My first career was in law, working as a corporate lawyer. I practised law as a corporate solicitor for 12 years. My second career was in healthcare … - Funke Abimbola

I remained an invisible diversity campaigner for several years and shied away from the exposure and vulnerability that comes with raising your head above the parapet. I later realised that my influence and impact would be much enhanced if I was more visible. A friend once told me that "a world of opportunity awaits the visible". Since making the decision to become more visible a few years ago, I have been able to drive more impactful change.

I found it extremely difficult to secure an entry-level position when I finished the QLTT (now QLTS) transfer test and needed to gain experience before qualification. To get my foot in the door, I drew up a list of the top 100 law firms specialising in corporate law and did the same with the top 50 in- house teams. I then proceeded to cold-call the heads of department at all 150 organisations.

Studying law was a real break from what they expected of me. It was a big deal to choose an alternative career to medicine, so I had to make a real go of it.