Nadia Edwards-Dashti
Areas of Interest
BusinessHonorary Award
Honorary Doctor of Business AdministrationCitation
Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Nadia Edwards-Dashti for the award of Honorary Doctor of Business Administration.
Nadia Edwards-Dashti is an entrepreneur, author, equity & inclusion thought-leader, and co-founder of London-based Harrington Starr, a global leader in FinTech recruitment.
Nadia graduated from UCL in 2004 with a BA in History. Yet it was the following year, as she worked towards her MA, that would provide the greater formative experience – because managing her studies while holding down three separate jobs forged in her a discipline and resilience that would prove critical to her success in business.
Nadia’s professional career began in earnest after graduating in 2005, when she entered the male-dominated recruitment sector. And her ability to deliver results both for clients and candidates soon saw her win recognition and advancement.
In 2010, with just five years’ professional experience, Nadia made the bold step, together with her two co-founders, of establishing a new company in the fiercely competitive London recruitment sector.
It was a shrewd move, and Harrington Starr quickly began to make waves in the dynamic FinTech space. Combining her acute business acumen with a genuine commitment to look after the needs of clients and candidates, the new business went from strength to strength.
Fifteen years later, Nadia has now helped thousands of people not only to further their careers, but to find roles that more closely match their personal values and ambitions, which in turn, promotes greater personal wellbeing.
This focus on wellbeing is central to Nadia’s approach, which looks far beyond merely matching skillsets with role profiles. She truly seeks to deliver enhanced outcomes for the individuals and businesses she works with – helping to nurture careers and empowering people to create brighter futures.
While Nadia has operated at the leading edge of developments in financial technology, she has also been a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion – helping firms to build teams with a diverse blend of skills, personalities and values.
Nadia is a true diversity & equity pioneer, and hosts the popular and influential podcast, FinTech’s DEI Discussions, in which she has interviewed over 500 industry leaders from across the globe.
Drawing upon the content of these podcasts, in 2022 Nadia published her book, FinTech Women Walk the Talk – an insightful and hugely compelling call-to-action for greater diversity in the workplace.
Thanks to her outstanding commitment to her clients and her passion for equity and inclusion, Nadia has received a great many industry accolades. In 2019, she featured as one of the Top 30 Inspirational Women in the City. And recruitment industry awards include:
- Most Inspirational Recruitment Agency Leader 2019
- Recruitment Agency Leader of the Year 2022
- and Positive Troublemaker of the Year 2022
Nadia is an Industrial Fellow of the Royal Docks School of Business and Law. She serves as an Executive Board Member of the European Women Payments Network, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
With a fierce drive and sharp business acumen, combined with a genuine passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, Nadia will be a powerful role model for our business students. We are delighted to welcome Nadia Edwards-Dashti to our Anglia Ruskin community.
Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Nadia Edwards-Dashti for the award of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa.