Shaping a More Diverse Talent Pipeline: BDO Voice of the Future 2026

This year’s edition of BDO Voice of the Future gave our students the opportunity to voice and bring their ideas to the table where they can make an impact.

Students had an immersive experience in BDO’s London offices, where they had the opportunity to step into the shoes of consultants, work alongside industry professionals on a real-life consultancy challenge and pitch their ideas to a panel of BDO judges.

The aim of the day was to put the decision-making power in the hands of students and allow them to voice their ideas and solutions to an issue prominent at BDO and across talent pipelines in the corporate world: how can BDO early careers become even more attractive to women starting their careers in finance, accountancy and consultancy?

On the day, 17 students came together to work in teams and ideate solutions to the proposed challenge. Students explored the barriers facing women entering the industry and developed innovative solutions to help make BDO’s early careers opportunities more available to women. In collaboration with BDO representatives and graduates, students also gained valuable insights into the industry, with a lunchtime networking session giving them the opportunity to speak directly to BDO graduates and get an authentic look at what a career at BDO can look like.

In Enactus fashion, students were tasked to deliver a pitch on their solution to a panel of judges from BDO. With students pitching their ideas directly to BDO, it was inspiring to see the decision-making shift into the hands of students, giving them the opportunity to champion their solutions and make an impact.

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all the students who came along on the day- especially the winning team Cerys Williams, Azka Hashmi, Idrees Ahmed, Malveen Maini and Dominik Ujczak! You all displayed such fantastic enthusiasm, energy and creativity. The challenge demonstrates the value that BDO places on student voice and the perspectives of the next generation of responsible leaders.

Winning Student Team, BDO Voice of the Future

Students left the experience with a greater awareness of the barriers facing women entering the sector, as well as increased confidence in their ability to collaborate, develop solutions and contribute to real-world challenges. By placing students at the centre of the decision-making process, BDO gave them the confidence and opportunity to see themselves as future responsible leaders capable of creating meaningful change.

“Having the opportunity to advocate for women at BDO and research how women are being supported really inspired me to work within the finance sector because it taught me that women are represented and supported in the sector. Without Enactus, I wouldn’t have been able to do that and would have still been apprehensive about the sector.”

We’re all about creating brilliant opportunities through our partnership with BDO. A massive thank you to our judging panel for giving their valuable time and support to the challenge and students taking part.

A huge thank you to BDO for their commitment to developing the next generation of responsible leaders and providing these opportunities to Enactus students.