On Monday 2nd February, we were delighted to welcome back Obe Ejikeme (Phillips ’99) as part of our Sixth Form Inspirational Speakers Programme. His talk, “Working in Big Finance” – The Reality of Careers, Competition & Wealth: Why Starting Early Changes Everything,” offered students an honest and motivating insight into life in the financial sector.

Obe is now a Fund Manager within the Global Equities team at Carmignac. After beginning his career at FactSet Research Systems, he went on to spend seven years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he became Head of European Equity and Quantitative Strategy. A Computer Science graduate of the University of Hull, Obe’s journey reflects the value of strong technical foundations and long-term focus.

While he spoke about working in finance and investment, his message went far beyond job titles. He encouraged students to think seriously about employability and financial security from an early stage. One of his key pieces of advice was:

“Have a CV, but build up your knowledge and influence so that your reputation becomes far more important.”

Many students stayed behind after the talk to ask questions and seek further advice - a testament to how engaging and relevant his message was.

We are very grateful to Obe for returning to deliver such an important and inspirational talk. 

If you are interested in supporting our Inspirational Speakers Programme, we would love to hear from you, please email development@ags.bucks.sch.uk.