Viewing archives for Alumni

After seven years in a senior role for the global advertising agency behind Nike’s ‘Just do it’ tagline, US-based Nilesh Ashra is now blazing a trail with his own innovation consultancy. 

Named in Ad Age’s 40 under 40 list in 2016, he has been profiled in the print edition of Fast Company, the influential American business magazine. He is a high-profile speaker who has appeared at events including SXSW (the annual conglomeration of jointly organised film, interactive media and music festivals and conferences in Texas), Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and numerous other conferences. And he has won several industry accolades, a winner of Webby, Cannes, Fast Company and D&AD (Design & Art Direction) awards.  

Nilesh (OE 1995–2002) launched his consultancy, Pragmatic Futurism, in January last year. “My consulting work involves helping companies face the future of technology, work, and business,” he says. “We give our clients new ideas, new strategies; we create prototypes, and redesign their internal processes – all to help them face the future in a more optimistic way.” 

His interest in technology was apparent early – he started coding at the age of 11 – and after QE, he took a degree in Artificial Intelligence at UMIST (now part of the University of Manchester).  

On graduating, Nilesh says he was “interested in working in a ‘non-traditional’ technology space. That led me to a digital creative studio called Poke, in London.” 

In his four-and-a-half years with Poke, there was, he says, “barely a corner of modern, open-source-stack web development that I didn’t have the opportunity to work on. 

“From there, I was headhunted by the iconic Wieden+Kennedy.” Not only had W+K famously produced Just do it for Nike, they also created all of Nike’s TV commercials.  

He began his seven years with W+K, based in Portland, Oregon, as Creative Technology Lead and was later promoted to Director of Creative Technology. In creative industry circles, Nilesh is best known as the founder of W+K Lodge – the agency’s technology-focused division. One example of the Lodge’s work was the 2017 launch of Nike’s new retail experience that combined video-game-style motion capture and projection mapping to reduce the time needed to customise shoe graphics from eight weeks to less than two hours. This was short enough for it to be done on demand and in-store.  

“My professional obsession has been the profound and positive impact that emerging technology can have on culture and on businesses alike. After many years in the spotlight at W+K, I am now committed to my young family, and to humbly helping my clients thrive in their careers.” 

Nilesh is married and has one daughter aged six months and another who is four. “I have found myself very settled in Portland. It is mostly a liberal, relaxed, and positive community of creative people. 

“I’m an avid surfer, and have surfed all over the world,” he adds. 

 

Frankie Vu (OE) has secured a role as a presenter of the iconic children’s television show, HOW, while also enjoying a new job with Facebook, working in virtual reality.

ITV have revived the educational programme, with Frankie (Francis) among the team of four presenters. HOW originally ran from 1966 to 1981 and was then re-launched in 1990 as How 2.

“I have very fond memories of the children’s television I grew up with in the 90s and 00s, and a handful of those shows were memorable enough that they still find their way into nostalgic conversations with my peers,” said Frankie (OE 2000–2008). “How 2 was one of those shows, and when I received the news that I would be part of the new presenting line-up, it took weeks to really process the heritage that I would be contributing to.

“Before the audition process, I was unaware that How had been a successful series from the 1960s through to the 80s, and that How 2 had run for a further 16 years from 1990 to 2006. So to be a part of such an iconic format, and to be reviving a show with so much history, is a real honour.”

Produced by Terrific Television, the new series is being shown on CITV and simulcast on ITV; it is also available on ITV Hub. The team also includes veteran HOW presenter Fred Dinenage MBE, who has been a TV presenter for 56 years and was a presenter on both the original series and How 2.

Frankie, a freelance presenter who has worked for broadcasters including the Disney Channel and CBBC, has also been working for Facebook since the start of this year.

“I work in virtual reality (VR) for Facebook ‘by day’. I’ve juggled this with presenting by using annual leave days to film, as and when necessary.

“After spending the best part of ten years messing around in front of cameras, I decided to get a ‘proper’ job, where I spend my days in the virtual world, desperately avoiding the perils and responsibilities of real life. Jokes aside, VR is a rapidly growing part of the tech industry, and over the past few years, I’ve witnessed huge development in the capabilities of the hardware, as well as the current and potential uses of VR.”

Beyond its most obvious application in gaming, VR is now also being used for fitness, surgical training, sports rehabilitation, corporate meetings and tourism, amongst other industries, Frankie points out. “My own role involves overseeing the training and development of Product Experience Specialists, who are tasked with delivering memorable first-time VR experiences, both in-person and now remotely.

