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Artist Stephen Walter has already achieved considerable international success – particularly through his characteristic work exploring 'the glory of maps'.

But he remains ambitious – an ambition founded on his high view of Art: “I still believe that Art can make the world a better place, and that the best examples of works of Art can elevate the human species towards the beauties and wonders of the world that we have inherited.”

Stephen (OE 1987-1994) works in two forms – finely detailed semi-abstract landscapes and, secondly, maps and plans. Prints of his maps have become particularly sought-after.

His most famous work is his 2008 map of London, entitled The Island. This features tiny pencil notes indicating locations’ public and private associations, and is part-oral history, part-folklore and part-personal homage. The capital is shown as being adrift in a Home Counties sea: Stephen grew up in New Barnet, and Barnet is depicted as a coastal town.

The Island gained him some renown in 2010 when it was displayed alongside early hand-drawn maps of London at the acclaimed British Library exhibition, Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art. Then last year, the same map was published in book form, which brought him further public attention, including an interview in The Guardian.

Both maps and London have long been subjects of fascination to Stephen, who lives and works in the capital. His studio is at Fish Island on the River Lea close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Park. As a child, he enjoyed pondering over Tolkien’s map of Mordor, imagining what the landscape this represented was like.

At QE, Stephen, who is of English and German heritage, was taught by both the current Head of Art, Ashley West, and by Art teacher Stephen Buckeridge. “I have good memories from QE, especially from the Art Department,” he says. He remembers particularly the emphasis on Art History and the opportunities provided, such as the School arranging for his A-level class to set up studio for a week in the Slade School of Art. “QE formed the first segment and the foundations of the world-class education that I was so lucky to receive.”

Mr West – “a fine teacher and an important influence” – later arranged for him to return to the School for a period as an artist-in-residence, during which time he was commissioned to produce the collages which remain displayed in the front entrance to this day.

After School, he went on to study a Foundation course at Middlesex University, before taking a first in Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University. He progressed to The Royal College of Art (RCA) for his Master’s degree in 1999–2001 and then later to a fellowship at the Royal Academy of Arts. He has won a number of awards, including the RCA 2001 Drawing Prize. His most recent shows have included one at the Shapero Modern gallery in Mayfair.

Stephen's own website describes his work as “an investigation into obsessive drawing techniques, semiotics, the glory of maps, and where landscape is seen a receptacle for meaning. Each work is an intricate world in itself. The maps are a tangle of words, symbols and drawn elements where cultural residues inhabit certain locations.” He mainly works in two dimensions on paper through drawing, painting, photography, and reprographics and print.

In recent works, Stephen has gone on to include sculptural forms such as his Hagioscope Frame, an interactive display case designed for viewing his own artwork, Nova Utopia.

In addition to his own work, Stephen continues to enjoy Art in all its guises, especially painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. “I’m still playing football, trekking and making expeditions into the wild places and enjoying long-distance cycling,” he says. He also enjoys Music – he was for many years a DJ – and reading (mainly non-fiction), which he describes as an essential pastime for an artist operating in the world of the arts and ideas.

Policy expert Matthew Jaffa is not only a familiar face for TV viewers in London, but also knows his way around the corridors of power.

Since graduating in Economics from Birmingham University in 2002, Matthew (1992–1999) has developed a career as an external communications professional with a solid understanding of the workings of Westminster and Whitehall.

He worked for nearly four years in the Cabinet Office, before joining the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in 2006 – an organisation devoted to helping smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. He is now the London Senior Development Manager for the FSB.

His skills include developing and implementing communication and public affairs strategies. He advises senior executives, has appeared at Select Committees and is the federation’s chief spokesperson on TV and radio, promoting the interests of its 7,000 members in the Greater London region.

His publications include Passing the baton – a report looking at how small businesses had been affected by the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in and around the capital.

In 2013, his team achieved extensive media coverage with the launch of Parking Crowdmap, a social media platform designed to enable small businesses to let their borough councils know directly how helpful, or unhelpful, their parking policies are.

