Dr Miranda Brawn Award seen as one of the most important investments that can be made right now to help our next generation, our economy and our future.

https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/article/dr-miranda-brawn-awards-2021-2022

https://www.development.ox.ac.uk/news/new-dr-miranda-brawn-award-will-empower-gifted-students-from-underrepresented-groups-to-excel-in-future-careers

DR MIRANDA BRAWN and the University of Oxford have teamed up to design a new innovative award called the ‘Dr Miranda Brawn Award’ launching in the Trinity Term on March 31.

This is designed to support and help talented Black (African and Caribbean), Bangladeshi, Pakistani and mixed heritage students enhance their Oxford experience. The award, which will be open to UK undergraduates from low-income households, will support excellence and ambition among these talented future leaders by giving these students the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Oxford is committed to widening participation in higher education and to building an inclusive and diverse university environment. However, despite significant progress in recent years, Black, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and mixed heritage undergraduate students from the UK are underrepresented at the University of Oxford.

The award will further advance the University’s commitment to encourage more applications by empowering these gifted students to thrive during their studies at Oxford, as well as build networks and self-confidence that will enhance their future careers. This will ensure the most impact and be most effective in combatting underrepresentation and disadvantage.

The award will consist of funding and mentoring while being administered annually over a period of five years by the Oxford University Careers Service. In order to prioritise funds for those from low-income households, it will be open to students who are Crankstart Scholars or Oxford Bursary recipients.

Students can apply by completing a funding application form (and then send it to the Finance Officer) by Friday, May 6. Receipt of this award will not affect eligibility for an Oxford Bursary. The application and judging processes are being managed by the University of Oxford including all related queries.

The ‘Dr Miranda Brawn Award’ will enable recipients to undertake career development projects during the summer vacation. Students who receive the award will have the chance to enjoy activities or experiences that are not covered through other colleges or University financial support programmes. This could include, for example, making a short film, starting a new business or social enterprise to compliment and support their education.

Recipients of the award will also have access to the resources of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, including one-to-one mentoring sessions with founder and president, multi award-winning businesswoman, lawyer, philanthropist, international public speaker, educator, success coach, investor, board director and diversity advocate Dr Brawn.

Dr Brawn said: “I was honoured to be approached by the University of Oxford last year to launch the Dr Miranda Brawn Award. We have agreed to include The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation to help to support, educate and empower our next generation of diverse leaders to become a success.

“The positive change for true equality starts with each of us and there is true power in this. I have been a diversity, equity and inclusion leader for over two decades, working across many different sectors. This has ranged from the student and graduate levels all the way up to the c-suite and boardroom, and includes launching the UK’s first ‘Black Women on Boards’ initiative through The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation.

“The new award at the University of Oxford aims to inspire, educate and empower our next generation of diverse leaders from the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African, Caribbean and mixed heritage communities by supporting them to study at the number one university in the world.

“The end goal is to support their education and career dreams in order to have more c-suite leaders, CEOs, board directors and successful business owners from these specific communities. This is one of the most important investments that can be made right now to help our next generation, our economy and our future.”

Dr Fiona Whitehouse, Head of the Internship Office at the Careers Service, added: “Taking part in extra-curricular activities can be so valuable to students during their time at university, helping them to grow in confidence and develop new skills alongside their studies. I’m therefore delighted that Dr Miranda Brawn has chosen to establish this award at Oxford, and give talented students here access to opportunities they might not otherwise have had.

“I can’t wait to see what those selected for the award decide to use it for and the positive impact it will no doubt have on their Oxford experience.’

Professor Martin Williams, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at Oxford, said: “At the University of Oxford we are committed to accelerating the pace at which we diversify our student body and are united in our efforts to remove the barriers that students face.’

Dr Miranda Brawn, added: “Recent research has highlighted that Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African and Caribbean students of both sexes, are less likely to achieve success through the traditional gold-standard, higher value government benchmark than white British peers.

“Hence, the importance of this award to help to bring true equality, diversity, equity and inclusion to the workplace.

