London: Finance & Cyber

In the heart of finance and corporate law, figures like Trevor Faure, Afua Kyei, Dr. Sandie Okoro, and Trevor Sterling have stood firm, transforming institutions from the inside. Their influence stretches from courtroom to boardroom, proving that power isn't defined by position, but by purpose. Their journeys illuminate a new standard in leadership, one rooted in integrity, innovation, and inclusion. From Afua’s rise to CFO at the Bank of England to Trevor Sterling becoming the first Black Senior Partner at a UK Top 100 law firm, they show how resilience becomes revolution.

“Aspire not just to climb the ladder, but to be the ladder.” – Trevor Sterling

Legal & General shares in this commitment, championing equity in leadership pipelines and backing inclusive pathways into finance and law.

For more than three centuries, London has been one of the world’s financial capitals. The Bank of England, founded in 1694, and the London Stock Exchange, formalised in 1801, anchored a city where money, risk and trade shaped global power. In the late 20th century, the “Big Bang” reforms of 1986 and the redevelopment of Canary Wharf transformed the Square Mile into the digital, globalised hub we know today.

This prosperity is inseparable from Britain’s colonial past. Wealth from the transatlantic slave economy flowed directly into London’s banks, insurers and investment houses. When slavery was abolished in 1833, the government borrowed an enormous sum of around 40% of annual revenues to compensate slave owners, not the enslaved. Many City merchants and institutions, from the Bank of England to Lloyd’s of London, have since acknowledged their role in sustaining and profiting from slavery.

Black people were not just subjects of financial systems; they were also agents of change. In the 20th and 21st centuries, Black Britons have pushed open the doors of London’s financial and technological elite. Dame Sharon White, born in East London, became the first Black person to hold one of the Treasury’s top posts before leading the national regulator Ofcom. Tom Ilube CBE founded London-based Crossword Cybersecurity after helping to launch Egg, the UK’s first internet bank. Wol Kolade CBE, Ric Lewis, and firms like Impact X Capital represent a new generation of Black investors building wealth and funding innovation.

London is now also a hub for the cybersecurity industry. The UK’s cyber sector generated over £13 billion in annual revenues by 2025, with tens of thousands of jobs clustered around the capital. Yet, despite London’s diversity, Black Londoners make up around 13% of the city’s population. Representation remains unequal: only around 4–5% of the tech workforce is Black, and leadership roles are scarcer still.

This exhibition places finance, insurance and cyber in a historical context: showing how London’s wealth was entangled with slavery, how Black Britons have reshaped the financial and digital worlds, and how struggles over access, equity and recognition continue today. It is a story of exploitation and exclusion, but also of resilience, creativity and leadership.

1690s – Lloyd’s Coffee House in London becomes an insurance hub; heavily financed slavery voyages.

1807 – Abolition of the slave trade; London finance houses pivot to empire-driven commerce.

1948 – Windrush arrivals fill clerical, transport, and NHS roles, opening pathways into London’s economy.

1960s – Black clerks enter City offices, often excluded from trading floors and senior posts.

1986 – “Big Bang” deregulation reshapes finance; new chances for minorities in London’s asset management.

1992 – Bill Morris, Windrush migrant, becomes UK’s first Black trade union leader.

2000s – Black professionals rise in pension governance and actuarial roles, e.g. Marjorie Ngwenya.

2015 – Oz Alashe MBE launches CybSafe, London cyber firm tackling human risk in finance.

2019 – Investment Association publishes “Black Voices” report, exposing under-representation in City firms.

2020 – Lloyd’s of London apologises for slavery ties; pledges £50m to diversity and inclusion.

2021 – #100BlackInterns born in London’s asset management sector; expands UK-wide.

2025 – Dame Sharon White appointed European head of CDPQ, a global pension investor.