Finance Pathways Launch 2025
This week we were thrilled to launch our Finance Careers Pathway as part of the wider Pathways Initiative at LAET. This initiative provides Year 12 students, as well as those progressing into Year 13, with access to information, opportunities, and guidance across a range of fields including finance, law, creative arts, and the built environment.
For the Finance Pathway launch, we were delighted to welcome a distinguished panel of speakers from leading organisations. The panel featured Andy Lennard, CEO of Texel; Sanal Mulackal from Texel, a regular attendee of our alumni networking events; David Newman, Managing Director and Head of Global High Yield at Allianz Global Investors; Guillaume Lenior from Santander; Bertie Viegas from Deloitte; and Jacqui Girow from LIIBA. We were also proud to include two of our own alumni from the 2025 cohort: Fadhail, now a degree apprentice at Santander, and Tariq, who is undertaking a degree apprenticeship at Rokos Capital Management. Each panellist brought unique perspectives on the finance industry and offered invaluable advice to our students.
Alongside the panel, students had the opportunity to meet and network with a number of guests who generously shared their time and expertise. These included Alysia Dunton, Brianna Neville, and Bhagyar Nair from Santander; Chetan Shah from Texel; Ben Woodyear and Eloise Thuey from Rokos Capital Management; and Angela and Angela Martinez from Allianz Global Investors.
The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the long-standing relationships LAET has built with organisations that have consistently supported our students. These partnerships have created unique and often exclusive opportunities, ranging from mentoring and competitions to internships and degree apprenticeships. One example is the continued support of David Newman from Allianz Global Investors, whose guidance and mentorship helped Toni, a 2020 alumnus, secure a role in the industry shortly after leaving LAET.
Rokos Capital Management has also played a vital role in developing this culture of opportunity. As the founding sponsor of our Chrysalis East Outreach Project, Rokos has supported our work with local feeder schools to raise attainment while also holding numerous talks and sessions within LAET. Their commitment extends to offering our students exclusive degree apprenticeship opportunities, exemplified by alumni such as Zaidoune and Tariq, who both secured positions at the company after their time at LAET. These opportunities demonstrate how the connections forged through the Pathways Initiative can translate into tangible career routes that would otherwise be out of reach.
Equally, the support of Texel has also been of great benefit to the careers programme we offer to students and alumni alike. CEO Andy Lennard spoke about their ongoing commitment to LAET over the past seven years, including their support of alumnus Nikol from the 2020 cohort. During her time at LAET, Nikol engaged with Texel and later became a mentee through the Texel Foundation while studying History at the University of Warwick. Through this philanthropic outreach programme, she was offered an internship which ultimately converted into a full-time role at the Texel Group. Her journey is a powerful example of the full-circle impact of the Pathways Initiative, where initial interactions such as Q&A sessions and panel discussions can grow into internships, long-term mentoring, and eventually full-time employment. Alumni like Nikol, Toni, Fadhail, and Tariq now return to LAET to pass on their knowledge and inspire the next generation, keeping the network alive and thriving.
We were also pleased to welcome students from our feeder schools, Duke’s Academy and Gladesmore. They gained valuable insights from the panel, who spoke about the importance of building skills from as early as Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The discussion focused on what employers look for, the steps students can take now to make themselves competitive, and what day-to-day life looks like in different finance roles, from IT and brokerage to senior leadership positions.
Beyond the panel, students benefited from direct conversations with our guests, asking questions and making connections with professionals across the sector.
The Finance Pathway launch was a clear demonstration of the power of collaboration between schools, alumni, and industry. By connecting our students with professionals and showcasing the journeys of those who have gone before them, we are helping to create a bridge from education to employment. We are already looking forward to the next Pathways launch events next week, which will focus on law and creative arts.