Beckles, Yolande - Hot 100

7 January 2005

Nearly five years ago, a heavily pregnant Yolande Beckles marched into Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and told Hugh Crisp that his firm was suffering for its failure to recruit non-white, non-privileged trainees.

She walked out with a £10,000 cheque and Global Graduates was officially off the ground.

Today, Beckles commands a staff of 15, and Global Graduates is branching into banking, museums and the arts.

Beckles’ system gives students from non-traditional backgrounds job interview training and advice about dress, speech and etiquette.

And Beckles’ finishing school is winning fans across the City. Graduates have won training contracts in a range of top UK firms, and last year a host of law firms signed up to the Global Graduates Statement of Intent on diversity.

Yolande Beckles