“One of my friends was stabbed and killed. I didn’t want to be just another statistic. I thought ‘there’s more to life than this’.”
Growing up on a London council estate, Ken Kittoe didn’t imagine he’d one day be embarking on a career in financial services.
He’d been raised by immigrant parents from Ghana and spent his childhood and teenage years hanging out on the streets with friends.
But it was the death of his friend from a brutal stabbing that made him want to forge a better future for himself.
Now a Diversity and Inclusion Manager for AXA, Ken is hoping his story will inspire companies to level the playing field for people from working class backgrounds.
Ken grew up in a supportive home but family finances were tight and Ken wanted to make his mother proud after her upheaval from Ghana to the UK.
The Apprentice
When Ken’s friend was killed, Ken decided to focus on going to university and embarking on a career.
It was a visit to his school by former winner of BBC’s The Apprentice that inspired him.
He said: “One of my friends was stabbed and killed. I didn’t want to be just another statistic. I thought ‘there’s more to life than this’.
“When Tim Campbell from The Apprentice came to my school, I could see someone who looked like me, wearing a suit and succeeding in his career and I thought ‘I could do that too.”
So Ken set about securing a university place to study law. But it wasn’t plain sailing. Due to the costs associated with postgraduate law and with three siblings to consider, Ken was unable to continue with his professional qualification. He said: “I couldn’t ask my parents for £12,000 to do the LPC [Legal Practice Course] because the money wasn’t there.”
Honest conversation
He joined a recruitment company, being promoted to Manager level before realising his passion lay in diversity, equity and inclusion.
He said: “It was around the time of the George Floyd murder. I remember looking on social media and just seeing people who looked like me being killed. It was very overwhelming.
“So I emailed HR and asked about the company’s stance on racial equality in the workplace. Out of the blue, the CEO called me and we had a really honest conversation. She said: ‘I don’t know how it feels to live as a black man, so we need to speak about it’.
“Those words will stick with me for ever. I had lived my whole life thinking we all know each others’ struggles and challenges, but that’s not true. It really changed my perspective.”
Imposter syndrome
From there, Ken shared his personal story and eventually set up the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Forum which grew, with diversity and inclusion networks across the country.
Ken said: “I realised I wanted to progress my career. My parents came to this country with a strong work ethic and I felt I needed to pay back. I needed to make sure their sacrifice was worth it I didn’t want to be a token black guy – I wanted to make a difference.”
This drive led Ken to AXA. He said: “I suffered with imposter syndrome, like so many people from backgrounds like mine. I wondered whether I was good enough and whether the company would take a punt on me.
“I discovered that AXA was an organisation that really cares. They acknowledged that they weren’t perfect when it came to diversity, equity and inclusion and were putting procedures in place which would enable them to be better next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.”
Invisible barriers
Ken now works to create a culture of belonging at AXA, recognising through his own experience that people face different barriers along their career journey and they need a company that is supportive and values talent regardless of background.
Ken said: “Until we get to a position where organisations are completely reflective of society, there will always be barriers. You can’t see the invisible barriers or the rooms you’re not being let into but that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself.
“I want to get to Director or C-suite level because I want to use my influence to give other people opportunities. There are so many statistics to show that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds don’t progress as quickly as their peers. It’s time to level the playing field.”
Ken’s advice for companies:
- Change your processes and policies, don’t try and change people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to fit in. You’re stifling people with that mindset and won’t be able to tap into their true potential
- Set a strategy as to how you’re aiming to boost social mobility within your organisation. What gets measured gets done, so set measures of success and review regularly
- Take your organisation on a social mobility journey, it doesn’t happen overnight but storytelling from senior leaders who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds really helps to inspire the next generation of leaders and also sends out a powerful message across the organisation that your start in life shouldn’t determine where you end up in the workplace
Ken’s advice for colleagues from lower socio-economic backgrounds:
- Stay authentically yourself. Changing your accent, pretending to have interests that aren’t your own, softening your personality etc are all draining and are stopping your from reaching your full potential. So embrace who you are completely and focus on being the best possible version of that person
- Keep a growth mindset. Every day is a new opportunity to learn, I learn so much from my colleagues, peers and manager and these are people I look up to so it makes sense to take things from them and add to my skillset
- Put your hand up for opportunities. You may feel like you aren’t qualified or you haven’t “done it before” whether that’s leading on a project or running an event but you’ll surprise yourself with your ability to learn on the job and you never know what other opportunities will come out of that
