Olufunke Abimbola-Akindolie, a Nigerian lawyer based in the UK, was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, yesterday, Dec 7, 2017, for her contribution to the diversification of the legal profession.
Funke is a senior lawyer and leader for the world’s largest biotech. She is currently the most senior Black lawyer working within the UK pharmaceutical industry and one of the most senior globally.
A multi-award-winning solicitor and diversity campaigner, she has received national and European recognition for her legal and diversity work. In 2015 alone, she won the Gender Role Model award (National Diversity Awards), the Career Woman of the Year award (Women4Africa), the Outstanding Woman in Professional Services award (Precious Awards), and the Inspiring Member of the Year award (Inclusive Networks Awards). More recently, she was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Diva and International Diva of Colour awards held in London.
Having risen to the top of her field, Abimbola-Akindolie is active in giving back, and she shares how she is working to support aspiring solicitors from BAME communities. She was also recently admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, recognizing the positive impact and outstanding contributions that she has made to British society as a whole.
This is what the royal family said about her receiving the award.
“For years, Olufunke Abimbola-Akindolie has worked to help diversify the legal profession. She regularly goes into schools & universities to help inspire the next generation. Today, she was awarded an MBE.
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