Nazarene S. and Hannah Awonuga are Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) professionals at different stages of their careers, working together to help Barclays create a culture where marginalised groups are supported and affirmed.

Nazarene joined Barclays four years ago as part of the HR graduate programme and currently serves as the DEI East Business Partner who oversees the UK, Europe and Middle East regions. Awonuga served as the Global Head of DEI Colleague Engagement, overseeing 12 resource global resource groups with over 20,000 members--whilst leading strategic global communications campaigns.

Whilst the two may have vastly different career paths, their commitment to igniting equitable change alongside their teams sheds light on the importance of diversity as a cornerstone of Barclays’ business.

BYP Network spoke to both and discussed industry challenges, finding their footing, and fostering cultural awareness.

BYP: This year has been challenging for many of our partners, especially those within the DEI industry. What would you say has been your biggest challenge?

Awonuga: The most challenging aspect has been managing change and the external influences shaping our work. There’s a level of trying to get the business to understand why this is important and help people along the journey. Regarding external influences, such as US legislation, the hate crime that still happens against Trans women and people from different faiths and ethnicities, all whilst trying to get people to undergo this work. We can’t do this on our own as DE&I professionals. It’s not about us. It’s about the people and how they recruit diverse people. They are the people who go out and make the change.

Nazarene: In my role now, I am deep diving into regions I haven’t before, such as Europe and the Middle East. It’s interesting to see how their context and landscape differ greatly from the UK and the US. There are similarities but different issues, or they are on a different part of their DE&I journeys, often at the start. The challenge has been thinking about how we support them or how we slightly adjust how we work with them to help them get the most out of it and understand the purpose of the journey.

BYP: With 21 years at Barclays between you both, what skill attribute the most to your successes?

Nazarene: The ability to connect with people. That could be relationship and stakeholder management or more personal connections. I think it’s been a key point because it allows you to build relationships and trust to have difficult relationships with people.

Awonuga: For me, it’s being clear on my purpose and using that to drive my brand in a way that is true to my work in DE&I. It didn’t happen overnight, and I had to go on a journey to learn who I am, feeding into what I enjoy. I had a mentor who told me once to focus on my strengths and to surround myself with people who could make up for where my development is. I think we spend a lot of time trying to improve ourselves in the places we are developing, and that’s not what I do. I just focus on my strengths, and so I make my strengths stronger, which has made me excellent at what I do. Today, people attribute me to diversity and inclusion, and I am seen as a thought leader. I’ve won many awards, and that's because I am intentional about building my brand.

BYP: We’ve touched upon trust and collaboration with the people you work with. How do you collaborate with your teams in your department?

Nazarene: Joining the graduate programme helped. I’ve had many different experiences across the HR function, meaning I’ve worked with many people. I consciously tried to be intentional about keeping and developing those relationships going. That means they are not only there when it comes to work activities but also outside of work when it comes to development or career progression. Hannah, for example, was one of those key people in this role because we had maintained that relationship. She let me know this role was happening.

BYP: Hannah, you’re dedicated to promoting socio-economic inclusion; how did your professional background spearhead your passion?

Awonuga: I never saw people who looked like me in senior positions. I never saw Black women there. I never saw people who came from where I came from in these positions, and for a long time, that would’ve been a limiting belief of mine. And then, five years into my career, after gaining a few mentors and sponsors, I realised that it’s a mindset. When my mindset shifted to if I don’t see it, I’ll become it. It allowed me to be more intentional about my choices. My background and identity have driven me to be the role model I didn’t see.

BYP: Hannah, as an award-winning diversity change agent who has been on many stages, how do you engage external stakeholders and communities to promote diversity beyond Barclays?

Awonuga: Through telling stories, whether they are my own or others. I use empathy and compassion to help people understand. I am a big LinkedIn fan, and I use LinkedIn to tell stories because I think that’s how you have an impact. There’s only so much we will do within the four walls of Barclays. If you want to evoke change, you have to be able to tell stories and bring people along on the journey. My whole purpose in life is to use my lived experience to inspire and motivate.

BYP: Nazarene, how do you measure the DE&I impact success at Barclays?

Nazarene: There are many ways to do that. There’s data. You have your employee opinion surveys, which talk about the sentiment. You have workforce composition, which reviews gender, race and ethnicity, and you can look at where you compare to the census or any other points of comparison. In terms of comparing externally, I think it’s helpful to look at where you sit in the market, what your competitors are doing, and what you can learn from them. And those quality conversations of talking to people who are on the ground, working with the people.

Nazarene Sutherland is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Business Partner at Barclays. She provides thought leadership and strategically seeks out opportunities to improve strategy and business outcomes relating to DEI, including the Gender and Race at Work Ambitions, whilst also supporting the UK, Europe and Middle East Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

Find out more

• Visit their website to learn more about Barclays’ DE&I ERGs and programmes.
• Read a recap of BYP x Barclays’ webinar: The Power of Transferable Skills
• View Barclays' employer profile and available opportunities on BYP’s job board