Paulette Cohen, Head of UK & Europe D&I & Global Business Engagement Strategy, Barclays

Paulette Cohen

Believe in yourself, seize the opportunities that come your way, you may not know where they are going but make the most of them.

Paulette is Barclays  Head of UK & Europe D&I & Global Business Engagement Strategy, joining the team as a D&I director in April 2016. She leads the D&I strategy and campaigns across the business with a focus on supporting a diverse talent pipeline and building a culture of inclusion. She led the global roll-out of This is Me, Barclays campaign on disability, mental health and wellbeing, now adopted by over 200 companies. She engages with external partners and clients on a broad range of D&I initiatives including the power of diversity allies, and impact of dynamic working.

Previously, Paulette was Barclays’ Director of Global Programmes, responsible for the flagship community investment partnerships with INGO’s across 13 markets, focusing on financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment and youth employability.

She joined Barclays in 2010, following 6 years as Deputy CEO of Windsor Leadership running leadership development programmes for senior leaders across society. Previously, she was Head of Communications at Save the Children, VSO, and, at the start of her career, The Conservation Volunteers where she became a board member for 7 years. She currently sits on the UK Government’s Disability Confident Business Leaders Group and the boards of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, Business Disability Forum and International Broadcasting Trust.

Top tips

  • Networking – Build your sphere of influence, build a better network of people around you to advise you, challenge you, open doors for you and help you to think differently.
  • Resilience – Remember to put the oxygen mask on yourself first; if you don’t look after yourself you can’t look after other people, it’s very important to look after yourself although sometimes that seems hard.
  • Leadership – A favourite quote from Chinese Philosoher, Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know they exist, when their work is done, their aim fulfilled, people will say: we did it ourselves”.
  • Career Progression – When thinking about your next step think about what you are good at and what you absolutely love doing, your next job should be the perfect combination of the two.
  • Communication – It has to be communicate, communicate, communicate, you can never do too much. 

 

the most valuable piece of advice SOMEONE HAS GIVEN YOU

Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday, and it wasn’t so bad.

Always think about the whole person, people are always wearing multiple hats that span both their professional and personal lives.

Your key piece advice to someone looking to progress

Believe in yourself, seize the opportunities that come your way, you may not know where they are going but make the most of them.

ARTICLES FOR YOU

Not a member yet?

Meet your goals and develop your skills on the everywomanNetwork. Join 1000s of other members today.

FREE NEWSLETTER

Not a member? If you would like to hear about our latest content, news and updates, sign up to our monthly update newsletter.