booklet

ARTS AND HUMANITIES CAREERS FAIR

07|03|2023

Welcome

Welcome to our inaugural MTS Arts and Humanities Careers Fair. In the context of public discussion surrounding the government’s proposal of compulsory post-16 Maths, we have felt a growing imperative to champion the Arts and Humanities. We want to celebrate and showcase the range of brilliant careers, some of which may surprise, that these subjects enable. We are hugely grateful to all the individuals and organisations who have come together to support our event today and share their experience and wisdom with the next generation. All the OMTs and professionals in attendance have followed an educational path in the Arts and Humanities that has directed them towards success in a range of careers that MTS pupils may well find attractive. They will be able to offer highly practical insights into their respective professions both at entry level and career progression. In a rapidly changing world, being curious about how the world of work is changing and learning from those that are experiencing those changes now is essential to help young people navigate their future education and employment landscape. Our specialist talks all relate to the topic of experiential career related learning. From work experience while at school, to studying for degree or master's level and apprenticeship qualifications while gaining practical skills ‘on the job’, the options to gain the critical employability skills alongside academic qualifications should be among the range of options for career development that all our young people are considering. We very much hope you are as excited about this event as we are. We too are learning on the job, and we would very much welcome constructive feedback, so please do look out for our post-event survey. We could not run our careers programme without all the enthusiastic volunteers who take part in our programme of short talks, wider school events and targeted online encounters. We also very much welcome opportunities for work experience. If you would consider getting involved, please feel free to contact us on careers@mtsn.org.uk and we can explore what would work best for you.

We very much look forward to seeing you for what we hope will be an informative and inspiring occasion

Matthew Hilton-Dennis

Sue Grice

Head of English

Head of Careers

MTS student business and charity initiatives - Undercroft

Phab inspires and supports disabled and non-disabled children, young people and adults to make more of life together - breaking down community barriers, reducing social isolation, and creating opportunities for all involved to enjoy the same activities and challenges side by side. Students who take part in Phab at MTS make a real impact on the young people they support and their families. It is also an amazing opportunity for personal growth and to develop a skillset that future employers value highly. We give our special thanks to the members of MTS Phab who will be providing refreshments to parents and pupils at our event in return for a contribution to their very worthy cause.

The Young Enterprise Company Programme provides a real-life learning opportunity that introduces young people aged 13-19 to the realities of the world of work. It empowers young people to set up and run a student company under the guidance of a business volunteer. Students make all the decisions about their business, from deciding on the company name, managing the company finances and selling to the public. Participants gain practical business experience and key skills. Thank you to MTS YE teams for setting up their stalls at the event. Please do visit them to find out more about their experiences. Products will be available to purchase at the event.

Special Interest talks – Exam Hall

Our programme of talks will run in the Exam Hall as follows:

5.50pm - 6.10pm

6.20pm – 6.40pm

6.50pm – 7.10pm

Talk: Choosing the road less travelled

Selvan Senthilkumaran (OMT) will talk about his journey from Head Monitor at MTS to teacher training with Teach First. Teach First is a registered charity in England and Wales, which seeks to build a fair education for all. Teach First seeks, develops and supports teachers and leaders who are determined to make a difference where it's needed the most.

Talk: Degree Apprenticeships – what are they and how do you get on one?

Amy Moores and Dilinna Aniebonam representing the ASK programme, will provide an overview of Degree Apprenticeships and why many employers and young people find them an increasingly attractive alternative to a full-time degree. Amazing Apprenticeships is a leading organisation in the education sector, working with schools, colleges and employers, tackling misconceptions and promoting the benefits of apprenticeships and technical education. As experts on apprenticeships and technical education, they influence the way that apprenticeships are perceived and drive forward innovative and creative work in England and internationally, to ensure that more individuals and businesses can access the benefits of apprenticeships. The Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge for schools and colleges programme (ASK programme) is funded by the Department for Education and aims to support schools and colleges in England to increase awareness of apprenticeships, traineeships and T Levels amongst students, parents, carers, teachers and careers advisers.

