Funke Abimbola, Award-Winning Solicitor and Diversity Campaigner

Part of our Inspiring Speakers series, Funke is a leading BAME lawyer and diversity campaigner, focusing on gender equality, race diversity and social mobility within the legal profession and wider business community. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to diversity in the legal profession and young people.

Funke is a solicitor and senior leader for Roche, the world’s largest biotech company. Her team provides legal support to Roche’s pharmaceutical operations in the UK, Ireland, Malta and Gibraltar. In addition, she also leads the financial compliance function for the UK pharmaceutical business. Outside of her day job, she is a notable diversity campaigner, mainly focusing on campaigning for more gender equality, race diversity and social mobility within the legal profession and wider business community.

Currently the most senior black lawyer in her field, she is ranked as being a top 15 BAME leader globally (Financial Times), one of the 100 most influential leaders of African/Afro-Caribbean heritage in the UK (The Powerlist) and the most influential black lawyer in the UK (Debretts 500 list). In June 2017, she was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s 91st birthday honours list for services to diversity in the legal profession and young people.