This is a two part guest blog by Miranda Brawn. This is part 1.
Miranda Brawn is a multi-award winning legal business and diversity leader who is hailed as a trailblazer. A few awards include being named Top 30 most inspirational women by Brummel magazine, featured on the City AM’s Women in the City & Speakers 100 Powerlists, BE Mogul Winner and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She is also a Future Tech Girl Role Model and on the Fem Tech Leader Global List for influential women within Technology. She has been nominated for a number of awards in 2016.
With a background as an investment banker and a barrister, Miranda has spent her career at some of the most prestigious global institutions such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase Bank. Miranda’s primary role is to manage the company’s legal risk across Europe for the derivatives, regulatory and securities financing business within an investment bank. Her previous roles have included sales trader and head of legal documentation.
With over 15 years’ experience in philanthropy, community and diversity work, Miranda wanted to go the extra mile and founded the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation. This provides future BAME leaders (including females) with opportunities and incentives via scholarships, diversity lectures, work experience and mentoring. This includes a partnership with The Prince’s Trust to help future BAME leaders from disadvantaged backgrounds. The aim is to increase race (and gender diversity) in Britain and beyond. Sponsors from the legal world include Hogan Lovells for the scholarship and the University of Law for the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Annual Lecture which takes place on 15th October 2016.
Miranda has co-founded the “General Counsel Diversity Leadership Forum” and “Color In Tech” to help increase race and gender diversity in both the legal and technology sectors. She is on the committee board for City Women Network to increase gender diversity within the Corporate sector.
She is also part of the Thomson Reuters Legal In-House Advisory Network and Business Law Consultation Advisory Board. Professional Ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors from since March 2015. Miranda is on the board as Vice Chair of the Black Cultural Archives, Patron of the Black British Academics and board advisor for other organisations.”
Miranda is on the board as Vice Chair of the Black Cultural Archives, Patron of the Black British Academics and board advisor for other organisations. Her portfolio career also consists of being a life & business strategist, investor, entertainment consultant, writer for various publications such as OTC Space & Chambers Diversity and an international LAMDA qualified public speaker. She is a Brand Ambassador for various brands which include The Fold London and Piaget. In addition, she is a presenter which includes providing commentary on television & radio for BBC, London Live & Sky etc. while being quoted in the likes of The Guardian and the Financial Times.
The rest of this guest blog is in Miranda’s own words.
What are the components of your portfolio career e.g. study, paid freelance work, part time job, volunteering etc?
The components of my portfolio career consist of a full time job within an in-house legal department for an investment bank, paid freelance work and voluntary work within various sectors such as education, culture, diversity, personal branding, online and offline PR, business and technology (i.e. FinTech & RegTech). I am also an international public speaker for industry events, seminars, workshops, conferences and educational institutions etc. having spoken in Europe, US and the Caribbean.
One industry event which I have just spoken at was the Thomson Reuters General Counsel Leadership Forum 2016 on the topic of career management to senior legal professionals. http://practicallawconferences.com/gc-leadership-forum/.
I am due to give a keynote talk at the Legal Ex (Business Behind The Law) National Legal Exhibition and Conference 2016 in Excel London which is supported by The Law Society next month. I will be the only speaker discussing career management and diversity in law. Tickets are available via http://www.legalex.co.uk/.
I will also be speaking at the Generation Success “Climbing The Law Ladder” Event held at the House of Commons with some of the UK’s leading legal lights such as Lord Holmes of Richmond, Daniel Winterfeldt, Head of International Capital Markets and Diversity & Inclusion Partner at CMS Cameron McKenna and Paul Smith who is Chairman at Eversheds LLP.
How did your portfolio career come about?
My portfolio career was established when I left my commercial role as a sales trader on the trading floor at an investment bank. I had decided to give back to society by undertaking charity and community work during my garden leave. The main roles were UK Global Poverty Ambassador in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a charity board director. I had founded my own legal consultancy company which has recently won an award. My public speaking career was also launched during this time allowing me to inspire others to enter into various industries such as law and finance which has now developed onto other subject matters which include diversity, business and technology etc. Once my garden leave had come to an end and I had commenced my full time corporate role, I made a decision to keep some of my other roles hence my portfolio career was born.
How has your portfolio career changed over time?
My portfolio career has grown over time and I have had the opportunity to get involved with some great initiatives while meeting some wonderful people.
I have co-founded the “General Counsel Diversity Leadership Forum” with Catherine McGregor who is the Publishing Director at Legal 500. The aim is to provide a best practice & networking forum for leaders in the legal field to help generate ideas and increase diversity action. There is a lot of talk and networking events about diversity however the action and statistics are not matching at the moment. I have also co-founded “Color In Tech” http://colorintech.org/ to help increase race and gender diversity in Technology.
With over 15 years’ experience in philanthropy, community and diversity work, I wanted to go the extra mile and founded the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation. http://mirandabrawn.com/diversity-leadership-foundation-scholarship/.This provides future BAME leaders (including females) with opportunities and incentives via scholarships, diversity lectures, work experience and mentoring. This includes a partnership with The Prince’s Trust to help future BAME leaders from disadvantaged backgrounds. The aim is to increase race (and gender diversity) in Britain and beyond.
The main diversity issues being discussed tend to lean towards gender and social mobility which I have also been actively pushing. However, as a diversity leader I wanted to launch an initiative which went beyond public speaking and articles to play my personal part in leading the race diversity initiatives within the UK workforce which includes the legal sector.
Sponsors from the legal world include Hogan Lovells for the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Scholarship and the University of Law for the Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Annual Lecture which takes place on 15th October 2016 at their premises. The recipients will be awarded their scholarships at this lecture. Dame Jocelyn Barrow will be giving a keynote address at the event. Dame Jocelyn was instrumental in the creation of the Race Relations Act of 1968. In the 1960s, she pioneered the introduction of multi-cultural education, stressing the needs of the various ethnic groups in the UK and she is a Patron of the Black Cultural Archives. Hence, she is the perfect person to address the next generation of BAME leaders and share her wisdom at the first Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Lecture. Her keynote address will be followed by my lecture on diversity leadership, to help inspire the next generation to get actively involved in diversity issues right now within their educational institutions and not to wait until they enter the workplace. Further information can be located from these web links:
http://mirandabrawn.com/diversity-leadership-foundation-scholarship/
I am also on the committee board for City Women Network to increase gender diversity in the Corporate sector. I am part of the Thomson Reuters Legal In-House Advisory Network and Business Law Consultation Advisory Board. In addition, I am on the board as Vice Chair of the Black Cultural Archives, Patron of the Black British Academics and board advisor for other organisations.
Part 2 of this 2 part guest blog series by Miranda Brawn coming soon.
What next?
More about Miranda Brawn:
Website www.mirandabrawn.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/brawnm
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandabrawn?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Facebook www.facebook.com/MirandaBrawnEsq
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