93% of the population. Almost entirely locked out of an industry that says it wants the best talent.

Laurie Robathan grew up on the wrong side of that statistic. He was raised in inner-city Bristol, went to a state school, and grew up in a single-parent family. He found his way into finance through one thin thread of chance, and he's never forgotten how easily it could have gone the other way.

At some point, that thread started to feel less like luck and more like a problem. Because what about everyone who never gets that thread at all?

So Laurie walked away from a successful career in finance and built Fairfield in its place. It's a charity on paper, but really it's a business proposition designed to fix what he calls an inefficiently functioning labor market. Because when 80% of senior finance leaders come from just 7% of the population, that's not meritocracy. That's a pipeline problem.

And he's not solving it from a boardroom. He's on trains, in school assemblies, at North London career fairs at 8pm. Doing the work.

In this episode, Stacy Havener sits down with Laurie for one of those conversations that stays with you long after it's over.

Listen in to hear:

Why finance doesn't have a talent problem, it has an access problem
Why the best person for the job may never make it to the interview room
How Fairfield prepares students to belong before they ever walk through the door
What individuals and firms can do to help

More About Laurie Robathan:

Prior to his retirement from the finance industry, Laurie worked in the City for over 15 years, the last 10 years being at Kepler Partners LLP as Senior Partner. Before Kepler, he had roles at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and Close Brothers Bank. As a member of Kepler’s management committee, Laurie had input into all areas of the asset management business. He holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and has an MSc in Finance & Investment from the University of Bristol.

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