Matthew returned to QE to speak at the School’s thriving Politics Society in autumn 2016 and is pictured here with Liam Hargadon, Head of Politics. He discussed the controversial world of lobbying, outlining his organisation’s recent successful campaign over the revaluation of business rates. The FSB believed the rates were far too high for small and medium-sized businesses, and were consequently making them less competitive than larger businesses. However, under the revaluation announced in September 2016 following the FSB campaign, smaller firms will now pay no business rates whatsoever, and a new category has been introduced for medium-sized companies in order to differentiate between them and larger firms.

Matthew, whose visit was arranged and hosted by Year 12 pupil Rehaan Bapoo, discussed the need for greater transparency among those attempting to influence Government policy-making: he believes there is too much dishonesty in lobbying.

Asked about the possible effect of Brexit on small and medium-sized businesses, Matthew responded that leaving the EU will have a significant impact, particularly on the ability of firms to access talent and trade with other countries.

He gave the boys advice on how to enter both the world of lobbying and the Civil Service, as well as giving a few practical tips on progressing as a professional: he stressed the importance of keeping a well-maintained LinkedIn page.

In his spare time, Matthew is a keen golfer – “playing off a measly 20 handicap”. He also continues to play tennis regularly, as well as the odd game of football, when his knee allows.

Ian Stern has reached the summit of the legal profession, appearing in some of the highest-profile court cases of the 21st century.

Named Professional Discipline Silk of the Year by the legal directory, Chambers & Partners, in 2014, he has since further cemented his reputation as a leading Queen’s Counsel in cases such as the Old Bailey trial of retired specialist firearms officer Anthony Long, who was accused of the murder of Azelle Rodney, a 24-year-old suspected armed robber. Mr Long, whom Ian represented, was acquitted.

After leaving QE, Ian (OE 1968–1975) read Politics at Warwick and then went on to gain his Diploma in Law from City University. He was called to the Bar in 1983 and became a Recorder in 2000. He took silk (gained the award of Queen’s Counsel) in 2006.

In addition to cases involving professional discipline, his specialisms include judicial reviews, cases of murder & manslaughter and of fraud, coroners’ inquests and High Court appeals. Ian’s Chambers, 2 Bedford Row, are ranked in band 1 for professional discipline and band 2 for crime. He is a member both of the London Bar and the New South Wales Bar in Australia and is the Head of Chambers Regulatory team. Alongside his work as a barrister, he sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court, that is, a part-time judge.

In 2014, Ian was involved in a large number of cases in the field of professional discipline, including conducting the Andrew Mitchell ‘Plebgate’ misconduct hearings on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. Recent cases include that of Dr Lyndsey Thomas, who faced an allegation of gross negligence manslaughter arising from the death of a patient. Mrs Justice Nicola Davies allowed the submission of ‘no case to answer’ put forward by the defence, which Ian led.

He also has been at the forefront of several high-profile inquests in which he represented armed police officers. These include:

• Mark Duggan: The 2013–2014 inquest followed the death which started the London riots. (Ian was also involved in the judicial review launched by Mr Duggan’s mother, Pamela, following the inquest’s verdict of lawful killing.)
• Jean Charles de Menezes: Ian represented the officers who fired the shots that killed Mr de Menezes on 22nd July 2005 at Stockwell Underground Station after he was wrongly identified as a fugitive terrorist involved in the previous day’s failed bombing attempts.
• Chandler’s Ford robbery: He represented the officers who fatally shot two men as they robbed a security guard outside a bank in the Hampshire town.

