An unexpected career supporting entrepreneurs

Ellie Wyburd-Edwards, Eagle Labs Regional Lead, Business Banking

My route into Barclays began at a shampoo basin. After a year of travelling, I was working in a salon when I washed the hair of Barclays UK’s Head of Events. We got talking, and that conversation led to an interview. I joined the Events team as a contractor in 2016 and became a permanent colleague the following year. Eagle Labs caught my attention early on. I hadn’t expected a bank to be so involved in helping founders and growing businesses.

That’s what makes Eagle Labs different. We work a bit like a start-up within a big bank, using Barclays’ reach, expertise and resources to help businesses connect, innovate and grow.
I spent two years finding ways to get closer to the team before joining in 2018. Today, I’m a Regional Lead covering London, Oxford and Cambridge. I might be visiting a lab to meet partners, preparing judging packs for the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards, or working with our Lab and Ecosystem Managers on new ways to support founders in their local area.

Helping businesses grow across the UK

After returning from my first maternity leave, I led delivery of the Digital Growth Grant, a £12 million UK Government grant designed to expand Eagle Labs’ support for the UK tech ecosystem. Through the Ecosystem Partnership Programme, we worked with 32 regional partners and supported nearly 3,000 businesses. Across the wider grant, 79% of our support reached businesses outside London. What I’m proudest of is that the support reached businesses through partners who understood their local needs. It showed me the scale of impact Barclays can have beyond traditional banking, helping businesses access the expertise, connections and support they need to grow.

Growing by saying yes

Over ten years, I’ve progressed to Vice President through secondments, step-up opportunities and projects that gave me more responsibility. At first, the size of Barclays took some getting used to. There seemed to be an acronym or team for everything. But asking questions and building relationships helped me understand how the organisation works and where new opportunities could come from. In Eagle Labs, I’ve always felt encouraged to suggest ideas and try things. 

There’s room to think differently, with the backing of a much bigger organisation behind you.

Supporting a team of my own

I’ve recently become a people leader, so my focus now is on helping my team grow while continuing to stretch myself. For anyone considering Barclays, I’d say stay open-minded about where your career could take you. Talk to people, explore teams you haven’t heard of and put yourself forward before you feel completely ready. Some of the most interesting opportunities can be the ones you didn’t know existed.