Kanan Barot

Kanan started as a graduate trainee at Barclays Bank and some years in, answering a call for a French-speaker to help out on a project in Paris, found her metier! Being naturally bossy and organising, with a keen eye for detail, project management was a natural fit. Thus began a long career in the City, managing large change programmes for international financial services organisations, including LIFFE, the NYSE, and the InterContinental Exchange, software solutions vendor Omgeo, the London Clearing House and various banks, working as a freelance consultant since 2004. Along the way, an affinity for numbers and a fondness for tax regulation lead to a qualification as a Corporate Treasurer, which she put to good use working as deputy Treasurer at Richemont, the holding group for luxury goods companies such as Cartier and Mont Blanc – yes there IS a handbag in the closet and a pen set in the drawer!

Answering another request to join a team got Kanan involved in her second career in academia, starting as a Visiting Lecturer in business and consulting skills at City University’s Business School, progressing to Module Leader. Wanting always to be fully qualified in whatever she does, Kanan is also completing a Master's degree in Academic Practice and, still retaining that liking for organising things around her, applied for and has recently been appointed to a role with the senior leadership team for City University as AVP for Civic Engagement.

Kanan has a keen interest in all things ‘society’, being engaged in a number of pro-bono initiatives to support charities and local community groups, not least the Southside Theatre Company, for which she has been Treasurer, directed shows, and acted in a range of roles for over 30 years.