Talk: Making the most of work experience

Oonagh Shiels and Lilly Walker will talk about what you can do to make the most of valuable work insight and work experience opportunities. InvestIN Education is an organisation dedicated to bridging the gap between school and industry by equipping students with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in the future. They predominantly do this by providing immersive career experiences for students aged 12-18 in 18 different industries, from the popular Medicine and Law, through to up-and-coming careers like Video Game Design and Forensic Science. Over 150 Merchant Taylors’ students have attended their programmes in the past, which offer an invaluable insight into each career, through interactive activities, exclusive site visits and industry-specific career coaching - all led by top professionals. Their flagship Summer Experiences run throughout July and August for 5, 10 or 15 days and are always popular with Merchant Taylors’ students. To find out more, please do visit their website (www.investin.org), where full timetable breakdowns, testimonials and further information can be found. You can also benefit from a 20% discount off any InvestIN programme by use of the code MTS20 at registration.

Exhibitor Biographies

Will Bordell (OMT, 2012) English, University of Cambridge Barrister at Blackstone Chambers

After graduating, Will went to Harvard University as the Henry Fellow for a year and then spent a further six months in and around the Boston area working for an NGO, before returning to the UK. Will went to City University to do the law conversion course and the Bar vocational course after that, before undertaking his pupillage as a barrister at Blackstone Chambers in 2019-20. He became a tenant at Blackstone in September 2020. Will has a broad practice that spans public law, human rights, commercial and employment law. He has recently been involved in the litigation challenging the Home Secretary's plans to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda. Other cases include the ongoing challenge to the Government's decision to approve the transaction by which Octopus has acquired the energy company Bulb following its collapse in 2021.

Jack Close (OMT, 2013) English, Durham University Senior Policy Advisor, Nor thern Ireland Protocol Task Force

After university, Jack joined the Civil Service Fast Stream. He has worked as a Senior Policy Advisor in HM Revenue & Customs and is now Senior Policy Advisor, Northern Ireland Protocol Task Force at the Cabinet Office. He has also worked on public policy in Zambia.

Christopher Colman (OMT, 2011) Modern History, University of Oxford Associate at HFW (Holman Fenwick Willan LLP)

After graduating, Christopher did the GDL to convert to a law degree and then the LPC to become a Solicitor. Having initially trained with Allen & Overy, Christopher has worked at a variety of law firms since then and recently joined the market-leading Aerospace team at Holman Fenwick Willan LLP (HFW). He specialises in commercial litigation and, specifically, disputes within the aviation industry.

Rishi Davda (OMT, 2013) English & Philosophy, University of Nottingham Enter tainment Repor ter for ITV National News

Rishi started his career as an ITV regional journalist based in Bristol where he learnt the ropes of the industry. Just before the pandemic, Rishi moved to the National team to present a teenage news programme with the aim of curating short, sharp and accurate online news content. For the past year, he has been back working on TV as the Entertainment Reporter for ITV National News, working on everything from breaking stories to long-form celebrity sit down interviews.

David Ellis (OMT, 1993) English, University of Southampton Founder & Managing Director at Station10 (Data insight for business strategy)

David started Station10 12 years ago, because of the emergence of multichannel experiences and the need for actionable insight. He could see there was a need for an agile data insight consultancy that could help clients at the forefront of data push the boundaries but would also help those who were further behind on the curve. Station10 helps clients big and small to progress their customer data analytics journey; defining, improving or transforming the customer experience and increasing outcomes for the business. Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence will be critical ways of business success over the next 10-20 years, and will transform industry, so it's a very exciting industry to be part of. Before starting Station10, David worked for over 14 years at multiple digital agencies including Syzygy and Conchango; so, he has over 25 years' experience in Customer Analytics. David looks forward to discussing with students why data is a great industry to consider a career in and why doing what you love is the most important thing!

Rory Gullan (OMT, 2003) Architecture, McGill University, Montreal;

Glasgow School of Ar t Photographer & Director

Rory started his work in photography while studying Architecture and has since built up a large regular international client base and strong reputation with his photography studio, Studio Rogue. He has consulted on studio quality control, logistics and workflow, been a guest speaker and participated in panel discussions and Q&A sessions. He is also a Cancer Research UK ambassador. Studio Rogue is a leading production and fashion photography studio producing creative and e-commerce photography and video for start-up, luxury brands, and everything in between. They mainly focus on fashion photography in its various forms but are not limited to this; they’ve shot documentary footage up mountains, have extensive experience with drinks and lifestyle brands, and created artwork for a major hotel project in the U.S. Rory is looking forward to reassuring students that it is ok to not know what you want to do yet and encouraging them to work towards opportunities before they exist.

