Alum Sarah Courtney Dockett (Politics with Social Psychology BA, 1999 and Management MSc, 2000) now works as a Private Banker at Citi Bank and led the first session of the month. Drawing on more than two decades of experience working and managing relationships with ultra-high net worth clients, Sarah shared personal insights into her career journey with a group of students from a range of courses.
Following the event, Sarah expressed how much she enjoyed connecting with the group:
“The questions were thoughtful, the conversations were energising, and the ambition in the room was incredibly inspiring.”
Sarah also delivered a guest talk to students from the Loughborough Women in Finance and the Finance and Investment Society. Students gained an insight to private banking and wealth management and praised the authenticity of Sarah’s talk.
Later in the month, the series welcomed Lara Newman (Construction Engineering Management BSc, 1996). Lara is Chief Exec at LocatED and has over 25 years’ experience in property and development. Lara shared reflections on her career journey as someone who was the first in her family to go to university.
Lara spent time discussing interests and career goals with the group and talked about the importance of networking.
Lara with the students
Reflecting on the event, Lara said:
“Standing in the same shoes I once stood in, I was struck by how different Loughborough feels today. When I was here in the 1990s, it wasn’t a diverse place. Seeing students who reflect my background now was a powerful moment. My goal at the Lunch with a Leader was to show these students that joining the dots, building your own networks and saying ‘yes’ to things that scare you can take you far. Careers aren’t linear: you can zigzag, discover jobs you’ve never heard of, build breadth of experience, and grow your reputation along the way. I hope they left knowing that meaningful work exists in places they don’t yet know about, and that I’m here to support them as they connect those dots.”
If you are interested in contributing to future sessions, the Alumni Engagement team would be delighted to hear from you. Please get in touch.