Work anniversaries, a new hire, and promoting the Women in Finance Charter
- Eòsaph Macbeth
- May 27
- 4 min read
As May draws to a close and summer approaches, we’re taking the time to celebrate some important staff milestones, mention a new recruit, highlight some useful networking events, and discuss the Women in Finance Charter.
Read on to discover what we’ve been up to at First Enterprise this past month and if we’ve managed to all survive the recent heatwave in a solid state (this writer is still a melted pool).
Fancy a career at First Enterprise? Join new recruits like Zainab in helping SMEs succeed
Zainab recently joined us as our latest Investment Manager. She brings to our non-profit, seven years of experience working with NatWest’s Business Loan clients. Intelligent, driven, and passionate about helping women and underserved communities thrive, Zainab fits right in at First Enterprise.
When she’s not busy assisting clients with their loan applications, she’s finding escape in Fantasy and Science Fiction, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings being two of her favourites, and spending time with her adorable cat, Yoda.
Zainab said of her time at First Enterprise so far: “Moving into a completely new environment initially felt quite daunting. However, everyone has made me feel incredibly welcome, supported, and valued. I already feel like I’ve known the team for a long time. I’m really excited to see the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as I continue settling into the role.”
We’re glad to have her on the team. We’re sure she’ll help many brilliant businesses thrive.
We work hard to create a positive workspace; anniversaries and milestones are a reason to celebrate
First Enterprise is a people first business. We put the human element of work processes, decision making, and interactions front and centre. And human beings aren’t machines, they need care, reassurance, and flexibility.
It’s why we work so hard to build a positive work environment with hybrid or fully remote working arrangements, an accepting work culture when it comes to illness or mental health issues, childcare flexibility, and a wide range of company perks.
We also take the time to celebrate our long-serving, much-valued staff, especially when they hit those important work anniversary milestones. This month, we’d like to celebrate:
Mahdi Ahmad (1 year)
Andy Lee (1 year)
Lottie Naylor (2 years)
James Minott (3 years)
Inderpal Singh (3 years)
Darshak Dharod (3 years)
Vimple Bhundia (7 years).
Our Deputy Director, Danielle Davis, praised the team, saying: “Having a team full of people who’ve dedicated multiple years to making this business work and serving our client’s needs makes me so proud. They’ve each been excellent additions, and here’s to many years more.”
Our Executive Director, Daniel Carrico, said: “In the past few years, First Enterprise has grown significantly, helping many new and existing businesses across the UK gain access to funding. That has come off the back of our incredible team’s hard work and focus. It’s encouraging to see so many of them hit major milestones with us over the past month.”
If you’re interested in a career at First Enterprise, why not review our careers for any open vacancies? If you think you’d be a good fit, send over your CV. Who knows? You might be celebrating a milestone with us one day soon.
A busy events calendar leaves plenty of opportunities to network and gain valuable business insights
In May, we attended several incredible events including the Woman Who Live & Achieves Awards and the British Business Bank (BBB)’s Black Business Access to Finance seminar. They were wonderful networking opportunities that helped promote and serve two underrepresented demographics.
In June, you should keep your eye out for the:
NatWest Accelerator Workshop in Oxford (June 3rd) designed to help business owners understand the funding landscape and explore their growth needs
East Midlands Tech Week’s Momentum Valley Investment Show in Derby (June 15th) bringing together investors and business owners at an event led by Loughborough University
Ladies Who Launch 2026 London Summit (June 29th), supporting women in business across the UK.
If you’d like to learn more about any of the events we’ve mentioned, please get in touch.
The Women in Finance Charter is helping to bring balance and fairness to the workplace
First Enterprise is proud to be a signatory to HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter, supporting the ambition to improve gender balance across the financial services sector.
The Charter is a commitment by organisations to take practical steps to increase the representation of women in senior roles and to create a more inclusive and equitable industry.
As of 2026, only 18% of UK companies are led by women, while across all managerial positions, women hold 41% of roles compared to 59% by men.
The gender pay gap in the financial services sector is slowly shrinking, but as of 2026 still remains at nearly 30% for salaries and is even larger at nearly 40% for bonuses.
At First Enterprise, we’re committed to working towards solving these systemic problems and creating a more balanced workplace.
Read more: Women in Finance Charter
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