“The award is in loving memory of the great women in my family. My late great-granny Philomena and late granny Victoria, both born in Dominica, and my late grandmother Maryam, born in India, who all stressed the importance of a great education which was re-emphasised by my parents while growing up.

“This award is very personal to me as it represents part of my own mixed heritage. I am looking forward to meeting and personally mentoring the winners over the years and have them be part of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation family.

For more information and to support The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, you can visit www.tmbdlf.com, email info@tmbdlf.com and watch their first short film on TMBDLF’s You Tube Channel.

ELECTION VOTE FOR ALDERMAN CANDIDATE MIRANDA K. BRAWN

“I am ready to be an engaged and active Alderman representing the people working and living in the Ward of Cordwainer and the City of London nationally and internationally. If elected, I will work towards an “iCHANGES” modernised future – “Innovative/Inclusive”, “Cleaner”, “Healthier”, “Action-led”, “Net-zero”, “Goal/Growth” and “Equality/Equitable” focused on “Sustainability” with first-class transformative solutions including transport, climate change, diversity and technology led approaches. ” – Dr Miranda Brawn

Note: The City of London is the oldest continuously-running local democracy in the world. The Square Mile is run by 100 Common Councillors and 25 Aldermen, elected by workers and residents across the City. 

Dr Miranda Brawn in the City of London during her election campaigning (May 2022)

Ten reasons to vote for Miranda:

1.Business success where Miranda has nearly 30 years of industry experience in the City as a respected senior executive with gravitas and interpersonal skills, evidencing her vast experience to promote the City in the UK and abroad. Her executive and non-executive experience covers a range of sectors (finance, law, engineering, technology, arts, academia, consumer, charity, retail and government) driving refreshed visions and supporting businesses to thrive.

2. Wider leadership where Miranda has the capacity to communicate with decision-makers at the highest levels in the UK and abroad with a proven track record across all continents alongside Global Business and Political Leaders such as CEO’s, Regulators, Ministers, Prime Ministers, City Mayors, other Global Leaders and members of the Royal Family through her industry, consulting, charity and public speaking work.

3. Effective, persuasive communicator and negotiator in the UK and internationally with vast experience in international business having been a senior banking lawyer (focus on negotiations, regulations and governance), hedge fund sales trader and investment banker working on international financial trades at top global investment banks such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, HSBC etc covering 100+ countries having been one of the first women of colour on the City’s trading floor.

4. Alongside her career, she has a strong track record of senior board experience having served on 30+ boards and committees across private, public and third sectors as an Advisor, Non-Executive Director, CEO, Trustee, Equality Commissioner, Patron, UK Global Poverty Ambassador, Chair/Vice Chair. With a highly personable, authentic, supportive and warm charm that is important for the Alderman role. She is also a Bloomberg News ‘New Voices’ expert business media contributor for London and New York and a future Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford.

5. A philanthropist supporting numerous charities and non-profit organisations, including launching her own registered Charity to help educate and empower our next generation of diverse leaders across all workplace sectors. Being a Trustee, Chair, Strategic Board Advisor, Supporter and Fundraiser for various charities will enable her to bring her fund and awareness-raising experience.

6. A lifelong member of the City, Miranda is a committed member of the community serving in voluntary positions from Ward Club to Livery Companies driving excellence and opportunities in the economic heart of the UK. She is also passionate about the City’s unique history and bringing back its life.

7. Miranda’s work has helped to build global businesses and increase diversity in the City earning her both awards and recognition from her peers including “Woman of the Year” and “Ambassador of the Year” at the Women in Finance Awards for ‘extraordinary and sustained achievement…within Finance’ and ‘voice for change’.

8. She is well connected and of the calibre that would be a great asset to the Court of Aldermen in its ongoing work to rebuild, diversify and promote the City, post Brexit and post pandemic as a driving force for good. 

9. Her candidacy has the full support of former Lord Mayor of London Dame Fiona Woolf and many others in and out of the City of London. Dame Fiona calls Miranda “a complete inspiration where her energy and enthusiasm will be infectious” in the Court of Aldermen.

