How Flex CoSec helped Ejiroghene launch her career at Natwest

Meet Ejiroghene Jessah, a Flex CoSec trainee currently placed at NatWest, where she's quickly made her mark through impactful, high-level governance work.

With a background in law and a passion for business ethics sparked by her undergraduate dissertation on the collapse of Carillion, Ejiroghene has carved out a purposeful career path in corporate governance. Her placement has given her early exposure to board committees, stakeholder engagement, and strategic policy work.

Through Flex’s Readiness Programme and continued mentorship, she’s grown in confidence and capability, laying strong foundations for her goal of becoming a company secretary in the financial sector.

What did your personal journey into the area of governance look like?

I discovered corporate governance as a career prospect during the final year of my LLB undergraduate at the University of Kent. During this time, I had the opportunity to write a dissertation on the collapse of Carillon PLC, a poorly-managed UK construction company. As part of my thesis, I explored the specific causes of what went wrong with a keen focus on the role of the board of directors.

My research allowed me to question, “in whose interests should a company serve” which led me to undertake further studies at Queen Mary University London. During my masters’ programme at Queen Mary, I developed a specific interest in business ethics, governance and policy frameworks which I have continued to explore throughout my professional career.

Do you feel this career path is accessible enough for aspiring professionals?

I think more could be done to publicise corporate governance as a career path. While studying at university, the focus was mainly on the two well-known routes of becoming either a solicitor or a barrister. I knew I loved company law, business and governance and I feel that more awareness during my studies about what career I could pursue outside of being a solicitor would have been beneficial.

I have been so motivated by this career path that I have also found myself discussing the corporate governance career path with other friends who have studied law - my contribution to increasing awareness and access to the profession.

Can you talk to us about the kind of work you’ve been doing at Natwest, and what the highlights of your placement have been?

I would first like to mention how great my first six months have been at NatWest. I have spent my first seat with the NatWest Markets secretariat team, where I have undertaken a range of work spanning from the development of an updated NatWest Markets Diversity & Inclusion Policy, onboarding of new non-executive directors including their induction plans, and acting as the company secretary for committee meetings.

I have found that no two days are the same in my role. The range and breadth of work is high-level and varied, which is something I value. I have also found that I quickly became a trusted colleague which made me feel like a valued member of the team.

The highlight of my placement has been my colleagues. I have shadowed such experienced and passionate corporate governance professionals who have entrusted me with high-level work which is helping me develop professionally. I’ve also been encouraged to build my professional network which will help my career in the long term.

Another highlight has been receiving great feedback from the committee Chair on my first set of minutes. Despite only being a few months into the role, I was asked to support the meeting and the feedback has given me more confidence to engage with senior C-Suite colleagues and stakeholders. I was then offered a further opportunity to act as interim company secretary for another committee meeting. I would use this opportunity to encourage current and future co-secs on the programme to consistently remain engaged, proactive and inquisitive, as you never know what opportunities may develop throughout your role.

How has Flex supported you through this programme? And how has this opportunity supported you with your long-term career goals?

Flex has been a great support in boosting my confidence in the programme. Before undertaking the Flex CoSec programme, I was nervous about entering a new industry as I had so many preconceived ideas about financial services.

By providing the robust Readiness Programme, Flex provided several opportunities to tailor my soft and technical skills, which put me in good standing to commence my training at NatWest. My NatWest manager and all colleagues have been impressed with the skills and prep that Flex provided, particularly the financial presentation on the company’s annual report.

I have received regular support through weekly calls with my NatWest manager as well as consistent seat engagement from colleagues.

And finally... Where do you see your career heading in the future following Flex CoSec?

I aspire to complete the qualified Company Secretary programme with the CGI. I would love to continue to work in financial services, particularly Frameworks and Policy - with a particular focus on metrics and diversity data.

I also see myself supporting frameworks and policy development as I have found a particular interest in challenging the metrics and data, particularly in the stretching targets set as part of diversity reporting.

As part of my career development I would like to build upon my specific interests in AI which I have already started developing by joining internal networks and working groups at the Bank.