Enoch Adeyemi

This conference aims to connect Black talent with employers across diverse industries, fostering meaningful dialogue and creating positive change in the Scottish workforce.

The conference is an initiative of Black Professionals Scotland, an organisation which has been supporting both Black students and professionals in Scotland on their career journey while also empowering businesses who are looking to have fairer hiring and retention processes.

About 500 delegates made up mostly of Black students, professionals and business owners will have the opportunity to network with representatives from 30 top employer brands, including Lloyds Banking Group, Scottish Power, TSB, Ashurst, M&G, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hymans Robertson, Shepherd and Wedderburn and many more.

“Black Professionals Scotland has empowered my career journey in Scotland.” Says Olufunmilade Adetogun, a member of Black Professionals Scotland. “The groundbreaking IAmBlack Conference excites me – it sets a precedent for Black professionals’ impact here and I eagerly anticipate career-boosting opportunities and connections with fellow delegates.”

The employers and Black talent expected at the conference represents the diversity of industries in Scotland including tech, Finance, engineering, legal, healthcare, arts, education, public sector, and more.

Inspiring speakers and facilitators include Ikem Odikanekwu of BlackRock, Musab Hemsi, Partner at Anderson Strathern LLP, Lọ́lá Béjidé of Soluman Consultancy, Kyle Murtagh of Confidence By Design and Carla Henison, DEI Business Partner at Hymans Robertson and many more speakers yet to be announced. Additionally, insightful panel discussions and practical masterclasses will equip attendees with valuable knowledge and skills.

Networking is a valuable art and the conference has been designed to facilitate cross-networking between delegates and employers with the hopes of those relationships blossoming beyond the confines of the Technology and Innovation Centre.

“The inaugural #IAmBlack Conference is a two-way signalling playground,” said Enoch Adeyemi, founder of the #IAmBlack Conference. “Firstly, the Black community is sending a strong message that they are here and they want to play a part in Scotland’s prosperity. Secondly, the business community is saying loudly that they want to attract these diverse untapped talents.”

“Lloyds Banking Group is proud to be a headline sponsor of the #IAmBlack Conference,” says Laura Vaughan, Head of Protection at Lloyds Banking Group. “We have a clear race action plan and a firm target to increase Black representation in senior roles from 0.6% at senior grades to at least 3% by 2025. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Black Professionals Scotland and its members as part of this inaugural event, and we’re looking forward to what is sure to be an amazing event in Glasgow in April!”

There are still opportunities for businesses to come on board and be a part of this historical event and showcase their brand. They can find out how to do this on the conference’s website.