ||||||||||||||||
M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) | For services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people | HM Queen Elizabeth II 2017 | |||||||||||||||||
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Eduardo Reyes. "Funke Abimbola". The Law Society Gazette. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "106 seconds with… Funke Abimbola, Managing Counsel for Roche UK, diversity champion, speaker and proud mother". 6th Sense. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "Catching Up With 'Old Girl' Funke Abimbola". Burgess Hill Girls. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ↑ "General Counsel & Company Secretary (Roche UK)". aspiring solicitors. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- 1 2 "Funke Abimbola". First100years. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "Inspirational Woman: Funke Abimbola. Solicitor for one of the world's largest biotech companies". We are the City. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 Ruxandra Iordache. "Careers counsel for aspiring lawyers: Roche's Funke Abimbola". Legal Business. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- 1 2 Women4Africa. "Funke Abimbola: Profile of an achiever". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "INTERVIEW: FUNKE ABIMBOLA GENERAL COUNSEL AND COMPANY SECRETARY, ROCHE". Legal 500. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- 1 2 "General Counsel & Company Secretary, Roche UK". Speakers4Schools. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ↑ IBB Solicitors. "Funke Abimbola appointed governor of Uxbridge College". Retrieved 8 July 2016.