‘I want to make a difference and open doors – help people achieve what they want to achieve,’ says Zohra Hamidi ACCA, management accountant at University College London.
Hamidi’s early experiences have left her with a determination to have the potential of disadvantaged young people recognised. A capable student with a strong interest in accountancy, Hamidi herself had to persevere much harder than most to gain her ACCA Qualification and progress her career.
She has now become a strong advocate for diversity in the profession, determined to address the hurdles faced by black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students and those from less privileged backgrounds who want a career in finance. On the day of her interview with AB, she was busy rehearsing for a TEDx event that evening, when she would share her thoughts on turning obstacles into opportunities.
Finding a route in
Part of the problem can be a low-set aspirational bar at school. ‘I remember that our class went to Heathrow for a careers visit, and all the talk was about working in admin, with no reference to finance.’ But after graduating from City University of London with a good degree in economics and accounting, she struggled to find a route into the profession.
‘It was clear to me that I was not objectively assessed and certain biases seemed to be in play’
CV
2020 to date
Management accountant, University College London (UCL)
2019 to date
Chair, finance audit and risk committee, University of Greenwich Students’ Union
2019
Finance manager, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Ear Institute
2016
Trainee roles, UCL
2015
Entry-level finance, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
‘I was adamant that I wanted a career in accountancy, but the normal route in was through practice and a training contract with a firm,’ she says. ‘I had a number of interviews and it wasn’t a great experience. It was clear to me that I was not objectively assessed for the training contracts, and certain biases seemed to be in play.’
Instead, she decided to study for a PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education). ‘I was teaching GCSE maths and also worked with students who had been excluded from school because of their behaviour. What I saw was that being labelled had a detrimental effect. The perception was that they were not going to achieve success.’ That struck a chord. ‘Labels matter,’ Hamidi says. ‘They affect you.’
So she gave up her job and self-funded most of her ACCA training. ‘I didn’t want to be told that I had no potential to rise up the career ladder, so I didn’t give in.’
Her commitment has paid off. She qualified in 2019 and subsequently completed an MSc in professional accountancy, under the programme run by ACCA and UCL.
Next generation
Many organisations are actively addressing a lack of diversity within their senior levels. Hamidi has recently been accepted on a programme run by the NHS that aims to find and support a new generation of talented BAME professionals to contribute at board level. Only 8% of individuals working at board level within NHS trusts are from BAME communities – something the NHS is determined to rectify.
She volunteers as a mentor for an award-winning mentoring scheme and is considering rolling out an initiative aimed at supporting recent graduates as they look for a route into the profession. ‘The aim is to connect graduates with professionals in the workplace who will support them and help them get job-ready.
‘The pressing issues around diversity in the workplace are at this recent-graduate level. Many students feel, even though they are very good academically, that the corporate world isn’t right for them. We need to change the narrative and start at that level if we’re going to make sure things are done right.’
Unconscious bias among hiring managers is undoubtedly an issue, she adds – and that can hurt companies as much as the candidates themselves. ‘There is plenty of research evidence that diversity has a positive impact on productivity and output across all sectors.
‘If you don’t give people a chance you won’t have the diverse pipeline you need, and when you need it there will be no suitable BAME candidates at director level. You fall into the same trap, and diversity diminishes over time.’
‘The pressing issues around diversity in the workplace are at recent-graduate level. Many students feel that the corporate world isn’t right for them’
Onwards and upwards
Hamidi has ambitious plans for the future, including taking up her place on the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders programme next year, Covid willing.
‘Leadership is an essential skill, and opportunities should be available to all who want to develop it,’ she says, acknowledging that one of her leadership inspirations is the CFO of UCL, Phil Harding. ‘In my view leadership is about enabling the full potential in others, irrespective of their current position on the career ladder. Phil is an exceptional leader who takes an active interest in individuals’ growth and success. His support meant I was able to gain the confidence to grow and develop.’
Her ultimate aim is to work in different sectors at a senior leadership level, but she recognises that her career in the public sector might mean some of her wider capabilities are underestimated. ‘Sometimes, moving between sectors as an accountant is a difficult bridge to cross. But I have met people who have done it, and that’s often happened because the company was looking for individuals with a different perspective.
‘If you have the skills and determination, you can cross any bridge.’
