Steven Cooper: “If the passion is there, you can channel that energy”

Steven Cooper is CEO of Hoare’s bank, a role he took on after spending over 30 years at Barclays. He’s spent time living and working in Africa and India, holds a number of non-executive roles, and is a commissioner on the UK’s Social Mobility Commission. Passionate about advancing the agenda, Steven took the role at the Commission because he wants to pay forward the support he received from the people who were willing to give him a chance. Coming from a working class background, his success came as a result of the opportunities he received from people who spotted his talent, allowing him to excel far beyond the levels he’d considered possible. In this inspiring conversation, Steven explores the need to reform education, the importance of a more joined up approach to tackling social mobility in the UK, and the business case for better diversity in the workplace. Your host is Tunde Banjoko OBE, founder of Making The Leap.