10. Proven track record of delivering and championing diversity, inclusion and ESG/Sustainability solutions, Miranda is a top quality candidate with a unique mixed heritage (Asian/Caribbean/English/European), including her natural empathy for others and respectful approach to different communities, ethnicities, religions and cultures gains support where others often struggle to relate. She is a multi-award winning Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability Champion and plans to actively help the Corporation to reflect the growing diverse make-up of the City and overall global society.

Almost everyone accepts that we need greater diversity, inclusion and sustainable solutions in the City and public office alike. For Miranda, delivering her “iCHANGE” vision is not about slogans but about substance; not about lip service but about public service, not about words but about deeds and action with integrity and transparency.  

It is very important that as many of the voters turn up and vote for Miranda K. Brawn on Thursday, 26^th May 2022 from 8am to 8pm at St. Mary Le Bow Church, Cheapside, EC2V 6AU or via Post / Proxy. For further voting information https://www.speakforthecity.com/voting

Voters can contact Miranda Brawn: Email – info@mirandabrawn.com

Published, Printed and Promoted by Dr Miranda Brawn of Suite 81, 95 Mortimer Street, London, W1W 7GB

Media Coverage

13th May 2022: Inclusion and Sustainability Champion seeks Key City Alderman Role https://brixtonblog.com/2022/05/diversity-champion-seeks-key-city-of-london-role/

15th May 2022: Dr Miranda Brawn is on the BBC Radio Derby Show at 9pm (UK time) talking about the upcoming Aldermanic elections. The recorded version will be available for one month. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c3gjlq From 1 hour and 12 minutes Miranda explains what an Alderman’s role is and the difference between the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayor of London including what she plans to bring to the table of the City of London Corporation with inclusion and sustainability.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_derby

20th May 2022 to 26th May 2022: Panjab Times – Europe’s largest Panjabi’s news publication across UK, Europe, India and Pakistan showing their support on page 47 in a special English translated article. http://panjabtimes.uk/epaper.aspx?eid=474

24th May 2022: The Voice – Europe’s largest Black news publication across UK, Europe, Caribbean and Africa showing their support for Miranda Brawn to win the Aldermanic elections on 26th May 2022. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/sponsored-news/2022/05/24/campaigning-for-ichange-in-the-city/

Remember to vote for Miranda K. Brawn on 26th May 2022

Definition of an Alderman

The City of London Alderman is one of the oldest elected roles in the UK. Each of the twenty-five wards elects one Alderman for a term of up to six years and several will see elections in 2022. Together, they form the Court of Aldermen, one of the three governing Courts of the City of London. Their role is to encourage trade, champion standards, build skills in the workforce and promote the City as an attractive place to live and do business.

Aldermen also sit on the Court of Common Council which is responsible for the overall policies and resources of the City Corporation, and sets its multi-year strategy and plans. They are also appointed to the boards of a range of charities, as well as the governing bodies of the City’s academy schools in neighbouring boroughs. Many Aldermen have a financial or professional services background and are well-placed to develop further the City’s relations with this key sector.

Each year, the Lord Mayor is elected from amongst the Aldermen – and those looking to stand for the mayoralty will first need to be elected as an Alderman.

There are at least 12 scholarships available to young people up to ages of 30 years from diverse backgrounds. Set up on the 4th January 2016, this is The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation (TMBDLF)’s seventh year.

Applicants must be at school, college or university on a full-time basis and achieving good grades with an interest in diversity. Applications close on 30^th June 2022 at 5pm (London time).

The scholarship award includes £500 to £1,000 in funding, mentoring and reverse mentoring with leaders in their field, work experience (if available and pending COVID restrictions) with leading UK organisations, etiquette educational training, networking, graduation group mentoring lunch and VIP ticket to the annual diversity leadership lectures. More information on the scholarship programme is available via TMBDLF’s website https://www.tmbdlf.com/scholarship-programme.

The categories include Finance and Business, Hogan Lovells ‘Law’, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), Multi-Sector, Medical, Automotive (for women), Charity, BWOB (Black Women on Boards), LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer etc), Disability and Neurodiversity, From Care (foster and government care systems), ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) with the University of Bath. 

