Satyen has had an outstanding career since graduating and has worked with some of the leading PR and communications agencies in the UK. His career journey led him to his current position as Managing Director of Technology at Edelman (UK), where he is responsible for advising clients and driving sector change in both technology and UK Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
He is also driving DEI change across the PR and communications sector and helps leaders and employees to better understand how to implement DEI strategies across their businesses.
Through this work, he has become a trustee for Media Trust, a UK charity that has spent the past 20 years helping diverse communities exchange skills, talent and insights with the media and creative industries. He is an advisory board member at Race Equality Matters, an organisation that established the UK’s first Race Equality Week in February 2021.
Satyen also led the award-winning ‘My Name Is’ campaign during Race Equality Week. His team at Edelman co-created an online tool intended to raise awareness of the importance of proper pronunciation of people’s names in the workplace. Satyen argues that people are better able to express their identity and feel included in the workplace simply by not having their name mispronounced by others.
Satyen regularly championed and supported the work of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, a charity established to increase the representation of minoritised ethnicities in the UK communications industry. He is also a trustee of Why me? Transforming Lives through Restorative Justice, a national charity delivering and promoting Restorative Justice for everyone affected by crime and conflict.
In addition to campaigning on DEI initiatives that are delivering positive change in the workplace, the industry and wider society, Satyen has delivered guest lectures at BU for more than 20 years and engaged in student recruitment fairs.
Talking about his win, Satyen said, “Being recognised in this way gives me the inspiration to work even harder in helping make a positive impact in society. My time at BU – simply put – was a catapult. When I was younger, the idea of going to university wasn’t something I considered; trying to do some good in the world was always up there but were it not for my time at BU, I wouldn’t have had the career that has enabled me to do as much.”
“During my time at BU I was given the chance to learn essential skills and abilities such as the importance of critical thinking and the discipline needed to meet the deadlines that are so central to work in the PR and communications industry. The subjects and theories all came into play as I progressed into more senior roles; these have helped me understand the challenges, both big and small, facing my teams, clients, industry and society. Importantly, BU taught me how to make a difference.”
“When you walk through campus it’s easy to forget that you are walking with individuals who, like yourself, will go on to do exceptional things. If I could share anything with today’s students, it would be to recognise that you have a powerful network right on your doorstep. A community that can have a vital role in helping you develop your career, but also friendships that will last throughout your life.”