Summer Graduation 2025

Colin Grahamslaw

Secretary General, World Curling and Winter Olympic Federations (BSc Mathematics, 1991)

“Go onto whatever you are doing next with confidence, you will make mistakes, not everything will go right, but that is not what matters, it is what happens after that is key – and you have the talents, knowledge, and ability to deal with it.”

Professor Paul Monks CB

Chief Scientific Advisor, HMG-DESNZ (BSc Chemistry, 1988)

“Remember that the choices you make, both large and small, ripple outward, creating waves of impact. You need to be the generation that looks back knowing you did everything in your power to ensure the world is healthier, kinder, and more sustainable.”

Eve Wagg

Founder and CEO, Well Grounded (BA History, 2005)

"You will always have the power of your Warwick network behind you. Lean into and grow your mentors, and always ask for help. When the time comes, I would offer that it's always great to mentor others."

Dominic Cooke CBE

Theatre and Film Director (BA English and Theatre Studies, 1988; Hon DLitt, 2013)

"All of us, no matter how old, wise, and successful, still have things to learn. If we can be humble enough to accept this - to be the person in the room who doesn’t know everything - we can create space to keep learning and growing as we move through the world.”

Payal Jain

Managing Director at JCURV (MSc Management Science & Operational Research, 2001)

"It's not just what I learnt academically, in those lectures, reading all those books. It’s also what I learnt socially (and I’m not just talking about those Monday nights out in Top Banana) that has given me my edge. The connections I made, the lifelong friends I gained, has given me the platform to do things that I had never dared to dream of."

Sami Dar

CEO of The ABL Foundation (BSc Management, 2021)

"Finding direction requires a different kind of solution. Finding direction only comes with time, it’s something that’s informed by lived experience. So, if you’re sat here today (like I was a few years ago) and you’re not sure what you want, it’s not because you haven’t done enough to find it, it’s because it hasn’t found you yet."

Dr Susan Rutherford

Consultant in Community & Integrated Care and a GP (MBChB, 2017)

“Warwick Medical School has always emphasised the importance of a holistic approach to medicine and I know this will be instilled into each and every one of you. I urge you hold on to this always. To remember that every patient has a unique story.”

Sarah-Jane Perry

World Champion Professional Squash Player, England Squash (BSc Engineering and Business Studies, 2011)

"You don’t have to look the part to be the part. Not in sport. Not in engineering. Not in anything. If you wait to fit the mould, you’ll stay stuck in the box someone else built for you. But, if you’re brave enough to break that mould, you’ll make space - not just for yourself - but for everyone who comes next."

Jeffrey Lynn Scott

Managing Director, ASPIM-Automotive Consulting (MBA, 2005)

“Consider your future as challenges with limitless opportunities, shape your path with clarity and determination, and above all, trust whatever challenges arrive, you can do this!”

Femi Cadmus

Law Librarian and Professor of Law, Yale Law School (LLM, 1989)

“Enjoy the serendipitous and exciting journey of discovery. You never know where you’ll land but I can assure you that it will be great and most fulfilling.”

Ali Plumb

BBC Radio 1's Film Critic, BBC Radio (BA English Literature, 2008)

“Put yourselves out there, take more risks, and do things that scare you.”

Leo Bøe

Principal Consultant (Strategy & Economics), PA Consulting (BA Politics with International Studies, 2010)

“Embrace change by letting yourself be driven by curiosity and your sense of wonder. Think about your next steps as experiments – it’s fine if they don’t work.”

Justin Onuekwusi

Chief Investment Officer, St. James’s Place (BSc Economics, 2003)

“Nurture your network; it’s not about just accumulating contacts, but about building genuine relationships that enrich your life and career.”

Tier Blundell

Founder, Excluded from School (BA Social Studies, 2019)

“You will not always be able to influence who joins you for the ride, but you can inspire others to take up a ride for themselves. Throughout your life, you will encounter people that need your encouragement.”

Vivienne Hayes OBE

Chief Executive of the Women’s Resource Centre (BA Sociology, 1983)

"As graduates you will inevitably have access to more power than many across society, so please use that wisely, with accountability and a listening ear, and remember nobody knows everything."

Helena Quinn

Principal Policy Adviser for AI Policy at the Information Commissioner's Office (BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 2013)

"Do something with your life that you find meaningful and aligns with your values. Use those highly intelligent brains of yours to apply the critical thinking skills you’ve learned here. Trust me, in the age of AI, those critical thinking skills will be essential."

Dr Andrew Harvey

Global Commercial Director, Pfizer (BSc Biochemistry, 2000)

“Most changes have both positive and negative ways of looking at them. It’s always important to look at both sides when you are confronted with any change. Managing change can be stressful and challenging, but it will be a constant throughout life."

Dr Claire Guest OBE

CEO and CSO, Medical Detection Dogs (BA Sociology, 1983)

“You don’t need to have it all figured out. I certainly didn’t. But trust in the values that brought you this far - resilience, empathy, curiosity - and let them guide your next steps. I believe in your willingness to challenge assumptions. To speak out. To collaborate across boundaries. And to ask not just can we do something, but should we?"

Matt Candy

Global Managing Partner - Generative AI, Strategy & Transformation, IBM Consulting (BSc Computer Science, 1997)

“Today, code completes our sentences, paints portraits, and designs proteins. Tomorrow? Well, that’s up to you…"

Vice-President - Cybercrime Threat & Controls Research Lead, Barclays (MSc Cyber Security Engineering, 2019)

"Today is a day for celebration, and I’m here to talk to you about an idea represented by just one word. The word is 'perspective'. Perspective matters in several different ways in my life, and I suppose in yours too."