Dr Funke Abimbola MBE: Journey From Lawyer To D&I Consultancy Founder

Welcome to this episode of the Crafty Counsel Show.  Join Ben White (the founder of Crafty Counsel) as he speaks to Dr Funke Abimbola MBE, CEO and Founder of the Austen Bronte Consultancy, a global consulting firm whose main goal is to improve leadership by leveraging the impact of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity, across the business world. Clients include many global household names including Levi Strauss & Co, Johnson and Johnson, Macquarie Bank and Sky.

Funke’s illustrious professional career began in the legal sector, where her roles included being General Counsel and Head of Financial Compliance at Roche, the world’s largest biotech. She has also held various operational and commercial roles within the global pharmaceutical industry and solicitor roles in private practice. During this time, Funke won numerous awards as a leader and innovator in the legal sector and in particular for her work as a champion for diversity and inclusion. She received an MBE in 2017 for services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people.

 Since 2020, Funke has been focusing on her consulting and advisory business, and we’ll be talking today about opportunities for in-house lawyers to expand their horizons inside and outside of law, about diversity in the legal sector and what lawyers can do to drive change.