Social mobility and diversity are huge challenges for both businesses and candidates. We look at how one person's position can be utilised to help others fulfil their true potential.
In this week's episode of our Learn Better Podcast host, Stuart Pedley Smith, Head of Learning at Kaplan, looks at social mobility and leadership investment.
Our guest is Justin Onuekwusi, Head of Retail Investment and Fund Manager at Legal & General Investment Management. He is also Founder of EnCircle Mentoring, the Rolling Start Podcast, a member of the City of London social mobility taskforce and a non-executive director.
Although Justin is now a Chartered Financial Analyst with many successes to his name, he often looks back to where he came from. Growing up in inner city Manchester surrounded by racism and gangs, he explains how his mum instilled the idea that education was the key to social mobility.
I always believed that you could succeed by taking an educational route
Throughout this episode Justin covers the role of a fund manager, how humanising what you do can create a sustainable business, as well as the importance of utilising your privilege to support others in reaching their potential.
Key topics
What does a Fund Manager do?
A Fund Manager essentially manages peoples money and invests it in markets to try and generate better returns.
A Multi Asset Fund Manager doesn’t just deal with bonds, shares and property, it’s every asset class. This means that as different markets fluctuate, you get a smoother return over time instead of significant wins and losses.
Often people think of investing as gambling, but it isn’t. Unlike gambling you don’t just take a punt at something, it's a researched, measured decision.
If I wasn't doing this on a day to day basis as part of my job, I would be doing it as a hobby.
Business sustainability
With lots of new FinTech companies being established, Justin points out that the best way to create business sustainability is by being human. Understanding clients wants, needs and values is key to building a tailored service.
I think part of the reason that within LGIM, for example, we’ve been able to raise 8.5 billion, is because we’ve got fund managers who are effectively human.
Investment leadership
After looking back at where he grew up and noticing how many people didn’t reach their potential, Justin has been inspired to create leaders from people who may not be currently showing leadership, but who are talented.
He explains how although many companies are doing a lot to get diverse staff into the office, if they are truly interested in getting the best talent, they need to start widening their search. Not just focusing on redbrick universities or private schools, but discovering how they can identify raw talent in other candidate pools.
Justin explains that you should look to understand the privilege you have, and how you can utilise it to help others to fulfil their potential. The only way people progress is having someone in the room banging the table for their progression, someone who believes in them and will speak up on their behalf.