2023 Q&A
When did you decide to start to use LinkedIn to share posts and why?
I started using LinkedIn properly back when I started out as a trainee solicitor at Allen & Overy.
I felt lucky to be entering the world of work at an elite firm and wanted to open up conversations to encourage others to see themselves in a similar position, irrespective of their background or upbringing.
Representation matters and LinkedIn has helped to increase diverse visibility online and amplify the firm's genuine focus on diversity - both are important.
Did you have any fears about being authentic and sharing your opinions in your posts at first?
I was definitely apprehensive - I was junior at a global firm and people were not utilising LinkedIn in the same way back then. As a minority, there's always a 'what if' moment - will I be subjected to hate online simply for being myself? I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that.
I chose to start posting in a way that was authentic, and something my younger self would have really appreciated. This clicked with others and led to my charity, GROW Mentoring, coming to fruition. A&O were supportive of the charity from the start and signed us as a pro bono client to support in a structured way.
Has the firm been supportive of what you're doing and - assuming it has - what lessons could other law firms learn from A&O when it comes to inclusion/self-expression/backing its employees?
A&O has been incredibly supportive and I've had great mentorship and bosses - I often ask my boss for advice or sense-checking. The firm supported my move into a newly created global role, Ambassador for DE&I, last year and the internal reception across our international offices has been surreal - it speaks volumes about our leadership.
Feeling like I belong at work has enabled me to be happier, work more productively and build deeper relationships internally and externally - which is key to employee satisfaction and retention. I know the same is not always possible for others in all industries around the world.
There's been an open dialogue with partners and leadership, an awareness of the regulated industry we operate in and the need for trust. Colleagues and clients regularly send an email to me off the back of certain posts, which has been impactful to see and evidences the power of building an engaged community.
A lesson? It's less about 'allowing' colleagues to be themselves online, and more about enabling people to have the confidence to do so in a safe and supported way, with the required frameworks and education in place.
What's the most surprising results that you've produced as a result of your posting on LinkedIn?
Everything surprises me because I didn't expect anything from the platform and never had a 'strategy' - I was being myself and trying to champion diversity in any small way that I could.
In terms of results, the stats are becoming less small and more surprising - my posts about the firm surpass 100,000 impressions more often than not, with some nearer to a quarter of a million.
A surreal result of this engagement has been when Hillary Clinton wrote to me at A&O's London office to celebrate my contribution to diversity and when the Prime Minister recognised my work with an award for social impact. I grew up in a town in Essex and was the first generation in my family to attend university so these things don't happen all too often.
Senior individuals from our clients will get in touch to engage on DE&I conversations as a result of posts. It's enabling conversation starters on issues that impact people and society which matters a lot. It also evidences results of utilising LinkedIn from a business perspective too.
Do you get involved in training others on how to use the platform?
The team from LinkedIn reached out to me last year and I was invited to their office. I've since collaborated with LinkedIn and I asked them to deliver a joint session for my law firm which was super informative. They also invited me to the global Influencer Marketing Summit to do a 'LinkedIn Masterclass' on the centre stage with two employees at LinkedIn, which was a huge step and very fun.
Which creators would other legal sector professionals be wise to follow?
Arthur Chan, a DE&I professional and Behavioural Scientist. His posts are educational, engaging and hard hitting. It's great to follow people from outside of the profession too.
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