Viral Kantaria (OMT, 2005) English & Spanish, University of Leeds Chief of Staff to the NHS Chief Operating Officer, NHS England

After undertaking an MA at the University of York, Viral entered a tumultuous job market in 2010 in the shadow of the global financial crisis, choosing to join the civil service. Since 2016 he has worked for NHS England, the national headquarters of the NHS, setting policy and strategy, managing stakeholders and partnerships, and securing and overseeing the allocation of major budgets to deliver major improvements in mental healthcare, including £1bn to increase access to high-quality care in the community for people with severe mental health problems. After a six-month secondment as a Programme Director in East London implementing this transformation locally, he took a six-month career break to travel around the world with his now-wife. He is currently Chief of Staff to the NHS England Chief Operating Officer, Sir David Sloman, who oversees all operational performance and improvement in the NHS, leads the national response to Covid-19 and other major incidents, and is driving the reform of regional and local delivery mechanisms during the most challenging period in the 75-year history of the NHS. Viral looks forward to discussing transferable skills with students and how to apply humanities competencies flexibly.

Philip Kelvin (OMT, 2011) History, Durham University Co-Founder & CEO at Tranch, B2B buy now pay later platform

Philip started his career at Rothschild & Co. in Financial Services M&A before heading back to do some more history reading for an MPhil in Early Modern History at St John’s College, Cambridge. He then returned to the corporate world at Bain & Co. as a Consultant across financial services, consumer, tech and private equity. He joined the start-up world as CFO at Trussle, a digital mortgage platform, before co-founding Tranch in September 2021 based out of New York and London. Tranch is a B2B buy now pay later (BNPL) platform enabling SaaS and services providers to be paid upfront and offer their customers flexible payment options.

Connor Keschari-Robson (OMT, 2018) Politics, University of Warwick Policy Advisor in Civil Service Fast Stream

Connor left MTS in 2018. He studied Politics at Warwick University, graduating in 2021. Connor is currently enrolled in the Civil Service Fast Stream as a Policy Advisor.

Akshay Kothari (OMT, 2018) Geography, University of Oxford Analyst with Management Consultancy firm, Baringa

Following an internship, Akshay joined Baringa, a management consultancy firm with a focus on energy and resources. He is thrilled to be an Analyst in the Energy Resources team, providing advice to help clients thrive in the face of climate uncertainty. He has only been with the firm for 6 months but has already learnt a lot about both the corporate environment and the industry itself.

Savannah Laurent (Friend of the school) Philosophy, University of Warwick Barrister at Field Cour t Chambers

After university, Savannah went on to take the law conversion course (GDL) and Bar Professional Training Course (now BTC) at the University of Law. Savannah is a self-employed barrister, who works in family and property law, and in the Court of Protection. She looks forward to discussing with students how to go about choosing between becoming a barrister or solicitor.

Rew Lowe (Friend of the school) English Language & Related Literature, University of York Senior Lecturer in Acting, Comedy & Theatre-making at Bath Spa University and Director of own theatre company

Rew’s ‘relaxed’ timetable at university enabled him to spend most of his time in the university theatre, performing in and/or staging shows (often alongside Mr Hilton Dennis!) After some time abroad, Rew trained as a secondary school teacher at Cambridge University and taught English and Drama in several schools. He then moved to France to train as an actor, clown and theatre-maker at L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier, the theatre school that spawned the likes of Theatre de Complicite, Sacha Baron Cohen, Roberto Benini, Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter. He worked with a wide range of companies as a freelance actor-musician and theatre-maker. Rew starred in two BAFTA-award-winning children’s TV series (‘Grandpa In My Pocket’ & ‘The Ha Ha Hairies’) and created new works for small-medium scale international touring companies, playing in Iran, Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway, Canada and The Edinburgh Festival. In 2016 Rew was appointed Senior Lecturer in Acting, Comedy & Theatre-making at Bath Spa University. He uses the long summers to perform and direct with his theatre company, The Last Hurrah, as well as coordinating and performing in large-scale interactive outdoor theatrical events in England and abroad.

Sarah Lowry (Parent ) Medieval History, University of St Andrews Museum Curator

Sarah has worked in the museum sector for 20 years, mainly specialising in spoken history projects which involved interviewing people about their lives and archiving the recordings for future researchers. She has curated many audio-visual exhibitions at London venues including the Foundling Museum, the Museum of London and the Royal College of Physicians. Sarah also works in a freelance capacity for the British Library in their National Life Stories team. She looks forward to discussing with students the wide range of opportunities that exist in the museum sector.

