Black History Month: Leading with purpose

Janice Matwi (Finance and Accounting, 2018) works as the Employer Partnerships Lead for Africa & Zambia Country Manager at ACCA Global. 

Finding My Voice at Essex

My time at Essex was a blend of challenge and sanctuary — a place where I felt safe enough to stretch and bold enough to show up. As a Black student, I sometimes carried the weight of representation, but I also found community, purpose, and the courage to lead with my full identity. What I enjoyed most was the vibrancy of ideas: late-night debates in cafés, lectures that spilled into lived experience, and friendships from across the world that still enrich my life and perspective today.

Essex taught me the value of different perspectives. One of my professors often reminded us that any answer begins with “it depends” — that there’s rarely a linear conclusion to anything worth exploring. That lesson taught me to pause, question, and appreciate nuance — skills that shape how I lead and make decisions today.

The Careers Centre was also a huge plus. I tapped into their guidance on career storytelling and placement readiness, and those early sessions taught me how to articulate my skills with confidence and clarity.

Interestingly, I now deliver the Africa Virtual Career Fair, hosting over 150 employers across the continent — and many of the ideas I implement today were born out of what I experienced at the Essex Employability Centre. It was, in every sense, a life-changing chapter — one that gave me the intellectual curiosity and practical grounding I still draw from every single day.

From Essex to Africa

Since graduating, I’ve worked across sectors and geographies — from fintech to professional education. Today, I support market enablement across Africa, driving employer engagement and partnerships while delivering strategic ambitions for ACCA.

I also host A Seat at the Table, a platform amplifying leadership stories across the continent, and serve on boards where I advocate for equitable systems in education, business and financial inclusion. As a public speaker, I share insights on diversity and inclusion, the future of work, and how African leaders can build reputational capital in a rapidly changing global world.

Each chapter of my career has been about translating global training into local impact, shaping fairer systems, and creating tables where more voices can be heard. One of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve learned is: you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you signal. Telling your story isn’t self-promotion — it’s stewardship. It’s about owning how your work and values are perceived. Telling your story is about creating exposure for people that have not experienced other cultures as well.

I also use career storytelling to position myself, and that's how a recruiter reached out to me for a role that has since shaped my career and thinking. I  was already doing the work and communicating the ‘why’ behind it. That’s the power of alignment — when purpose meets preparation, opportunity recognises you.

As a Black woman in global corporate spaces, the experience is layered. You’re often reading the room and rewriting the script at the same time. You learn to blend rigour with resilience, hold your boundaries with grace, and use your voice not just to perform, but to influence systems. Change doesn’t always come with a spotlight moment. Sometimes it’s a quiet, persistent nudge. But every time you show up fully, every time you use your voice with intention, you chip away at something that once seemed immovable.

The world of work is evolving — and representation must evolve with it.

My advice for future leaders

• Build your narrative early
• Speak your value with clarity and consistency
• Seek sponsors, not just mentors
• Be curious about cultures, sectors, and geographies

The intersections you explore today become your unique axis tomorrow.

Find out more about our degrees in Finance and Accounting.