Diversity & Inclusion
16
10,000 Interns Foundation
Anne-emmanuelle Kouadio Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator
In Summer 2022 Clyde & Co welcomed five summer interns in our London office for eight weeks as part of the 10,000 Black Interns Programme, which aims to tackle the underrepresentation of Black heritage talent. This year, Clyde & Co doubled the intake and welcomed ten interns from this programme. Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell, CEO of the 10,000 Interns Foundation, says: We are sincerely grateful to Clyde & Co for their enthusiasm, warmth and desire to improve their involvement in our access programmes year on year. Clyde & Co have embraced our mission as active and committed members and have provided a wealth of meaningful internship experiences for our interns. We want to change the face of British business to reflect all talent and provide genuine access to opportunities for our interns to consider paths that might otherwise not be explored. We know that talent is everywhere, and we want to challenge people to understand that talent can look or feel different and come in different moulds. Companies that embrace this fact will triumph. We are dedicatedly impact-focused and are continually reassessing how our programmes can be best aligned with the internal priorities of our members to align and maximise outcomes for our interns. Conversations with Clyde & Co have helped to shape our recently launched Corporate Membership Scheme. We're so excited to see what we can continue building together in 2023/24.
Anne-emmanualle Kouadio is one of the interns from the summer 2023 programme and has joined the Diversity & Inclusion team at Clyde & Co as part of her placement year from university.
Anne-emmanualle says: I got involved with 10,000 Black Interns as I was deeply moved by the initiative which supported and addressed underrepresentation of Black talent in various sectors and this programme allowed them to enter spaces which might’ve proven difficult in the past. Being a Black student myself, I strongly resonated with their aim and having taken part in this extraordinary programme I believe this has been a transformative and valuable experience both personally and professionally. It has not only opened doors for me but empowered me with a network of peers, mentors and individuals who champion diversity and inclusion and has instilled in me a sense of purpose and resolve. 10,000 Black Interns has been a catalyst to fostering personal growth and driving my dedication to creating a more equitable future
for Black individuals in the workforce. Through my association with the 10,000 Black Interns, I was able to join Clyde & Co where I embarked on a series of projects that has influenced my professional Journey. In one specific project my primary focus revolved around an in-depth analysis of ethnic diversity data both within and outside the organisation. This aimed to establish clear benchmarks for enhancing the firm's Diversity & Inclusion objectives, presenting the firm's commitment to driving positive change. This experience has not only allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the firm's diversity goals but has also deepened my understanding of the critical role diversity plays in today's corporate environment.
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