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The Engagement Appeal x Julia Foo and Jaime Tham: On Diversity and Representation in Corporate Governance

The meeting point of art and commerce is ever-changing and hard to define. What place does art have in the world of finance? How can young, savvy individuals learn to secure their footing in the world of work through smart investment? What advice do successful entrepreneurs have for the youth of today about finance, culture, and belief in the self? These are all questions ‘Art and the City’ seeks to answer, by interviewing some of the brightest and boldest minds in both the art world and the city.

In this week’s episode we feature our first ever double interview, comprised of the co-founders of the Asian Corporate Governance Network (ACGN), Julia Foo and Jaime Tham. Both Julia and Jaime have long-term experience working in the company secretary domain, with a combined history that includes an impressive range of companies such as: Sainsbury’s, Kier Group, Centrica, Tate and Lyle, and Halma. We speak with them today about climbing business ladders whilst maintaining your passions, and also creating community.

Both Julia and Jaime started out by studying law, but quickly moved into corporate governance, specifically the role of company secretary, where they realised the potential diversity of the job. They both advocate for taking risks in your career, as Jaime adds “no career is linear, I was advised to take jobs with lots of projects, transactions, or with lots to do, because that is when you will learn to be challenged”.

Julia and Jaime have also both been involved in setting up the Asian Corporate Governance Network (ACGN). Julia explains that she wanted to “address some of the issues around representation in corporate governance leadership roles in the UK”, particularly after she reveals “in 20 plus years of my governance career, I have never had a mentor that looked like me, and I think it is important to be what you want to see”.

Speaking about the future of the network, both Jaime and Julia agree that they want to use it as a way of building community and visibility for Asian people working in the same sector as them, and add that this has so far been an overwhelmingly “heart-warming experience”.

To listen to the podcast and hear more about ACGN: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mGkdpgZPPVHipWFDb6pXu?si=3c6c2dbb15cd4339

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