Dominic Mac (Parent ) Politics & German, University of Southampton Par tner & Chief Technology Officer at PwC

Dominic has over two decades of experience in developing technology service offerings and propositions for global banking and capital market clients. He led the European and Asian managed services division at IBM and is now Chief Technology Officer at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). Dominic leads the technology function called Operate Digital and is responsible for weaving all things Tech into the culture and DNA of PwC. He is looking forward to discussing with students the reasons for choosing PwC as a future employer.

Grace Mac (Parent ) History, University of London; MSc in Information Systems Global Head of Knowledge Systems at Clifford Chance

Early in her career Grace joined KPMG where she had a variety of roles, including establishing the role of Global Head of Research. Since 2019, she has been employed by Clifford Chance (a “Magic Circle” law firm) as Global Head of Knowledge Systems. This role is particularly rewarding (and challenging) as the legal industry responds to changes brought about by new and emerging technologies.

Zakiy Manji (OMT, 2010) Modern and Medieval Languages, University of Oxford Director of Parliamentary Relations at BAE Systems

Zakiy began his career as a researcher in Parliament and worked across a number of political campaigns. Zakiy moved on to work in the international development and security sector, first as a consultant to the UK Home Office, and then at a boutique strategic communications agency, where he was Head of Government and External Relations; he worked across a range of themes, including counter-terrorism, counter violent extremism, and counter-disinformation. In March 2021 Zakiy joined BAE Systems and is currently Director of Parliamentary Relations. He is the primary point of contact for Parliamentarians on all issues related to constituency sites, Defence matters, and anything else our Parliamentary stakeholders may require.

Alastair Mucklow (Friend of the school) English Literature, University of York Senior Software Development Lead at Dotdigital

At school Alastair was good at books and reading. His A-Levels were English, History and Latin. After graduating from the University of York, he embarked on a career in book publishing. Alastair then discovered code and databases. 20 years after graduation, he is now a Development Lead at Dotdigital.

Mark Nathan (OMT, 2011)

History, University of Bristol

Senior Legal Counsel at BBC Studios

After studying History, Nathan undertook a law conversion course (GDL) in London. He went on to a 2-year training contract in the City at Osborne Clarke. Following qualification, Mark moved in-house as a media and entertainment lawyer, first at Filmbankmedia (subsidiary of Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures) and in June 2022 he moved to BBC Studios where he is Senior Legal Counsel – Global Distribution. Mark has told us that he looks forward to discussing with MTS students the benefits of an Arts degree both for career opportunity and academic and personal enjoyment.

Kay Patel (Parent ) Law with Legal Practice Management, Aston University Practicing Solicitor and Principal of Law Firm Beyond Wills Solicitors

Kay attended the “best law school in London” BPP, went onto a Training Contract with a large regional firm, qualified and never stopped from there! Kay now owns a law firm, Beyond Wills Solicitors. She looks forward to discussing careers in Law with students. She is happy to talk about the new path into the career that graduates can do without a law degree – the new SQE.

David Robinson (OMT, 2012) English Language & Literature, Kings College London English Teacher at Merchant Taylors’ School

David joined Merchant Taylors’ School as an English teacher in 2018. He looks forward to sharing a table at the careers fair marketplace with Selvan Senthilkumaran, an OMT who has embarked on the Teach First programme. He is happy to speak to students about routes into teaching and the teaching profession.

Jamie Roston (OMT, 2013) History, University of Nottingham Account Director at Droga5 (Adver tising)

Jamie has been working in advertising for over 4 years. He started at M&C Saatchi on their graduate scheme, working across clients such as GambleAware, Coca-Cola, LNER, NHS & Royal Mail. He is now an Account Director at Droga5 leading work across Chase, Philips and Persil. Jamie has a wide understanding of careers within Advertising and the creative industry sector as a whole.

David Ruther ford (OMT, 2002) European Politics, University of Leeds Global Digital Sponsorship Activation Manager at Castrol

During his career, David has become a specialist in brand marketing, working both in-house and agency side for some of the biggest brands in the UK and globally, e.g. EE and Virgin Media. In 2022 David joined Castrol as Global Digital Sponsorship Activation Manager.

