SBM Industry Spotlight Series: Careers in Consulting, Advisory and Strategy

When: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: (Online)

Interested in a career where problem-solving, strategic thinking, and real-world impact come together? Join us for the next SBM Industry Spotlight session exploring careers in consulting, advisory, and strategy.

This event will feature professionals working across consulting and advisory roles who will share their career journeys, insights into the industry, and practical advice on breaking into this competitive field. Learn how consultants help organisations tackle complex challenges, drive transformation, and shape business strategy across a range of sectors.

Whether you’re considering management consulting, risk and advisory services, business strategy, or transformation roles, this session will provide valuable insights into the skills employers look for and the pathways available to students and graduates.

Hosted by:

Susan Smith - Careers Consultant at Queen Mary University of London

With nearly 30 years in careers consulting, Susan has worked with business schools at the University of Technology Sydney and managing the careers service at the University of Sydney Business School. This included coaching MBA clients in addition to developing teaching and learning within the curriculum. Susan has also worked in the corporate world, including British Airways and learning and development with Apple. Currently, Susan works as an employability lecturer within the School of Business and Management and as a content creator for Careers and Enterprise.

Speakers:

Diana Paolone - Senior Consultant, Assessment Service Line Lead at Sustainable Advantage 

Diana Paolone is an ESG, EDI, and sustainable finance leader with over a decade of experience advising boards, C-suite executives, private equity firms, iNGOs, and corporate foundations on responsible investment, sustainability strategy, and social impact. Her career spans consulting, investment advisory, and international development, with a track record of designing proprietary ESG frameworks, digitising assessment processes, and guiding investment teams in integrating material sustainability considerations into due diligence and portfolio management. Her consultancy experience includes roles across firms of varying scale, notably SLR Consulting, where she specialised in social impact management and measurement for mid- to high-cap global corporations.

As ESG Assessment Service Line Lead at Sustainable Advantage Group, Diana manages the firm’s ESG Assessment Framework and oversees delivery across a diverse client base, from private equity fund portfolios to mid- and high-market corporates. She ensures methodological rigour, strengthens data and reporting quality, and supports senior leaders in embedding sustainability into business risk strategy and operational decision-making.

Diana has delivered measurable impact across sectors including law, technology, and finance, enhancing ESG performance, stakeholder alignment, and organisational resilience. Her earlier work leading gender and youth programmes internationally provides a grounded understanding of how social impact translates from strategy to outcomes. She is passionate about supporting the next generation of consultants and leaders, offering a candid, practical perspective on navigating the consulting industry, building credibility early, and shaping a purpose-driven career.

 

Miruna Botea - Consultant at Capco

Miruna is a professional based in London, currently a Financial Services Consultant at Capco with over four years of experience in Capital Markets, delivering complex regulatory and strategic projects for a large global bank across both commercial and trading markets.

She has delivered multi-market regulatory initiatives, strategised global internal policies and contributed to the development of internal IT solutions supporting operational and governance transformation. She is currently engaged in delivering a global innovative that leverages strategic AI functionalities.

Miruna holds a BSc in Marketing & Management and an MSc in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, both from Queen Mary University of London. She has further obtained certifications in Python coding and Professional Scrum Master (Agile) and continues to pursue further professional development.”

 

Aimee Charalambous - Associate Director at Ramboll Management Consulting#

Aimee Charalambous (LLB & LLM, Queen Mary University of London) is an energy and strategy professional with over a decade of experience across public and private sectors, including energy, Net Zero and technology. Her career spans strategic policy development, market analysis, renewables procurement and emerging technologies.

Aimee currently works at Ramboll as Associate Director for Energy Transition, where she supports clients with energy and decarbonisation strategies, coordinating across technical and strategic teams to deliver impactful solutions. Prior to this, she was at KPMG, leading a range of global business strategy and energy transition projects. She has also worked in UK government, where she led on strategic energy infrastructure planning, Net Zero policy and energy security strategy.

A proud alumna of Queen Mary University of London, Aimee brings practical insights into energy transition strategy, policy and advisory, and is passionate about sharing her journey with students aspiring to careers in consulting, advisory and strategy.

 

Daniaal Amin - Senior Analyst at BearingPoint 

Bearing Point is an independent management and technology consultancy with European roots. They're global network spans over 70 countries and 13,000 people where they operate in three business units: Consulting, Products, and Capital.