Written by editor in Q4 2022
You could say Miranda Brawn has everything a successful woman needs: legal and business degrees, a top role at Oxford University focused on ‘The Brawn Review’ to enable boardroom inclusion and sustainability to accompany her portfolio board career, a closet full of power suits that fits impeccably, and — always — a bold lipstick with a smile that lights up a room with her infectious positive energy while turning heads. The businesswoman’s strong pout and natural curls have become engrained into her signature style.
Coco Chanel’s “add more lipstick and attack” philosophy pretty much describes Miranda Brawn to a T. Between absolutely thriving in her own portfolio career, she has yet to reveal her secrets to juggling all her roles so gracefully. She has shattered every stigma that says makeup and stylish ladies like you and me will never be taken seriously.
Multi award-winning diversity, inclusion and sustainability superstar Professor Miranda K. Brawn has had a blockbuster 2022, bagging a few new board seats to accompany her current board roles such as a global electrical vehicle company called Switch Mobility Ltd which is led by Britain’s richest family Billionaire Hinduja Brothers, with Hinduja Group’s Ashok Leyland as their parent company.
Her new board roles include a LawTech start-up, an artificial intelligence start-up based in Singapore and one of the UK’s largest NHS Foundation Trusts while accepting the offer of a top role as a Senior Visiting Fellow at the UK’s number one university, The University of Oxford. She is researching, mentoring and lecturing on “The Brawn Review” which is an independent report on boardroom sustainability, inclusion and corporate governance backed by global organisations and leaders. She has also launched ‘Monday’s with Miranda’ which are group mentoring sessions held at Oxford University on Mondays to mentor our next generation of leaders in an informal setting and to accompany her 60 second success coaching.
Miranda has joined the elite rank of board directors who have served as both executive and non-executive to name a few accomplishments including being a candidate for the Alderman role in the City of London earlier this year. As a media contributor for various global media platforms including as one of Bloomberg’s New Voices last year and an international public speaker for over 10 years, Miranda speaks around the world at various schools, universities, organisations, seminars, conferences and in the media to share her expertise, experience and knowledge. This is mostly on how to make the boardroom and workplace more diverse, inclusive and sustainable through innovative growth with the appropriate risk management and corporate governance techniques. She does this while inspiring and motivating our next and current generation of leaders helping to make the transition from the classroom to the workplace and eventually the boardroom.
Miranda is emblematic of a bold new class of female board director stars (think Ann Cairns, Dame Helena Morrissey, Dame Sharon White in the UK or Melody Hobson, Debra Lee and Ursula Burns in the US to name but a few) who embrace an unapologetically leadership style that once fell exclusively under the domain of middle-aged white male board directors. Thousands of young female and diverse followers —whom Miranda calls “darlings” and “future leaders”—cannot get enough through her award-winning UK registered Charity, The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation (www.tmbdlf.com) which launched the UK’s first black women on boards initiative and first diversity leadership lecture of its kind in 2016.
While rising to the highest ranks within various industries including corporate where CEO’s now report into her within the Boardroom and within Academia, Miranda also has a social media tag called #CurlyHairProfessor. This is because she wants to redefine the way curly hair is perceived within professional environments. She wants to push the message and realisation that curly hair is professional. Instead of trying to fit in Miranda has built a successful personal brand on being her authentic self and on many occasions ahead of her time where she stands out as an innovative trailblazer leader inspiring many from all levels to follow.
Miranda was born and raised in Leytonstone, a diverse neighbourhood in East London where she was educated in Woodford Green and Loughton both based in Essex. A former fashion and beauty model, she entered the world of banking and became one of the first women of colour on London’s trading floor working for one of the top global investment banks. Throughout her career, she has worked with multiple billion-dollar and trillion-dollar global companies with a glamorous style that stands out proving that you can be beautiful and intelligent with a powerful voice that commands respect. She achieved her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer while being called to the Bar of England and Wales in her 30’s where she officially became a barrister-at-law. This proved that it is never too late to achieve a goal after spending the first part of her career as an investment banker, senior financial services executive and hedge fund sales trader. As part of her portfolio career, she has also been a brand ambassador for top luxury brands such as Jimmy Choo, Piaget, Chanel and female led founders The Fold London and Libby London.
Today, she is planning a 2023/24 book and public speaking world tour, where there is also Hollywood interest from film producers to produce a film on her life based upon her upcoming book. This includes the main success tips from some of the richest and most successful people in the world that Miranda has either worked or networked with over the years.
In Her Words on one of her Success Tips: “If you do not ask, you do not get” she says. “I like to spread kindness around like confetti and wish to leave a legacy to help others whereever I go especially through The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation. We have created our own family of amazing leaders who radiate kindness and are just good people. Life is too short to associate yourself with anyone less than that! I love the quote that states: ‘You are a true success when you help others. Be successful!’”
Success Edge: The unique variety that Miranda demonstrates throughout her career, as well as in her personal obligations, makes her stand out with her multi-sector portfolio career proving that having transferrable skills really does work and equate to success in the 21st century.
After nearly 30 years, I am literally just scratching the surface! Watch this space because I truly feel that I have only just began she says with a wink and a cheeky smile followed by her trademark laugh. As a self-confessed hugger, she departs with a warm hug and happy glow on her face on to her next diary appointment. This is to deliver her keynote talk at a ‘Women in the Boardroom’ global conference in her ‘The Fold London’ dress and ‘Jimmy Choo’ heels while clutching her black and gold ‘Hermes Birkin’ bag with her signature bold red lipstick and long naturally curly brown hair flowing behind her.
