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After two life-changing years in Shanghai, Anand Dattani is back in London, with a new job, a fresh perspective on his career and his own reflections on what a post-pandemic world will mean for business.

His current professional life as a Business Development Specialist with start-up PowerPay – a company offering Chinese e-payment services to European shops so they can attract high-spending Chinese tourists – is very different from the six years he spent with Deutsche Bank.

“Having worked at a global investment bank, and for small/medium-sized start-ups, I’ve realised that for me, it is not about the company size anymore, or the ‘thrill’ of the start-up, but about finding a role where, firstly, my particular contribution is making a genuine difference to the company’s success, and secondly I can see where it is taking me in 3-5 years. (I learned from my first manager never to fixate on something beyond five years because a lot can change in that time.)”

In fact, neither his time with Deutsche Bank nor his current role bear much resemblance to the career path he originally embarked upon. Anand left QE in 2006 and was, he believes, the only leaver at that time who chose to study Optometry at university. “This was something I’d looked at doing since I was 15 and did the two-week voluntary work experience at an optician’s. But when doing the UCAS applications, I was torn between Optometry and a business-based degree, largely down to being good at, and enjoying, A-level Economics.”

In the end, although he enjoyed the course at Cardiff and made friends there, after a year, he switched to Cass Business School, where he gained a first-class degree in Investment and Financial Risk Management.

This led to a summer internship and, eventually, a graduate offer at Deutsche Bank. At this point, still not knowing exactly what he wanted to do, he, like many other graduates at Deutsche Bank, followed the well-worn path of undertaking graduate programmes in banking, accounting and consultancy.

“Only after rotating at different desks did I realise what areas and which job role suited me most: I chose the Strategy & Business Management division. My reasons at the time were that I enjoyed building relationships, especially with senior management, and wanted to become comfortable at giving professional presentations that could impact strategic decisions – plus, the numerical skills that QE’s excellent teaching gave me proved very handy in this role.

“After six or so years, I’d experienced periods of loving my role and career progression, and also periods of being stagnant and feeling this wasn’t my long-term vision. And while I could have comfortably stayed at Deutsche Bank and been part of a team that valued me, I had a strong desire to work abroad and also understand the growing start-up space. So I was going to networking events just to connect with some of the bright minds behind upcoming start-ups.

“Eventually I took a big risk and chose international exposure over job security and moved to Shanghai.”

For Anand, having to “start again”, both professionally and socially, involved frequent attendance at networking events, volunteering to help where possible, as well as joining sports teams. In fact, Anand has this advice for anyone interested in working abroad: “You have to be prepared to put in the time to proactively and independently get your name and face ‘out there’ (especially if there is any sales element involved).

“The biggest thing I noticed was how quickly I was able to build a strong network there – even my close friends would say that in six months I had got to know more people than they had in three years. One of the reasons is that in such a global city with a large expat community, people are much more open to broadening their network and making new connections.”

And it was through growing this network that I found a job at the China-based tech startups. His work while based in China’s biggest city included a post as a private wealth consultant for the deVere Group, as well as roles with blockchain platform Younus and with No NDA (nonda), a leader in app-enabled automotive accessories.

There were also a number of ‘side projects’. “One of my friends had recommended me to fill her place on a panel to judge a Dragons Den-style two-day workshop for 400 Chinese students to present their ‘air pollution improvement’ solutions. Following this, other opportunities came, including one to present on cross-cultural communication differences to 50 local teachers. While I only ever reached intermediate level in speaking Mandarin, it certainly served as a bonus. (But the power of being fluent in the language opens up a lot of doors.)”

In the end, Anand concludes, the move to the other side of the world was well worth the risk. “The experiences I have gained professionally and personally in two years were far more than I had gained in the six years at Deutsche Bank.”

Anand returned to London a few months before the pandemic was declared. “The crisis has been a great time of reflection. Working in a business development role for a payments start-up meant that the lockdown has closed out any new business. So life has become very different to if I had still been at Deutsche Bank.

“But it’s also meant I’ve been forced into this huge chunk of free time that you never expect to get once you leave university. It has allowed me to look into some of the long-list of ‘to-do’s’ that build up over the years that you never seem to be able to find time to do, including online courses on programming, fitness goals and looking into a side business that I’d thought of over two years back.

“My realisation is that it’s very easy to become dependent on the job you have – it takes up the largest part of your time, leaving you normally with evenings and weekends to pursue your non-work objectives.. during which time most are tired from working all day.

“The pandemic has greatly sped up a change that was slowly happening, where certain jobs were no longer as safe and dependable (and well paid) as they once were, and people need to be able to know what else they want to explore and achieve in case things don’t go as planned for them. It’s important that people are always working in some capacity towards their goal – and if that is already happening through their job and free time, then they are in a good place.

“My educational and career path certainly hasn’t been one straight line, which may give some of the current and former Elizabethans some comfort that it is ok to explore options, and understand what it is you really want to do and are good at along the way.”

