Founder & CEO of Barrington Hibbert, Associates | Co-Founder of #10000Blackinterns
Recognised as one of the most influential Black British Leaders in the Financial Times, Michael Barrington-Hibbert has over 20 years of experience in the Executive Search industry, and an extensive global track record in primary and secondary banking and markets appointments, both on the sell and buy side.
In 2020, Michael co-founded 10,000 Black interns; an initiative designed to help transform the prospects of young Black people in the United Kingdom by offering paid work experience across a wide range of sectors. The initiative provides training and development opportunities, as well as creating a sustainable cycle of mentorship and sponsorship for the Black community.
Michael is also one of a group of cross-sector leaders from across the financial and professional services industry appointed to the government-backed City of London Corporation Socio-Economic taskforce. The task force seeks to increase socio-economic diversity at the senior level across the UK. Challenging the continued lack of progression for those from non-professional backgrounds, the task force will also explore how this intersects with other facets of diversity including gender, race, and ethnicity. In recognition of his services to promote executive search and diversity within Financial and Professional Services, Michael was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2022.
In an interview with Michael BarringtonHibbert, we discussed a variety of topics, including: the factors of his childhood/young adult years that influenced his interest in aiding young professionals, the changing social climates that continue to create obstacles for minority young professionals today, and what youth orgs can do to counteract these obstacles.
Growing up in inner-city London in a single-parent household during the 80s, there wasn’t a strong “youth-club culture” that provided resources for low socioeconomic families. However, moving to the United States at age 20, Michael became exposed
to Black & Hispanic professional in various fields. His journey from UNC Chapel Hill to Binghamton University in NY cemented his values for education and the power of internships. But many internships were not funded, and therefore created a gap in internship experiences and work opportunities for low income students. This was when the genesis of #10000BlackInterns started.
2020 was a year that be described in one word: chaotic. It was marked by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that killed millions, a lockdown that pushed the global economic to its limits, and the rise of social protests that highlighted the ongoing harsh realities of Black/Brown people everywhere. The murder of George Floyd spurred hundreds of #BlackLivesMatter Worldwide.
Diversity in the working world does not only come from race, but from background as well. The success of initiatives like #10000BlackInterns is “intrinsically linked” to capital and how companies can grow their profits. The obstacles that most
youth orgs continue to face is funding. However, organization like #10000BlackInterns, and youth charities like KORI, face an even more daunting challenge regarding legislation. As governments continue to make a rightward-shift, their work is often equated with Affirmation Action and race-based assistance. The solution is rooted in engaging with public policy and ensuring that underrepresented youths are granted equal value in the professional world.
