I&S Inspires - Richard Duncalf OBE

Very inspirational - it taught me that patience is key in life.

- student attendee

‘I&S Inspires’ is our ongoing series of talks featuring different motivational speakers. The aim of the series is to peel back the curtain behind some of the top career pathways. Previous guests have included BBC journalist Gabriel Gatehouse, former civil servant Simon McDonald, Status Quo bass player John "Rhino" Edwards and, most recently, entrepreneur and CEO Luke Consiglio. We believe it is very important to offer our students unique opportunities to hear a range of different voices.

Our latest guest was Richard Duncalf OBE. Across an exciting 40-year career, Richard has worked in creative finance, corporate investment, national politics, and diversity and inclusion, as well as spending time as a magistrate. He came to school full of stories as he spoke to Year 10 and Year 12 business and economics students for just under an hour. Richard's talk was superb, discussing with students about success is not always linear, and how opportunities may not always be explicit but should always be acted on with enthusiasm and professionalism. He promoted public service and linked it to becoming a well-rounded person - as it gives young people the chance to see the world in a more informed way. At the end of his talk, he answered questions from students about the current corporate world and gave his predictions for that sector going forward. 

This was a fascinating session from both a careers and personal development perspective, and our students were extremely engaged. Student feedback was excellent, with one student describing how the talk "gave us valuable advice and it inspired us to find our future jobs."