Each year we launch new innovative scholarships. This year has included a scholarship called ‘Automotive (for women)’ to celebrate International Women’s Month 2022 and our ESG scholarship has re-launched this year with a University of Bath partnership as part of the One Young World Bath Caucus. Other new innovative scholarships this year include Charity, From Care and Neurodiversity. 

A full list of categories and eligibility are also available online. To apply visit the Charity’s website www.tmbdlf.com 

The winners will be announced at The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Annual Lecture Event 2022 which will take place later this year in the UK. The date and venue will be confirmed in due course. Further details will be shared on the website by summer 2022. https://www.tmbdlf.com/annual-lecture-and-events

For more information, to support and/or apply for a scholarship, please email TMBDLF’s team directly via info@tmbdlf.com. 

Dr Miranda K. Brawn talks about launching the UK’s first ‘Black Women on Boards’ initiative, reverse mentoring and how board culture can enable greater diversity and inclusion

Dr Miranda K. Brawn MBA FRSA is a British businesswoman, experienced non-executive director, board advisor, lawyer and philanthropist. 

She started her banking career as one of the first women of colour on London’s trading floor and went on to hold a number of senior leadership roles at JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and other top global financial institutions. She’s held multiple board roles within the public, private and third sectors including the Crownsavers Credit Union, the Black Cultural Archives and Lambeth Council. She currently sits on the board of electric vehicle manufacturer Switch Mobility Limited and The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn’s Investment Committee and Social Mobility Committee as part of the Bar Representation Committee. She is also a Bloomberg News TV and Radio expert contributor.

In January 2016, Miranda launched The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation. Its mission is to eliminate the diversity, equity and inclusion gaps in the professional workplace through education and empowerment for future diverse leaders. The charity launched the UK’s first diversity leadership lecture event series and, in 2021, its first Black Women on Boards” (BWOB) initiative.

There seems to be more talk than ever about diversity at the moment – why does real change still feel so slow? 

One of the major obstacles is that inclusion still does not make commercial sense to a lot of leaders, despite the fact that a diverse, open and supportive work culture has been proven to be more dynamic and inspire greater innovation. 

Reinventing company culture and changing employees’ attitudes and mindsets cannot be achieved overnight, but is urgently required. These initiatives require significant time and investment to get off the ground and become embedded into company culture. It is also a sensitive and emotive topic that many people would rather avoid.

Where should organisations start?

The focus has to be on action and transparency now. There needs to be a strong and consistent message from the leadership on its commitment to DE&I – without this, the message will become confused and lose momentum. More bravery is required for faster change to take place.  

In turn, this strong voice empowers people throughout the business to support one another and embody these messages, which has the potential to transform company culture. Leaders need to be held accountable to deliver on DE&I objectives, otherwise these initiatives can fall by the wayside.  

Reviewing and adapting processes to make sure they encourage fairness is an important step on this journey. How companies manage and recruit staff has been proven to stifle diversity.

When did you start thinking about launching an initiative focused on boards?  

I have wanted to launch this sort of initiative for many years as there has been an obvious gap at board and senior level management for years. 

We wanted to kickstart International Women’s Month by raising the awareness that more needs to be done to hire more women with Black African and Caribbean heritage in the boardroom, especially within publicly listed companies.Our “Black Women on Boards” (BWOB) initiative includes an innovative scholarship programme and reverse mentoring programme with senior leaders. 

How important is it to have diversity initiatives aimed at specific groups (like black women) as opposed to say all underrepresented groups?  

Because although the number of female directors at FTSE-100 firms has increased by 50% in the last five years, it’s mostly white women.

BoardEx data reveals that only around 3% of female board-level roles are held by women of Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) heritage in the UK’s 350 largest listed companies. These are mostly women from Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds. 

Recent research also highlights that for the first time in six years, there are no Black Chairs, CEOs or CFOs in FTSE 100 companies. There is an urgent need to address this unfair and unjust hiring gap with women and men from a Black African and Caribbean heritage. 