In his spare time, Anand has completed a number of solo trips across Central and South America – “a huge eye opener and character-builder, which definitely helped me with my move to Shanghai” –and is keen to visit more countries once the pandemic has subsided, including South Africa and Australia.

As for memories of School, Geography classes with current Headmaster Neil Enright “never disappointed”, says Anand (OE 1999–2006). “I would be interested to know if he’s ever had a class like ours.* A fond memory is the day he told us ‘I have some good news for you all: instead of you having the free period shown on Wednesday afternoon (which would have meant us going home early), I’ll teach you for the extra half-hour.’ It looked like he genuinely thought the class would be pleased to hear this.”

He is still in touch with several Old Elizabethans, including his contemporaries Jamie Wolfson, Dominic St George and Fabio Castagno, as well as Jay Shetty.

*  The Headmaster replies: “Anand’s class was certainly a memorable one. It was a large group full of lively minds. Teaching them was great fun and I recall lots of laughter. They were outstanding geographers who did really well and I am not surprised that they have gone on to secure stellar careers.”

Old Elizabethan George Mpanga’s podcast has been nominated for a Peabody Award – one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious media prizes.

Have You Heard George’s podcast?, which last year swept the board at the British Podcast Awards, is the first British podcast ever to receive a nomination for a Peabody Award, a prize which recognises excellence in storytelling in broadcasting and digital media.

News of the nomination comes as George (OE 2002–2009) continues to garner media attention for his work during the Covid-19 crisis. Having introduced BBC Television’s coverage of the global One World: Together at Home concert last month, George has now spoken of his own lockdown experiences on BBC Radio Four’s World at One programme.

Interviewed by presenter Sarah Montague, George was on buoyant form, mentioning school twice as he set out how stimulating his time during lockdown has been and how the “group prayer sessions” set up by his mother were helping his family stay in touch with each other.

He explained that, whereas if he were to speak of his time at school, that would necessarily exclude some people, the current crisis was affecting everyone and was therefore creating a “common language” to which all could relate.

George then read out the first poem that he wrote about the coronavirus, which examines the opportunity for creativity as we are forced “indoors with our phones beside us – literally left to our own devices”.

The poem continues: “We are internationally connected and this brings us closer, as can be expected. That is why I am still in touch with my old schoolteachers: human beings are social creatures.”

Asked in conclusion if there was a sense in which, notwithstanding the terrible consequences of the pandemic for many, he was in some sense enjoying the lockdown experience, George concurred: “I do try and squeeze all the enjoyment I can out of life’s challenges: I think that has been the basis of my career.”

Have you heard George’s podcast? includes a mix of storytelling, music and fiction, with an original score by collaborator Benbrick (the songwriter, producer and composer also known as Paul Carter). George has explored themes and issues including education for disadvantaged young people, the Grenfell Tower fire, the Libyan slave trade and his personal relationship with Uganda and Britain.

Commissioned by the BBC, two chapters are currently available to listen to on BBC Sounds, with the third coming later this year. On receiving news of the nomination, George said: “It says a lot that the Peabody Awards have endorsed our podcast with a nomination – it’s the most experimental, creative thing we’ve ever done. People work their whole lives for this recognition, and we’re blessed to receive it so early – especially as the first British podcast nominee ever!

“We’re deeply grateful for every single listener who has brought us to this point, and honoured to be in the company of so many greats from across the media. Thank you to Benbrick, my team and the amazing people at BBC Sounds. If I sound like we’ve already won, it’s because this nomination is a victory.”

Out of nearly 1,300 entries, George’s podcast was one of the 60 that were nominated by a unanimous vote of the board of jurors. Thirty of the nominees will be announced as winners at a later date. The Peabody Awards, which were first awarded in the 1940s, were named after American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody.

Year 10 pupil Ryan Bentley’s dedicated voluntary work at his father’s NHS GP practice over the last two years is paying dividends in the current health crisis.

Ryan, who has spent every Friday afternoon after school and much of his holidays working in the administration department, has now become a key player in the practice in Golders Green, and is even training new staff.

His proud father, John Bentley, who is a GP Principal, said patients cannot believe how young he is, as he displays maturity and leadership qualities well beyond his 14 years: “We think Ryan may be the youngest official NHS worker at this time.”

Staff at the surgery, The Practice @ 188, have commented on how invaluable his contribution has been, said Dr Bentley. “He has been working diligently and conscientiously since lockdown. After completing his schoolwork, he gives nearly every minute of his time to the practice, to help us continue functioning and providing essential healthcare services to the public.”

Ryan’s role includes regularly communicating with NHS organisations to try to source personal protective equipment (PPE). He also updates the clinicians at the practice as to the latest published guidance on the management of suspected coronavirus cases. He helps to arrange staff rotas and is constantly answering phone-calls from worried and anxious patients, some of whom are obviously unwell and exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, requiring either simple reassurance or directing to the appropriate medical services.

Ryan has found that the nature of his duties has changed since the advent of Covid-19. “Many patients no longer come into the surgery, so the number of online encounters has increased. Lots of emails are coming through daily, which need to be looked at and then matched with hospitals or other health departments.

