In April 2023, RX announced our partnership with BYP (Black Young Professionals) Network, a business community dedicated to advancing the careers of Black professionals. We find out what it means for Black professionals working or interested in the events industry and hear from RXers who have been inspired to support and attend recent BYP events.

RX’s partnership with BYP is the latest demonstration of our on-going commitment to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of our workforce over time, building on two years of focused Inclusion and Diversity work at RX.

BYP Network was created in 2016 by GB athlete and BSc Economics graduate Kike Oniwinde Agora to connect Black professionals and students from all over the world for role model visibility, career opportunities and business support. While Kike was afforded many opportunities during the start of her career journey, she became aware that there wasn’t much Black representation outside of sports and entertainment. She was motivated to build an empowering platform that works with corporate partners to diversify talent acquisition and drive positive change across all industries.

Today, BYP facilitates networking, mentoring, up-skilling, and employment for 150,000+ community members in over 20 countries, through 1,000+ organizations, with focus areas including the UK, USA, and across Africa. Their members comprise a full range of experience levels, from graduates and those seeking apprenticeships, to junior, mid, and senior level professionals.

“BYP’s members have interests across a multitude of industries and roles, and a large proportion of them are looking for a new job or a career change" explained Ray Rhodes, RX’s Head of Inclusion & Diversity. "Our partnership means that we will be able to promote the events industry and our open job positions directly on the BYP website. We can also interact with members via BYP newsletters and a regular program of online and in-person events throughout the year. In turn, BYP members are invited to view our company profile to learn more about RX and the events industry. They can also access our job postings, giving us exposure to Black talent from across the globe, increasing Black and minoritized ethnic representation at RX.”

Opportunities in events

Raising awareness of the career opportunities available within RX and across the events industry is the first step to attracting more Black talent. Which is why, on 22 September 2023, RX joined other leading corporations, including KPMG, Bank of America, UBS and Unilever, in sponsoring the annual BYP Careers Fest, a free to attend event taking place at the Business Design Centre in London. Combining live talks, CV workshops, and networking sessions with hiring managers, along with company booths, the Careers Fest plays a crucial role in supporting and empowering Black students and professionals, addressing the unique challenges they face in today’s competitive job market.

Esther Asante, Content and Community Executive for in-cosmetic Global, was among several RXers on our stand to welcome attendees to the wonderful world of events. “I was immediately interested in taking part as I not only take pride in my role here at RX but also feel it is important to help encourage diversity whenever possible” said Esther, who joined RX in 2022. “I was able to network and inform others about RX and what we do. It was wonderful to be able to discuss my day-to-day role whilst also raising awareness about the type of company we are and our commitment to creating a diverse working environment.”

Careers Fest was an “amazing” experience, agreed UK HR Director, Kevin O’Donoghue. “We met many highly engaged and interested people from the Black community and I was hugely excited by the talent, energy, and enthusiasm throughout the event. We had over 100 leads that we have begun to follow up on, either for specific vacancies, or people interested in roles we may have coming up in the future.”

“Be prepared to pivot”

Diversity and inclusion are critical to unlocking the full potential of businesses and society as a whole. However Black individuals continue to encounter significant barriers in their career advancement. According to Fortune, only six Black professionals hold CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies, and only four percent of senior leaders at large companies are Black, highlighting the need for targeted support and opportunities.

As a Silver Sponsor at this year’s annual BYP London Leadership Conference on 5 October, RX presented a panel session entitled: Roadblocks, Twists and Turns – Designing and Navigating your Professional Pathway. During the informative, engaging and fun session, chaired by RX Chief Digital Officer Gaby Appleton, three senior RX leaders shared their stories, offering practical strategies and insights into how they have navigated their professional journeys.

Des Massicott, Chief Information Security Officer, Jeffrey Asare-Boamah, Global Director of Product Analytics, and Milton Montaque, Senior Director of Innovation and Development all agreed that the pathway to your dream role is rarely direct, and that you should be prepared to embrace change, seek out opportunities for professional growth, and be prepared to take a risk and pivot to something new if things are not challenging you.

Reflecting on his participation Jeffrey Asare-Boamah said: “The opportunity to share my journey to becoming the person I am now, and the career position that I have attained, was important to me. I recognised that the audience was likely to be full of people who have had similar early pathways as me and I hoped my story would resonate and inspire somebody in the audience.”

For Des Massicott, “being surrounded by the younger generation of Black professionals who wanted to connect and hear more of my insights was truly humbling. I took away many valuable insights and experiences from the event including feeling inspired and empowered by the positive and supportive atmosphere of the conference. I also expanded my own network and connected with potential mentees, collaborators and employers who can support my community’s growth and opportunities.”

Mentorship and more

As members of BYP, RXers are also able to join a community of thousands of mentors and allies who give back, enabling students and other professionals to contact them for guidance and advice.

“Later this year we will be launching our mentorship program with BYP, whereby BYP will find mentees from their network, five from the US and five from the UK, and we will match them with RX mentors for a 6-month mentorship program,” said Ray Rhodes.

RX is also exploring opportunities to invite BYP Network to our events to help expand their network in the US and South Africa, and our US employees will be invited to attend the NYC Leadership Summit in the Spring of 2024.