Last Monday, we welcomed Hugo Barker to speak to Year 13 pupils about careers, resilience, and the many routes into geopolitics and public policy. Now Chief of Staff at the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) and a PhD scholar at Imperial College London, Hugo shared his non-linear journey and encouraged pupils to embrace adaptability, curiosity and learning through failure.

His key message was kindness, and that there is no single ‘right’ path. His advice was to build momentum through small steps, real-world experience, and conversations with people doing the work you’re curious about. Hugo’s talk offered pupils practical, inspiring insights into navigating a fast-changing world of work and reflected Gresham’s commitment to preparing young people for life beyond the classroom.