“I have always enjoyed working here; before this crisis, it was about meeting a wide range of people and learning about their different backgrounds and how that can affect health. The biggest challenge now is that I cannot always help people. They may have a problem, but cannot get an appointment for a very long time – even though they are suffering. Sometimes there is just nothing we can do to help them.”

Dr Bentley’s GP practice has become even busier as they witness dozens of their patients, particularly from the surrounding care homes, suffering and dying from Covid-19.

“The outbreak has dramatically changed our NHS working environment,” says Dr Bentley. “Many of our own staff have either been off sick or are self-isolating. To make matters even more challenging our Practice Manager went off on maternity leave just before the Covid-19 outbreak. Ryan has demonstrated a very mature approach to his work here. He is carrying out all his duties with the utmost enthusiasm, passion and diligence – qualities very much in keeping with the ethos QE instils in its pupils.

“All staff at the practice have commented on what remarkable leadership qualities he possesses and have quipped that he is needed here permanently, as he is proving to be an asset to all who work here or use our services. Another nearby practice implied they wanted to use his skills, and he has recently been invited to participate in the local NHS managers forum, due to his significant role at the practice,” added Dr Bentley.

A new podcast series from The Queen’s Library starts with a look at the contemporary challenge of climate change, while Library staff have also put together a lavishly illustrated historical account of a Londoner facing a pandemic even worse than the present one.

Both the podcast and the account – about Samuel Pepys and the Great Plague of 1665 – are part of an extensive selection of content curated by Head of Library Services Surya Bowyer for boys to access during the pandemic lockdown.

The 27-minute first episode of the podcast series, entitled Roundness, looks at the issue of climate change, examining evidence from around the world and taking as its starting point President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. It features audio clips and music, as well as a commentary from Mr Bowyer.

The podcast, which is available on subscription from online providers including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, quotes experts from a range of disciplines, including investment bank Morgan Stanley’s chief executive, James Gorman, who recently told a congressional committee: “If we don’t have a planet, we’re not going to have a very good financial system.”

The podcast may also be accessed from the Library’s pages on eQE – the School’s portal for boys, parents, staff and other members of the Elizabethan community.

The Library’s extensive eQE section includes a Book of the Week, as well as a host of other recommended reading on the Lockdown Reading page, some of it recommended for particular age groups, some suitable for all.

“There are quick links to huge selections of free e-books and to free audiobooks. And there is our own Virtual Culture guide to virtual museums and galleries for lockdown and beyond,” says Mr Bowyer.

The Arabella magazine, a publication produced by pupils and featuring pupils’ own written and visual contributions, is hosted by the Library’s eQE section.

Mr Bowyer adds: “One coping strategy when we face a crisis like Covid-19 is to document our experiences in some way. More than 350 years ago, that was exactly what Samuel Pepys, a young civil servant living in London, did in his diary when the capital was hit by the Great Plague in 1665 – the worst epidemic in England since the Black Death of 1348. His reaction, and that of his fellow Londoners, is set out in our Pepys and the plague page.”

The page features 12 illustrations, most of them contemporaneous drawings, as well as extracts from Pepy’s diary detailing what he saw and heard – “so many poor sick people in the streets full of sores” – and the gradual recovery over many months until, in February 1666, London was deemed safe enough for King Charles II and his court to return.

The History department has thrown down a VE Day 75th anniversary challenge to the boys: recreate one of the famous photographs from the celebrations marking the end of European hostilities in World War II.

The dedicated VE Day page in the eQE History section suggests pupils can perhaps: get their family involved; bring in some suitably evocative props; use their computer skills to convey a party atmosphere, or even give their image a clever modern twist.

The page includes a range of suitable images to replicate as well as links to information to find out more about VE Day, and, for those whose talents are more culinary than photographic, another suggested activity: boys are urged to try baking or cooking, using a recipe of that period, when food rationing was in place.

In addition, the page features an interview with Old Elizabethan Ken Cooper, who was a pupil at QE from 1942 until 1950.

“I joined the School in September 1942, by which time I and my peers had lived through the 1940-41 Blitz on London. We had grown used to nightly air-raids and during one of these in 1941 a bomb had hit the School and destroyed the refectory. This meant that we not only assembled in Hall at the start of every school day, but also returned there for lunch. We sat in our Houses at long tables, one for juniors and one for seniors, with the Housemaster seated at the end of the senior table. This gave a good sense of togetherness, but the food was abominable….potatoes nearer black than white and meat as hard as leather, often lined with colours suggesting it was more suitable for animals than for humans.

“When the sirens went during school hours, we left the classroom and sat in the corridors with our backs to the walls for our lessons. There was a small air-raid shelter on the old Gun Field, but it was always full of water and never used during my time. There were no after-school activities; when the bell went, we had to head for home in hope of making it before the next air raid.”

Although he cannot remember taking part in any VE Day events at the School, he adds: “I well remember the street parties where we all sat at tables in the middle of the road, celebrating with whatever food and drink we had and giving thanks that six years of war with the Nazis were over.”