Doron Salomon (OMT, 2007) Geography, University of Nottingham Head of Football Operations at CAA Base

Doron is fortunate to work in professional football for one of the world's largest and most successful agencies representing c. 650 professional players and managers. Doron joined CAA Base in 2015 as Digital Media Manager, going on to become Business Operations Manager and he is now Head of Football Operations. In Doron’s own words, “I was never top of the class at school or university, but I think I made some good educational and career choices that enabled me to do something I love. Please feel free to ask me anything!”

Ben Seabrook (OMT, 2015) English Language, The University of Edinburgh Customer Experience Planning Lead at British Airways

Upon graduating in 2019, Ben joined British Airways on the Future Leaders Graduate Scheme, a rotational programme that allows you to work in a variety of areas across the business. His current role is Customer Experience Planning Lead.

James Schofield (OMT, 1999) Classics, Durham University Director of Operations at Peel Hunt LLP Investment Bank

James is a Chartered Management Accountant and has worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and HSBC in various roles within the financial, accounting and reporting functions. James joined Peel Hunt, a leading specialist in UK investment banking, in 2015 to establish the Business Management function and in 2022 he became Director of Operations, overseeing functions including treasury, trade management & settlement, business management and procurement. James looks forward to discussing accountancy routes with students as well as investment banking/financial services.

Selvan Senthilkumaran (OMT, 2018) Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE), University of Warwick Teach First (Maths Teacher)

Selvan has recently begun a 2-year graduate programme with Teach First as a Maths Teacher. In his own words… ‘Aged 16, the last career I thought I’d find myself in was teaching. But, having asked myself some difficult questions, I am confident it was the best decision I could have made’. Selvan looks forward to discussing with students what Teach First is all about.

Zain Siddiqi (OMT, 2017) History, LSE Content Strategy Manager at a large bank

Zain started his career in management consultancy during university, and joined a large bank on their graduate scheme in 2020 as Cyber Security Analyst. Zain’s role is now as a Content Strategy Manager, embracing a new area within Technology having spent two years in Cyber Security. He looks forward to discussing with students how they can study a Humanities degree (like History) and still get a job withing the financial world, notably within Technology – an Economics/Maths background is not a must!

Philip Simon (OMT, 1997) Acting, Guildford School of Acting Professional Actor and Comedian

Philip started his career as an actor before moving into comedy in 2011 and has been entertaining audiences around the world ever since! During lockdown, Philip created the hit children’s comedy show School's Out Comedy Club. He has been seen/heard on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and BBC Radio 4 as part of the BBC New Comedy Award. He has written for ‘Mock the Week’ and is one half of the co-hosts for comedy podcast Jew Talkin’ To Me? Philip was WINNER of the Best Kids’ Show at the Morecambe Fringe 2022 and Leicester Comedy Festival Best Kids’ Show Nominee 2021. “Philip Simon is never less than hilarious” (The Stage), “With Philip Simon as compere comedy is guaranteed” (The Jewish Chronicle), “Solid, strong stand-up. A Comedy Store act...definitely one to be reckoned with” (Hils Jago, Amused Moose)

Max Sobell (OMT, 2010) Politics & American Studies, University of Nottingham Head of Campaign Strategy at LEGO

Since graduating in 2014, Max has worked across a number of industries, specialising in marketing and digital transformation. He currently heads up the campaign strategy team at LEGO, aiming to maximise the retention of customers by delivering relevant and timely content.

Chris White (OMT, 2002) History, University of Cambridge Co-Head, Advocacy at SEC Newgate UK

Chris leads SEC Newgate's Public Affairs team, providing strategic counsel to clients in a number of highly regulated sectors, including financial services, infrastructure and transport. He was recognised by his peers at the Public Affairs Awards in 2016 by winning the Consultant of the Year Award, and in 2017 for leading the best public affairs campaign. Before joining SEC Newgate, Chris spent six years as a Special Adviser to Conservative Cabinet Ministers William Hague, Andrew Lansley and Patrick McLoughlin in both the Leader of the Commons and Government Chief Whips’ offices between 2009 and 2015. He was responsible for managing and planning the government’s legislative programme, providing expert parliamentary and political advice to Downing Street and Cabinet Ministers. He was also the Policy Adviser on the Devolution Cabinet Committee chaired by William Hague after the Scottish Referendum, advising on the constitutional settlement of the United Kingdom and on city deals in England. Chris began his career by working in the House of Commons in 2005 for two Conservative MPs. He is also a former Chairman of a Conservative Constituency Association, and organised and ran several political campaigns for local council, Mayoral, and general elections.