Chambers and Partners is fulsome in its praise, bestowing on him plaudits including:

• “A highly regarded silk who is consistently involved in the highest-profile and most complex regulatory cases. His expertise covers a breadth of areas, and he is particularly regarded for his knowledge on police and healthcare disciplinary matters
• “Instructed by top solicitors and major prosecuting authorities alike” he is armed with “bags of common sense” and “excellent judgment” and has “the ability to handle the most complex of fraud trials”
• “Impressive advocate with a measured style and a delicate touch who always makes the right decisions”
• “Absolutely first class” and a silk “who will fight his corner for the client”
• He is noted for his advocacy, and for his ability to win over clients by “dealing with them with the necessary level of respect for their professionalism”.

Ian has recently renewed his links with QE, meeting the Headmaster. Since he is keen to support the development of advocacy skills in schoolchildren, he is liaising with the School over initiatives such as the Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial competition.

In just a few short years, Jay Shetty has risen rapidly to become one of the internet’s most in-demand personalities.

Named in the 2017 Forbes European 30 Under 30, Jay (OE 1999-2006) is an award-winning vlogger, filmmaker…and a former monk whose avowed aim is “share wisdom at the pace we want entertainment and make wisdom go viral”.

Jay has, to say the least, had an interesting journey since leaving QE and going on to Cass Business School in London, from which he graduated with a first-class degree in Management Science.

He retains great fondness for his School. “I have great memories of my time at QE: I think QE has some interesting memories of me! I want to personally give a huge thanks to two teachers who had a big impact on my growth.

“The first is Mr Buckeridge [Art teacher Stephen Buckeridge]. A phenomenal teacher and life mentor – without even knowing it. He was always making me think more deeply about my art work and what it meant and stood for, and he really helped me express myself and articulate creatively. His ability to challenge me and get the best out of me has really helped me mentally since that time.

“The second is Mr Ryan [David Ryan, now Assistant Head]. He tolerated all my immature tendencies, helped me grow without judging me, and supported me through some of the most formative years of my life. He was always a champion, supporter and advisor.

“I also loved playing rugby for our School A team and, of course, the public-speaking classes changed my life,” he added.

Inspired to make a difference in the world, at 22 Jay went to live as a monk in India. Then for three years, he travelled the world, during which time he helped build a sustainable village and create food programmes.

Wanting to ‘pay forward’ what he had learnt, Jay began sharing his experiences as a monk in universities and the world’s largest corporations, including EY and Nasdaq.

At the same time, he noticed that the world was rapidly going digital, so he went on to become professional services company Accenture's social media coach for executives, working in online branding and digital strategy.

His talent was spotted by Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, who made him the host of HuffPost Lifestyle in New York.

He has been invited to give keynote speeches at leading companies, including Google, Facebook and HSBC, about finding purpose, harnessing collaboration and driving change. Jay won the ITV Asian Media Award for Best Blog 2016 and came third in the Guardian Rising Star Award in 2015.

The most recent accolade comes from influential magazine Forbes: its 30 under 30 awards celebrate those seen as the brightest, most innovative game-changers in their industry. Jay certainly fits the bill in the media category: since launching his Facebook channel in 2016, his wisdom videos have garnered over 150 million views and gained more than half a million followers globally.

On his daily show on HuffPost Live, #FollowTheReader, he has interviewed the likes of entrepreneurs Russell Simmons and Tim Ferris, and Deepak Chopra, author and prominent figure in the New Age movement. The show has a daily audience of 1 million.

Jay advises several well-known brands on spotting and nurturing new talent, with the emphasis on helping people find a purpose and use for their passions in the workplace.

Krishan Dave is forging a successful career in finance – and gave a new generation of QE pupils tips on following his lead.

Krishan (2002-2009) went to King’s College London to read Mathematics on leaving School in 2009. After working for StatPro, a provider of asset valuation services and portfolio analysis software, and Dutch multinational Rabobank, he joined Northern Trust Corporation, an international, US-based financial services company, in 2014.

Based at its Canary Wharf offices in London, he was recently promoted from his role as an analyst, becoming an investment performance team leader. Krishan plans to remain with the firm for some time to come and is ambitious to rise further there. “Northern Trust is an excellent place to learn.”

