Over 120 professionals from the mortgage and financial services sector attended the Black Mortgage Professionals & Allies Networking (BMPAN) event at Barclays’ Canary Wharf head office on 12th May.
The event, now in its third iteration, was organised in partnership with Barclays and focused on leadership, confidence and inclusion for black professionals in the industry.
Lesley Cappellaro, regional manager at Barclays, opened the event, followed by a fireside chat on building a mortgage business with Rob Gill, managing director at Altura Mortgage Finance, and Joel Bailey-Wilson, founder of Meta Mortgages.
Atlyn Forde, head of inclusion and engagement at Pepper Money and BMPAN co-founder, facilitated the discussion.
The main panel was hosted by Jeffrey Krampah-Williams, national key account manager at Santander and BMPAN co-founder.
The panel included Sidney Wager, managing director at London & Country, Nina Brown, protection adviser at Pam Brown Mortgages, Edwin Elder, independent consultant, and Abi Muazu, business development manager at Barclays.
Aleka Gutzmore, co-founder and mortgage and protection specialist, led the event and wrapped up the evening with closing remarks.
Afropop Socks supported the event, providing sponsored attendee giveaways.
Attendees included senior professionals from Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, Nationwide, Santander, Legal & General, Mortgage Advice Bureau, Pepper Money, Skipton Building Society, and L&C.
Gutzmore said: “It’s not just about being in the room — it’s about building something together. We want Black professionals and allies to connect, grow and belong. That’s what this space is for.”
Pam Brown, owner of Pam Brown Mortgages, said: “We showed up last night. We have to make sure there isn’t a glass ceiling because of the colour of your skin. We won’t make progress standing on the sidelines.”
Dom Scott, MD at Lifetime Connect, said: “The atmosphere was electric — open, honest, and full of purpose.
“I left the event both energised and reflective. We need more of this across the industry.”
Forde said: “We launched this event to change the narrative. There is a visible lack of representation, equity, and support for Black professionals in our industry.
“This space is about making change happen through community, visibility and shared growth.”