“Managing my schedule has been challenging at times, but the gratitude I feel for being able to do what I love massively outweighs any negativity.”

On leaving QE, Frankie studied English Language & Communication at King’s College London. After attending a talk on careers in the media in his final year, he was invited to screen-test for Disney, and secured his first TV contract at the end of the summer.

A sports enthusiast – he won the UK football freestyle championship while still at QE in 2006 – he was a host for the fencing and taekwondo events at the London Olympics and for the wheelchair fencing at the 2012 Paralympic Games, as well as for other live sporting events, including rugby, football and NFL.

“If I could glean any lessons from my own journey, and from this year in general, I would say that we can never know what lies ahead, so it doesn’t serve any purpose to worry too much about the distant future.

“My advice would be to focus on what you love doing, work hard – and don’t give up. Many of us will spend 50 years of our lives in the world of work, so it’s worth trying to figure out what really motivates you – and if that changes somewhere down the line, that’s fine too. The job I’m doing at Facebook didn’t exist a few years ago, and when I was at QE, I had no idea I’d be presenting TV shows – so focus on the things you can control and everything else will fall into place.”

Frankie adds: “I’m still in regular (socially distanced) contact with lots of friends from QE, and I live within walking distance of two my closest friends from Underne house, Robert Michel and Anil Douglas.”

• Frankie can be reached at:
  Instagram: @frankiepresents
  Twitter: @theFrankieVu

 

Two Old Elizabethans visited the School in person for a Covid-compliant celebration of International Men’s Day.

Jamie Sherman and Arjun Goswami talked about their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community, while also fielding questions from current sixth-formers.

In their replies, they covered how legislation and attitudes have changed since they were at School, with neither feeling that being members of the LGBTQ+ community has held them back, although Arjun (OE 2001–2008) argued that the presence of “systemic homophobia” in society and in boys’ schools can lead to stigma, which in turn causes mental health issues.

They spoke to an in-person audience in QE’s Conference Centre comprising  some senior prefects, including the Equality, Diversion & Inclusion Ambassadors, while the event was live-streamed to tutor rooms across Years 9–13.

Afterwards, Jamie (OE 2002–2009) said: “It’s great to be back at QE and to catch up with everyone. Thank you for having us and letting us speak about LGBTQ+ issues. It’s fantastic to see the School pushing this conversation.”

Michael Feven, Assistant Head (Pupil Development), said: “I am hugely grateful to Jamie & Arjun for talking to the boys so honestly and openly about their experiences in this way. With the development of Perspective, our new student-led area of the School’s eQE online learning platform, and an ongoing review of our Personal Development Time curriculum, important conversations such as these are rightfully becoming an increasingly embedded part of life at QE”.

International Men’s Day, which was first celebrated in 1994, is promoted as an occasion to celebrate boys’ and men’s achievements and contributions, with an emphasis on promoting male role models. This year’s international theme was Better Health for Men and Boys.

Jamie is an Associate with a legal firm. He identifies as gay, ‘coming out’ when he was 24, but not feeling able to do so whilst at School. Arjun (OE 2001-08) is a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, and identifies as Queer/Pansexual; Arjun was keen to share his perspectives as a person of colour.

They presented slides giving some definitions of gender, sexuality and attraction. Much of the time, however, was devoted to answering questions, including the following:

What was your experience of realising you were gay whilst at School?

• Arjun; Being BAME (Black And Minority Ethnic) and at a boys’ school had made it even harder when trying to figure myself out – being called ‘gay’ was used as an insult. When I eventually came out, my family who are Hindu and liberal, was fine, but I have friends from other cultures who struggled to come out.
• Jamie: I realised I was gay at 14, but felt isolated at School, like something was wrong with me. I spent ten years ‘in the closet’, which took a massive psychological toll. [He referenced Section 28, the law which at that time made it illegal for schools to promote homosexuality]. It is a ‘fantastic development’ that talks like today can now happen in schools – it’s a completely different environment now.

What is it like being in the LGBTQ+ community as an adult?

• Arjun: When I was at School, I was worried about how my life would be as an adult, and actually I found it was totally fine. When I came out, I didn’t lose any friends, I became more confident, and found my sexuality (being pansexual i.e. attracted to an individual  person, regardless of their gender/sexuality) didn’t hinder any area of my life – it was the opposite of what I had expected. The aim of today is normalising the idea that it’s fine to just be yourself – the barriers are less than before. And there is comfort in the fact that being LGBTQ+ is actually a protected characteristic under the Human Rights Act – it is illegal to discriminate [against LGBTQ+].
• Jamie: When the illusion of what society expects hits you – i.e. that you will grow up to have a wife and kids in the traditional way – that can be scary; but the reality is in contrast to what you expect. I have a male partner, I have friends and family, many of my friends are from School, we do everything that others do, we have the same holidays and social connection – I realise that the difference was all in my head. There is such a push for diversity and inclusion in all areas now. There was this notion that being LGBTQ+ will hold you back, but it’s just not an issue.

