Author: Grace

The Rt Hon. the Lord Boateng (LLB 1973, Hon LLD 2007) is a lawyer and British Labour party politician. Throughout his groundbreaking legal and political career, he has championed civil rights, campaigned on social issues and provided powerful representation for marginalised people across the UK. Elected to parliament in 1987, Lord Boateng made history as the first Black UK minister in 1997. He was previously Chair of Book Aid International, is Vice-President of the London Library and sits on the board of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

This year’s winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Lord Boateng talks to us about life as a Bristol Law student and his astonishing career.  (more…)

One of the world’s leading climbers, Hazel Findlay (BA 2011) has amassed an impressive series of firsts and achievements in the field, not least becoming the first British woman to free-climb El Capitan in Yosemite. This year she is the recipient of the 2023 Alumni Award for Achievement in Sport. We spoke to her about the intersection of sport and psychology, her time in Bristol and starting her own business.  (more…)

This year’s Alumni Award Winner for Arts and Media is Matthew Warchus, Artistic Director of the Old Vic and an award-winning theatre and film director. (more…)

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making foundation which donates over £90 million annually to projects related to the arts, health, environment, education and more. One of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Foundation is this year’s winner of the Alumni Award for Transformative Philanthropy in recognition of its impact, including its remarkable £1 million gift towards a new digital innovation hub at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.

We speak to Kate Hobhouse (BA 1985), one of the Garfield Weston Foundation’s Trustees and granddaughter of founder Willard Garfield Weston, about the Foundation’s grant making philosophy and the transformative impact of philanthropic giving.   (more…)

Izzy Obeng graduated with a degree in Politics in 2014 and worked in consultancy before establishing her own company Foundervine. An award-winning social enterprise, Foundervine supports new and established founders to create successful entrepreneurial ventures through access to training, networks and capital. Izzy is also a public speaker, an Adviser to Lloyds Banking Group and Big Issue Invest, among others, and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient.

Winner of the 2023 Alumni Award for Innovation and Enterprise, Izzy shares candid insights on her career journey, relatable role models and expanding her comfort zone.  

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Tan Sri Nazir Razak graduated with a degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Bristol in 1988. Upon his return to Malaysia, he joined Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad (CIMB), a small bank which, under his leadership from the 1990s, grew to become one of the leading universal banks in South East Asia. He retired as Chairman of CIMB in 2018, and has since established Ikhlas Capital, a private equity firm, alongside holding several board positions.  

Recipient of the 2023 Alumni Award for Business and Industry, Nazir reflects on his memories of Bristol, success in leadership, and the importance of regional integration.  (more…)