Climbing Mountains - Dr. Funke Abimbola MBE

Dr. Abimbola will be speaking on the International Bar Association Report ‘Us Too’, published in May 2019 as well as her career to date.

The School of Law, University of Leeds and Women Breaking Barriers are delighted to present:

“Climbing Mountains”; a talk by Dr. Funke Abimbola MBE.

The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and a drinks reception held in the School of Law's Liberty Building.

Dr. Abimbola is a practising solicitor, business leader and diversity campaigner. She is currently General Counsel at Cycle Pharmaceuticals, a global pharmaceutical company based at Cambridge University. Prior to joining Cycle, Funke worked for Roche for 7 years, becoming General Counsel and Head of Financial Compliance. Preceding her time at Roche, she was a corporate lawyer in private practice for 12 years, working for both central London and regional UK law firms.

Alongside her day job, she is a recognised diversity campaigner who is passionate about levelling the playing field with a focus on gender equality, race diversity and social mobility.

Dr. Abimbola was part of an IBA discussion panel with Lord Neuberger and others at the Law Society in April 2018 focusing on the broader issues around bullying and sexual harassment in the profession and was involved in publicising the IBA’s survey on sexual harassment globally to ensure participation by as many lawyers as possible.

She has received many awards for both her legal and diversity work. In June 2017, she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honours list for services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people.

The University of Hertfordshire awarded her an honorary doctor of laws in September 2019, recognising her contributions to social and corporate diversity.

She is the proud mother of a 17-year-old son.

This event is generously sponsored by law firm Mills & Reeve LLP.

All welcome. This is a free event though registration is required via Eventbrite.