How does being LGBTQ+ impact your mental health?

• Arjun: There can be systemic homophobia in society and in boys’ schools – being heterosexual is what is expected. This can lead to low mood, low self-esteem, identity issues and anxiety – the fear of judgement. The biggest cause of death in males 16-25 years is suicide; being LGBTQ+ and BAME brings additional factors. 1 in 4 in the wider community have mental health issues – it is estimated this number grows to 1 in 3 within the LGBTQ+ community – due to the stigma. The message is to be respectful, be inclusive.

Does it hold you back, do people accept you?

• Arjun: Actually, it has made me more confident in who I am. To my face, I’ve not had much discrimination at all. My mum struggled the most, being from an Indian background; her biggest fear was that others would judge the family – but she’s not worried now.
• Jamie: In my first job in an office there was so much to take in, so I didn’t come out. I thought it would hold me back – but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. When I came out people just didn’t care – it’s just not a big deal any more.

Arjun said later:  “It has been lovely to have spoken at QE, a school very special to me, … about a very important issue that is integral to embracing equality and acceptance for all.”

With coronavirus restrictions precluding a repeat of last year’s inaugural University Mock Interview Evening at the School, QE’s old boys and supporters have instead been turning out in force online to make sure current pupils don’t miss out.

Using the School’s QE Connect social media platform, Assistant Head (Pupil Development) Michael Feven paired up Year 13 boys with Old Elizabethans happy to conduct virtual interviews via Zoom and Skype.

“Whilst we are disappointed not to be able to hold our Mock Interview Evening in person this year, the value of these interviews in supporting boys with their university applications cannot be overstated,” said Mr Feven.

The Autumn Term is a busy time for Year 13 boys, with UCAS applications due in, university admissions tests taking place for Oxbridge places and for degree subjects such as Law and Medicine, and with Oxbridge interviews being held in the run-up to Christmas. Mock interviews constitute an important element of the detailed programme of support that the School provides to help senior pupils secure places on the best courses and at leading universities.

OEs have been helping out sixth-formers with interview practice for many years, but last year’s dedicated mock interview evening at the School, which was attended by nearly 40 alumni and supporters of QE, was the first of its kind. This year, dozens of online-only mock interviews are instead being held; they continue throughout November.

Among those paired together for the mock interviews were Zac Howlett-Davies (OE 2006–2013, pictured) and Year 13’s Zeke Essex, who is applying to read Modern Languages at Corpus Christi, Cambridge. Zac, who read Modern Languages at Durham, uses his French and German on a daily basis in his role in European copyright licensing for printed music publisher Hal Leonard Europe.

“Mr Howlett-Davies gave excellent feedback based on his own experiences and it was great practice before the real thing. He was very knowledgeable and was very easy to have a conversation with,” said Zeke.

Sai Bodanapu, who is among QE’s aspiring medics, pointed out that the specific benefit of meeting his interviewer via Zoom in this pandemic year: “My mock interview helped me as it gave an actual representation of how online interviews will take place.” Sai was interviewed by Andleeb Ahmed, who is an NHS GP and mentor; her son, Fozy Ahmed, who left QE this year, is studying Medicine at Gonville & Caius, Cambridge.

“I am hugely grateful to the longstanding support from our Old Elizabethan community and from other Friends of the School who each year so generously give up their time to support our Year 13 students in this way,” Mr Feven added.

Representatives of Perspective, QE’s new pupil-led initiative, have joined senior staff to highlight the importance of Black History Month.

School Vice-Captains Thomas Mgbor and Ayodimeji Ojelade, of Year 13, have been speaking in assemblies at the School, while teachers have also led assemblies and the academic departments are uploading resources to the eQE digital learning platform throughout the month, promoting discussion and awareness in all the subject areas. Pictured here is a Year 12 assembly on Black History Month themes led by Head of Year Simon Walker.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am pleased that we are doing more to celebrate black history, especially during Black History Month, and I congratulate Thomas, Ayo and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors on all the hard work they have done.”

