Namra Nawaz is Community Investment Specialist at T. Rowe Price. Namra tells us about her role, about CSR at T. Rowe Price, and about how her journey in fact began at ELBA!

Please provide a short outline of your current role and a brief description of any other relevant career experience:
I currently serve as a Community Investment Specialist. I am responsible for developing and implementing programmes that enhance engagement and positively impact our associates and the communities where we operate. My role involves close collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders to create initiatives that not only benefit the community but also cultivate a strong sense of purpose and belonging amongst our associates.

My journey to this role began through ELBA’s Eagles programme. Eagles  is a six-month paid graduate programme enabling  recent graduates to join top London firms. Participants spend up to three weeks undertaking training, before beginning a six-month paid internship were they have the chance to gain insights, skills and experience working with some of London’s leading companies. Following the successful completion of my internship, I was fortunate to continue my career at T. Rowe Price, were I have had the opportunity to further develop my expertise and contribute to meaningful community-focused initiatives.

Why is CSR important to your organisation?
Our firm recognises the importance of supporting the community, not just for today, but for long-lasting impact. Our focus is on creating positive change which happens when our associates serve with passion and purpose in the communities where they live and work, and in the ways that matter most to them. This not only enhances their personal and professional growth, but also strengthens their connection with the firm.

Which topics, themes or initiatives is your organisation currently focused on?

One of our main focusses is Financial Wellbeing: Helping people become educated investors has been a part of T. Rowe Price’s mission for over 80 years. T. Rowe Price is committed to helping people of all ages develop the skills and confidence required to make wise financial decisions for themselves and their families. Money Confident Kids (MCK), launched in the UK in 2021, is a freely-available, international financial education programme that helps young people build financial literacy – goal setting, saving, spending, and investing in good money habits.

We know from community partners that young people don’t always access to financial learning resources or typically have a short-term view of their finances. With ELBA’s support, we have been successful in teaching MCK to east London students, resulting in our partner school recognising financial literacy as a significant gap and integrated it into their Maths curriculum.

What is the best part of your job?
Contributing to making a difference – knowing that I serve in a role that genuinely contributes to making a difference in people’s lives. I have the ability to drive meaningful and positive change by aligning business goals with social and community impact. It offers satisfaction – engaging in purpose driven initiatives that not only enhance the firm’s reputation, but also create a long-term value for the communities that we serve. I particularly enjoy the work we do around ‘Investing in Financial Wellbeing’ to educate young students and create a potential talent pipeline for the Financial Industry. A quote from a student who recently participated in our MCK programme is one of the driving forces of why I chose to remain in my role – “They were confident and showed us that any woman can have a place in the financial sector.”