Tell us about reverse mentoring and why it is so important. 

It compliments our existing mentoring programmes by allowing our current students and alumni to act as mentors to senior leaders. They will share their perspective and experiences and, in doing so, help those leaders think about diversity, equity and inclusion.

This is so important because everyone can learn from each other. It enables better inclusion and improves diversity in the talent pipeline. This improves empathy and mitigates unconscious bias. This also drives culture change and gives leaders the opportunity to stay ahead of the trends through junior employees and mentees.  

What practical steps can Chairs take to diversify their hiring processes?  

Chairs should be looking at the skill sets that they would ideally want on the board, and then the skill sets they have. By identifying the gaps, they can use this as an opportunity to build in diversity – remembering the inclusion part once board members are hired. 

A practical step for Chairs is to simply look in different places. There are numerous leaders like myself who have access to a large diverse network of senior leaders looking for board positions. Tap into these people and their diverse networks. Make sure that recruiters are changing their processes to source diverse candidates. In 2022, you cannot afford to say that you cannot find the diverse talent, because there are great diverse leaders out there who are board-ready, like myself. 

As well as hiring, are there elements of board culture that need to change to encourage more diversity?   

Research has found that diversity does not guarantee a better performing board – the culture affects how well it performs. Diversity does not matter as much on boards where members’ perspectives are not regularly elicited, respected and valued. To make diverse boards more effective, boards need to have a more egalitarian culture — one that elevates different voices and integrates contrasting insights. 

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about applying for their first board role? 

Having a wealth of experience is a clear advantage. But when applying for non-executive roles, only use 25% of your time to detail what you did in the past. Reserve the other 75% to focus on the ‘so what?’. You need to give the most weight to explaining how you will apply your experience to the board and how you will add value.  

Be mindful that not everyone on the board has to bring everything. You can offer depth in one or two areas and still be a phenomenal director. You need to pitch what you will bring to that particular board and remember you may contribute in different ways to different organisations. 

More importantly, do not give up, and reach out to existing board directors for help and advice. There are a lot of wonderful and supportive board directors who are happy to help you to find your first board role.

Switching To The Right Approach

The recent appointment of Dr. Miranda Brawn to the position of Independent Non-Executive Director (iNED) at Switch Mobility’s Corporate Board brings together these interlinked strands: carbon-neutral transport solutions, corporate governance, regulatory and risk management, and DE&I and ESG agendas.

In a freewheeling discussion, Dr. Brawn shared her views on how the electric vehicle industry can spearhead DE&I and ESG agendas as part of the larger sustainability charter. She emphasized that electric vehicles, which are inherently carbon-neutral, are the future of mobility and will be key to combating climate change challenges. That said, the mobility ecosystem will need to embrace every aspect of sustainability in order to realize socially, economically and environmentally coherent practices and create real, long-term value.

Talking of the importance of embracing sustainability from a holistic perspective, Dr. Brawn highlighted that ESG-driven investments into clean technology solutions and environmentally conscious practices represent only one side of the sustainability coin. The other is DE&I which leads with socially inclusive and equitable approaches, backed by governance commitments. 

Elaborating on this idea, she added that actively encouraging work force diversity –whether in terms of gender or race, disability or sexual orientation – across all levels of the organization, particularly at top decision-making levels, can strengthen resilient & responsible, collaborative &  creative, inclusive & innovative growth. 

For Dr. Brawn, the idea of inclusiveness extends even further to developing products and services that are suitable for all. This could, for example, inform the designs of next generation vans and buses that can be driven by both men and women and by both old and young. For the perennially driver strapped commercial fleet industry, new vehicle design and technology could encourage a new legion of drivers, young and old, to get behind the wheel. Switch is already working towards this goal with the new vehicle design & engineering of its next generation vans. 

Dr. Brawn sees technology as catalyzing other positive social impacts in the form of in-vehicle advanced driver assistance systems and health, wellness and wellbeing features that targeted greater comfort, convenience and safety for vehicle occupants/drivers based on their individual, rather than any perceived collective, needs.