Hani Kablawi: an advocate for belonging and inclusion

Hani Kablawi has worked at global financial services company BNY since 1997, holding leadership roles in the US, UAE and the UK. In 2020, he was appointed as BNY’s Head of International, overseeing the regional management teams across EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America, and working with the company’s international senior leadership team to guide its business outside of the US. 

In the same year, Breaking Barriers was delighted to welcome Hani onto our Board of Trustees, benefitting not only from his experience in the business world but also learning from his personal experience of displacement and his passion for belonging and inclusion. 

Through its strong ethos of service and citizenship, BNY itself has also been a great supporter of Breaking Barriers since 2019. Some of the highlights of the partnership have included: 

• A BNY funded programme for underemployed refugees that supported 163 Breaking Barriers’ clients in 2020. 

• Delivering many training and guidance sessions run by BNY volunteers, including a six-week IT and numeracy course. 

• Collaborating on the pilot of Breaking Barriers’ speed mentoring programme.  

Both Hani and BNY have played a significant role in Breaking Barriers’ history to date. Now, as we mark our 10th anniversary and look ahead to the next decade of supporting refugees into meaningful employment, we are pleased to share a video message from our former trustee: