Professor Dr Funke Abimbola

Funke is a multi-award winning leader in diversity, equality and inclusion as well as being a C-suite healthcare executive, media commentator, non-executive director, corporate lawyer, public speaker and podcast host. Her first career was in law in which she was a corporate solicitor for 12 years before moving into healthcare working as a senior executive for two global pharmaceutical organisations for almost a decade. Throughout her career she has promoted, encouraged and campaigned for more equality, diversity and inclusion across the corporate world and society as a whole. Her focus is on the three diversity strands – gender, ethnicity and social background – and she is also an LGBTQI and disability ally. She provides inspirational talks to thousands of school children and university students annually as well as leadership, mentoring and coaching to students and young professionals. In addition, Prof. Dr. Abimbola MBE is a regular commentator on diversity issues on BBC TV and radio. She received a ‘Point of Light’ award from the Prime Minister Theresa May in October 2016, recognising the impact of her voluntary diversity work. In June 2017, she was awarded the MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth for services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people.