Mr Enright added that QE’s forthcoming comprehensive review of the curriculum being carried out in connection with the launch of a new School Development Plan covering the period 2021-2025 will incorporate the themes of combatting racial bias.

The departmental materials, curated on eQE, showcase the work of influential black artists, scientists, poets, engineers and musicians; examine issues such as historical inequality in the protection of intellectual property, or the way in which colonial powers redrew national borders; and consider such questions as the social construction of race, and where our knowledge of black history comes from.

As well as assemblies with contributions both by the Vice-Captains and some Heads of Year and the eQE content, other Black History Month activities at QE include:

• The release of a list of anti-racism books by The Queen’s Library; and
• Short videos from alumni that are being used to stimulate discussions on Black History Month in form groups.

Thomas said: “This experience has been really eye-opening for us. The ability to learn more about our own culture has redefined what black history was, especially within the UK. Understanding the contribution of black people within the UK has shown us how black history is British history”.

One of the first Old Elizabethans to respond to his and Ayo’s request to set out their thoughts and experiences on video was Ifeanyi Chinweze (OE 2008-15), who recorded separate films for Years 7-9 and Years 10-13.

In his video for the younger boys, Ifeanyi began by introducing himself, saying that although his family originally came from Nigeria, he has lived in the UK for his whole life. He recounted his personal history of the “hurtful” comments he received as a teenager, as others questioned his love for the performing arts (including debating, public speaking and acting).  “In my teenage years, I became aware of the fact that this choice of passions was unusual for young, black men like me and I was constantly reminded of this by my peers. At the time, I was often called an ‘oreo’, or asked why I didn’t act like a real black guy.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘oreo’ as a ‘usually disparaging’ term meaning ‘a black person who adopts the characteristic mentality and behaviour of white middle-class society’.)

“It’s important to understand that racism is not limited to hate crimes or acts of violence,” said Ifeanyi, adding that although such comments do not always indicate malicious feelings towards black people, they could nevertheless be hurtful, whether said as insults or as jokes. And, he added: “They can reveal stereotypes, or skin-deep images that people hold of others….It is these stereotypes that produce prejudices…but if we learn to talk about our experiences and our perspectives, we share things, we can understand each other and challenge internal biases and stereotypes. We can propagate change in our mindsets, starting from our local environment and spreading. So, I would like to encourage you to ask questions, to discuss and to understand why your words might be harmful to someone else.”

Perspective, which was established last term in the wake of the global Black Lives Matter protests, is a forum looking at a range of societal issues, including racism. Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987.

Medic Neeral Patel is loving life in Toronto, where he is on a two-year mixed research and clinical fellowship – even if, at first, he wondered if making the move had been a big mistake.

“I vividly remember landing in Toronto a year ago with a very uneasy feeling in my stomach, thinking ‘what on earth have I done?’ Life in London was relatively comfortable, and I had left my family, friends and partner, Jasmin, in the UK. I was certainly excited about the opportunity, but naturally quite apprehensive at the very beginning.”

He fell back, however, on the lesson imparted on his first day at QE by his Headmaster, Dr John Marincowitz, who recited a quotation attributed to Confucius in a talk to the new boys: “Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.”

“One of the lessons I’ve learnt along this journey, particularly related to training, is that it is necessary to force yourself to leave your comfort zone in order to progress,” says Neeral (OE 1999–2006), pictured above with his co-fellows in Toronto.

After leaving QE, he studied Medicine at Imperial College London from 2006–2012. He was vice-chair of an outreach programme called Vision, which ran conferences for secondary school pupils aimed at widening participation in Medicine. “Sometimes talented students just need a bit of advice and direction which they may not otherwise be exposed to, in order to reach their aspirations.”

As well as making life-long friends at Imperial, the highlights included his elective in Kilifi, Kenya, at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust facility under the tutelage of Professor Kath Maitland: “She has done great work on malaria and malnutrition in the region.”

An opportunity to travel around South East Asia for five weeks with friends got off to an unfortunate start when he was put into isolation in a public Bangkok hospital for a week with H1N1 flu (during the 2009 pandemic). But after making a full recovery, Neeral re-joined his friends and visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Borneo.

His biggest inspiration at university was Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a hepatologist with an interest in translational research – in particular, imaging techniques to assess liver disease. “Undertaking my BSc project under his mentorship initiated my interest in medical imaging.”

After university, he moved to Birmingham for two years to undertake Academic Foundation Training, which is a dedicated programme for those who may wish to pursue a mixed clinical and academic career.

