Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Tariro Madzingira on Community, Mentorship, and Building an Inclusive Future in Finance

Tariro Madzingira (BSc Accounting & Business, 2020) is motivated by a belief that success should not come at the expense of well-being. A passionate advocate for community building, mentoring, and education, she has dedicated herself to fostering environments where professionals - particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds - can thrive. In a Chief of Staff seat at Goldman Sachs, she combines her academic background with the understanding that continued learning and inclusive environments are imperative to growth.

The financial sector has made strides in diversifying its talent pipeline, with leading firms investing in outreach programs and recruitment initiatives. But while reports on gender and racial diversity in finance suggest that while entry-level representation is improving, there is still much work to be done at the top level.

For Tariro, mentoring has played a crucial role in navigating the corporate world. Early in her career at Goldman Sachs she was paired with a mentor, and believes structured mentoring programmes, particularly in supporting underrepresented employees, are essential for any major firm.

“I think it adds to your sense of belonging,” she says. “I definitely feel like if there wasn’t these kinds of initiatives, I wouldn’t stay in any company that long. If you don’t have any connections outside your direct line of work, it can be quite isolating - it’s good to have someone to sense-check with, to know if something is weird or if that’s just the way things are done."

Tariro (front row, second from the left) believes in the power of community-building, and has been involved in organising social events for the firm’s Women’s Network, as well as attending events like Black Voices in Finance, organised by Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg. This year, Tariro and Leah Kulkhanjian, founder of Let Loose, hosted a women’s morning for International Women’s Day with the aim of building relationships through movement, creativity and conversation.

“If you don't see inclusive environments already, I think creating them is really important”, she says. “I’m a big advocate for community-building – when you put on events, even if it’s for one or two hours, you don’t know what connections are going to be made, what impact that might have on someone’s trajectory.”

As black woman in finance, Tariro is keen to support others looking to follow a similar path. And while it’s important having someone to confide in and vouch for you, she believes building self belief and confidence is an essential part of making your way in corporate environments.

"Give yourself a good reason to have confidence”, she says. “If you’ve done what you needed to do - your degree, your research, gaining experience - why wouldn’t you be confident? No one is going to give you a pat on the back, so you need to do that for yourself."

For current students, she stresses the importance of using university as a testing ground for different interests: “Try as many things as possible while you have the chance," she advises. "University gives you access to opportunities, internships, and networking events that become harder to find once you graduate.”

While Tariro’s career is still in its early stages, her long-term vision extends beyond work. Going back to her time at Nottingham, where she organised mindful art workshops, Tariro has always had a strong passion for mindfulness, and hopes to link her experiences in the corporate world and events to promote wellbeing and resilience for professionals. In high-performance industries like finance, law, and consulting, maintaining well-being is essential. Taking time to recharge and recalibrate through mindful activities on weekends or an annual Think Week can help professionals sustain long-term success.

“I think part of my interest in Wellness is around building healthy resilience ”, she says. “I’d like to see a time where regular timeouts throughout the year are endorsed, rather than seeing burnout and other factors forcing individuals to halt given the always on culture of the Western world.”

It is, she suggests, another piece of the puzzle: what good is breaking barriers if people aren’t able to thrive once they get there?