Meet Tosin.

He’s a technology graduate within the chief technology office, having recently moved from the consumer banking payments unit. Despite being a newcomer, he’s got big goals for his career and for our business. From supporting those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, to driving forward citizenship events and sustainability, he’s determined to make a positive impact. 

Finding belonging.

Tosin was looking to launch his early career, but he also wanted to move closer to his family in Radbroke. Barclays recognised his talent and provided support every step of the way of the relocation process. A campus-like environment, he was granted access to healthy food, a gym membership, green areas, including a beehive, and farmhouse. Right from the start, the resources and support available set Barclays apart from other organisations.

“Everybody's very supportive. If you don't know something, they are always there to teach you.”

Beyond the facilities, he was nervous about working with a new team, especially given that his background was in consulting and non-profit, not finance and technology. But through the graduate programme, he was not only welcomed into an inclusive culture in which everyone was happy to help, but he received the guidance of a mentor, while having access to learning tools like Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning, all paid for by Barclays. 

“You have unlimited opportunities for you to grow.”

Immediately, Tosin was impressed by Barclays’ internal mobility. This was essential for his early career – if you don’t have opportunities to explore and experiment, how can you make an informed decision about the future of your career? For this reason, his teammates encouraged him to move about departments and shadow a diverse range of colleagues. This enabled him to build a well-rounded skill-set, while discovering his strengths and interests. 

Empowered to take on new challenges.  

Before long, he was doing more than shadowing – he was empowered to collaborate with colleagues from different areas of business, offering his unique perspective and expertise. From there, his hard-work was rewarded, and he was given more opportunities to take on exciting challenges and responsibilities. 

One of the most meaningful projects he was part of was leveraging technology to drive sustainability; from implementing sustainable solutions at scale, to decarbonising operations; reducing the global carbon footprint; and helping Barclays’ Green initiative to achieve their sustainability goals.

 “The Barclays Advance programme is something I'm extremely passionate about.”

Nowadays, he has big ambitions to get into a management role, whilst also supporting others through volunteering at our Advance programme. Designed for talented people like Tosin from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, it provides opportunities to develop skills, expand networks, and further careers. For him, Barclays has been the perfect place to make a positive impact. As he says, “if I work for Barclays for 50 years, I'm going to volunteer every single year.”