He then returned to Imperial College NHS Trust in 2014 for clinical radiology training, during which he developed his nascent interest in interventional radiology – “an exciting field in which minimally invasive techniques are utilised to treat a spectrum of diseases across a range of body systems using image guidance, whether that be fluoroscopy (x-ray), ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.”

Certain diseases for which surgery was the only previous option – with associated morbidity and mortality – can now be treated through a pinhole in the groin or wrist, using catheters and wires.

“The list of minimally invasive procedures offered by interventional radiology is endless and ever-increasing as new medical devices are innovated. Ultimately, patients are almost always able to go home the same day with no incisions, improving quality of life and reducing the risk of potential complications.”

Through his research interests in the subject, he has attended and presented at conferences in cities across the globe including Lisbon, Barcelona, Dubai and New York.

“During my time training in London I continued my interest in outreach by co-organising a careers day with the Royal College of Radiologists and Imperial College London for students interested in medicine. Those attending were exposed to hands-on activities related to diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology and clinical oncology.”

The photo shows him with Professor Nicola Strickland, past President of the Royal College of Radiologists and one of his consultants when he trained in radiology at Imperial.

Having completed diagnostic and interventional radiology training in London, the opportunity came to go to Canada. “The benefit of doing training in another country includes experiencing a completely new healthcare system and, particularly with procedural specialties, developing new skills and learning new techniques which I can then bring back to the UK in my future career as a consultant. Enjoying the new culture and all Toronto has to offer is, of course, a bonus.”

He soon overcame his initial qualms. “Having lived here for a year now, Toronto is a fantastic city, very diverse, with an excellent food scene. The national dish, poutine, is a particular favourite – how can you go wrong with chips, cheese and gravy! There are also great ski slopes very close by. The summers are glorious; however, the winters can be harsh, reaching -20C! The natural beauty of Canada is incredible, perhaps Banff and Whistler being the most well-known spots to visit, but other areas such as Newfoundland, Quebec City and Nova Scotia also have their own charm.”

Prior to the pandemic, he was able to fly back and forth at regular intervals to see friends and family. While Covid-19 has a huge impact on healthcare workers across the globe, he is complimentary about the Canadian government’s handling of the pandemic. “Although anxiety levels have been palpable within the hospitals at which I work, particularly at the height of the pandemic, we have seen incredible acts of kindness and a real coming together of the profession.”

Now that Canada is past the peak, he reflects, “the research and clinical experience I have gained here has certainly been exceptional and worthwhile.”

Neeral cherishes very fond memories of his time at QE. Among the highlights were:

• “A School trip to Russia, which was huge fun and included seeing the Moscow state circus, getting the overnight train from St Petersburg to Moscow, and attempting to order a McDonalds in Russian.”
• “Playing for the cricket First XI in the Sixth Form (without question, to make up the numbers).”
• A Nuffield Bursary summer placement at the National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill, where his work on a project investigating novel TB vaccines helped to foster an interest in medical research.

He attended his ten-year School reunion dinner in 2016. “It was fantastic to catch up with many old classmates, some of whom I hadn’t seen since leaving QE, and great to see the diverse career paths taken, from social media influencers, start-up entrepreneurs and music producers to leaders in the arts, law and science.”

Neeral also visited QE to give a talk to sixth-formers who wanted to pursue a career in Medicine. “I spoke specifically on my specialty of interventional radiology, which is a field many aspiring medics may not necessarily have even heard of, and so I wanted to give them a flavour of what we as clinicians can offer patients in the modern era.”

“On a brief tour, it was impressive to see how far the School has come under the leadership of Mr Enright, both in terms of academic achievements as well as new facilities, in particular the swimming pool – I remember the days of swimming in the old, damp and cold pool in the winter months, an experience I really wouldn’t want to relive in a hurry! It was also great to meet some of my teachers again, including Mr [Mev] Armon, Dr [Malcolm] Russell and Mr [David] Ryan who were, and still are, first-class educators and mentors.”

He has been pleased to see leavers in recent years take up offers at US and Canandian universities, including, most recently, Aly Sayani, who has won a place at the University of Toronto.

Neeral heartily recommends that younger Elizabethans consider Medicine: “a fantastic career with a specialty to suit all interests and personalities, with opportunities across the globe, whether it be a developed or developing country. It is a truly transferable career path, and some of my friends have even left clinical medicine completely to take up positions in healthcare technology and consultancy firms.”

In conclusion, he says Dr Marincowitz’s strictures about roast duck still resonate with him to this day: “I am grateful to QE for nurturing their students to seek and make the most of all opportunities that are presented in life.”