We’re excited to welcome Natalie Ojevah MBE as a new co-host of Off The Agenda alongside Sir Charles Bowman.

Natalie has spent more than a decade championing inclusion, innovation, and community impact in banking, rising from Retail Apprentice to Vice President. She co-created Barclays’ award-winning Black Founders Accelerator and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her work driving change across the sector.

Widely regarded as “a leading voice for the next generation of leaders,” she is a dynamic public speaker, community builder, and advocate for diverse entrepreneurs. Her influence has been recognised across the industry with honours from the FT Adviser Diversity in Finance Awards, Black British Business Awards, MBCC Awards, and an MBE for her contribution to Business Development and Diversity & Inclusion.

Sir Charles Bowman and the City Welcome Dame Susan as Lady Mayor of the City of London

Marking a historic moment as Dame Susan Langley DBE becomes the 697th Lord Mayor

Sir Charles Bowman joined City leaders to welcome Dame Susan Langley DBE as she took office as the 697th Lord Mayor of the City of London, and the first to adopt the title Lady Mayor. The ceremony marked a significant moment for the Square Mile as she stepped into one of its most historic and globally visible civic roles.

As Lady Mayor, Dame Susan now serves as the elected head of the City of London Corporation and a global ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services sector. She will represent the City on the world stage, leading international business delegations and championing the UK’s position as a global financial centre.

Sir Charles praised her longstanding contribution to civic life, her commitment to inclusion and integrity, and her ambitious vision for the year ahead.

We extend our warm congratulations to Dame Susan and look forward to seeing the impact of her tenure.

Off The Agenda Levels Up: Behind the Scenes of Our LSEG Partnership

This is not a test: A behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming next.

Off The Agenda began in 2021 on Zoom, recorded on laptops, patchy Wi-Fi, and pure determination, before we filmed our first in-person episode at The Bridge, a PwC Foundation space in London Bridge. Since then, the show has grown into a platform filmed across some of the City’s most iconic venues, including Mansion House, Marlborough House at the Commonwealth Secretariat, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Bank of England, and more.

A Look Back at Our First Guest

Our very first guest was David Ajala, who was filming Star Trek: Discovery for Netflix at the time. Today, he stars in Law & Order as Detective Theo Walker and most recently appeared in Netflix’s Woman in the Cabin, and he’s joined us on Off The Agenda twice.

You can watch his conversation with Sir Charles Bowman from our OTA Live x Google event, “Inclusion Across Borders,” the perfect warm-up as we prepare for the new season of Off The Agenda.

We’ve just given you a behind-the-scenes look at our upcoming partnership with LSEG. Get ready for a refreshed aesthetic, enhanced production quality, and conversations that redefine business, culture, and leadership.

David Ajala

Company of the Week: Huawei Headphones

Editor’s Pick by Edwin Danso

This week’s crown goes to Huawei, because their FreeBuds 6 headphones have single-handedly rescued sleep, sanity, and quite possibly a relationship.

The noise-cancelling is unreal. You can even activate it on yourself, and apparently that’s helpful, because I’ve recently been informed that I snore like the tornado that carried Dorothy and Toto to Oz. My partner now uses the FreeBuds as luxury earplugs, and peace has finally returned to the household.

They also work wonders if you’ve got kids who play Roblox with the passion of an Arsenal supporter after a last-minute loss.

I put them head-to-head with the £119 AirPods 4, and at £109.99 the FreeBuds 6 come in slightly cheaper, but it’s the sound quality that really gives Huawei the edge. Crisp, balanced, and genuinely impressive for the price point. Add the elite noise-cancelling and they comfortably outperform Apple in this round.

Final verdict: a solid 8/10 - and an easy recommendation.

Check out their specs below:

FreeBuds 6

Think you’ve found a brand worth shouting about?
Nominate your Company of the Week: info@otamediagroup.com

The Next Agenda - Market Close Event

Join us live for an insight-packed end-of-day session.

Much is still under wraps about our special event, but registration is now open for our Market Close Event, a live session bringing together leading industry voices to unpack the day’s biggest stories. Expect sharp analysis, meaningful networking, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.

A few readers mentioned issues with the previous sign-up link, so we’ve created a simpler, more reliable way to register.

🎟️ Use the updated link here - it works.

RSVP

Recognising Culture and Service at PwC

A look back at the moment Edwin Danso and Tunji Akintokun MBE were honoured by PwC UK for their commitment to culture, empowerment, and community uplift.

In this week’s TBT, we highlight Edwin Danso’s well-deserved recognition as PwC’s Culture Champion, celebrated alongside Tunji Akintokun MBE, Senior Director at LinkedIn, who received PwC’s Empowerment Through Service award.

Invest in OTA Media

OTA Media is entering a new growth phase. We are expanding our platform, scaling production, and deepening our impact across business, culture, and leadership conversations.

As we prepare to raise capital, we are inviting early supporters to invest in our vision: a modern media ecosystem that elevates authentic voices, informs decision-makers, and shapes the future of thought leadership.

If you believe in independent storytelling, high-integrity journalism, and platforms that champion diverse perspectives, we welcome your support at this pivotal moment.