He looks back on his School days with some fondness. “QE gave me a lot and provided a great foundation for my career. The two stand-out things I was involved with were the India Appeal [a charity which raises money for a school in India] and cricket: I was part of the School cricket teams from Year 7 all the way until I left, sacrificing all those Saturdays!”

Krishan still meets up with friends from QE. His spare time is also spent in going to the gym and he is a keen Arsenal fan. Food is a particular interest, and he enjoys visiting food markets as well as eating in restaurants.

In 2016, he returned to the School to give a talk at QE’s autumn Careers Convention, which is for Year 11 pupils and their parents. His session looked at finance, with a focus on investment banking. “The room was very full, so clearly a lot of boys at QE are keen to go into a career in finance,” he said. As well as discussing the different areas of a typical investment bank – front office, middle office and back office – he talked about how the culture varies both between firms and according to the type of job.

Looking at entry routes into finance, he highlighted the importance of work experience, summer internships and ‘spring weeks’ (short programmes run for first-year university students by all the leading investment banks in London during March and April). Krishan’s own CV reflects this: he spent two months with ADM Capital as a summer intern during 2011. There were now ways to get into finance straight from school, he pointed out, and he touched on the “dark world of networking”.

“The parents had some interesting questions, especially regarding the impact of Brexit on the finance industry. I replied that it won’t be as bad as most people are saying – London is a huge financial centre – but there may be some gentle impact.

“I started the same year as Mr Enright did, do it’s great to see him as Headmaster and to see that he has maintained the extremely high standards of the School whilst also overseeing phenomenal redevelopment there,” Krishan concluded.

Kamran Tajbakhsh has a new career and a new mission in life – helping young people to make their mark.

On graduating, he initially took up a post as a management consultant with a global company, but then, little more than a year after leaving Cambridge, Kamran (2004–2011) decided in June 2016 to become a performance coach and motivational speaker. It was, he says, a question of pursuing his passion. He is known professionally as Kam Taj.

As a coach, he works primarily with ambitious students and young professionals on performance improvement and goal attainment, with a strong focus on excellence in academic and professional aspects of life. He also speaks and runs training programmes at schools, universities and companies, where he aims to help people take control of their lives, overcome any limiting beliefs and “stride confidently towards attaining their goals”.

His ambition is to take the “empowering resources” of inspiring, globally recognised speakers, such as Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Eric Thomas, and apply them to younger generations in a way that resonates with them.

“The growing influence of the internet and social media has shifted the mentality of younger generations significantly,” he says. “Whilst empowering, it can also be a cause of anxiety, low confidence and dissatisfaction if not approached with emotional maturity. My mission is to equip the younger generation with the tools they need to successfully navigate this challenge in order to grow as individuals and strive to create the future that they desire, honouring their potential to make a positive impact on their society.”

After gaining 13 A*s at GCSE and three A*s and an A in his A-levels (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Further Mathematics), he won a place at Churchill College, Cambridge. He graduated with a first in Manufacturing Engineering and a Master’s degree with Merit in the same discipline. He then briefly worked as a management consultant, specialising in strategy and due diligence, with Roland Berger, a global consulting firm.

He gave a well-received talk at the 2016 QE Careers Convention for Year 11 boys and their parents. Entitled Making Choices, the talk focused on how careers do not have to be limited by the subjects studied in School or at university. “My key message to those indecisive about their future career was to keep as many doors open for themselves as possible by excelling in the academic system, so that when they have a vision for their career in the future, they're not limited by their academic foundations.”

Kam has happy memories of his time at QE, where he was an avid basketball and tennis player, captaining the School teams in both sports as a senior pupil. He went on to captain Cambridge University’s Lawn Tennis Club’s second team, as well as his college’s tennis club and basketball team. He is grateful to many teachers, including Assistant Head of Maths Wendy Fung for “tolerating my (persistently) impudent behaviour during those challenging years of Further Maths!”

Further information about Kam’s work is available at www.kamtaj.com