First Sheila Lesley Volunteer of the Year Award winner announced
At our annual Christmas Lunch celebrations, Ese Akpogheneta was announced as the first-ever winner of the Sheila Lesley Volunteer of the Year Award.
Our largest annual gathering offered the perfect chance for members to network and celebrate the year’s achievements. This included the presentation of the first Sheila Lesley Volunteer of the Year Award, acknowledging outstanding individual contribution. We caught up with winner, Ese Akpogheneta to hear more about her career journey and aspirations.
The judges noted Ese’s achievements in making the profession more accessible and open, her involvement in mentoring, and her strong devotion to the committees and working groups she supports.
Kate O’Rourke and Sarah Foster were also recognised for their efforts and positive impact on the profession, placing “Highly Commended” in the award.
Back to where it all began
Starting out in a temping position working for the UK IPO, Ese took a less than traditional route into the profession, saying she “sort of fell into it”. After some time handling queries and helping the general public with initial trade mark searches, Ese was asked if she would like to be the hearings clerk.
She recalled the moment she realised she wanted to pursue a career in intellectual property (IP), saying, “I’m reading through case files and finding it really interesting. You then start to realise brands have always been in your life. You didn’t know it was trade marks, you didn’t know it was brands, but you buy things your mum bought – you buy the same drink you grew up with. And that’s because you trust brands.
“I got the opportunity to talk to the hearing officers and ask them questions and it just gave me a buzz. I thought, ‘Wow. I really enjoy this.’”
At a crossroads: which path next?
Keen to continue growing her career, Ese moved on to work as a formalities clerk for a private practice firm, handling clients who were looking for worldwide protection of their brand. However, having not gone to university, Ese explains how getting this job was a pivotal point in her career, saying, “I knew I couldn’t really progress any further [at the UK IPO] unless I moved to Newport, which I didn’t want to do. So I decided, if I don’t get a job by September, I’m going to university.”
For Ese, attending university wasn’t a defining factor in the success of her career, but she acknowledged not everyone’s journey is the same and spoke about the stigma that is often associated with not having a degree, “I’ve come across many people that think you’re stupid if you don’t go to university. So, I like to shine and be the example – if you get the opportunity to go, that’s great but if you don’t, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.”
The importance of giving back
Fast forward several years and Ese has worked for British American Tobacco (BAT) as a Trade Mark and Marketing Counsel since 2019. She has also been a member of CITMA Council since 2018 and joined the IP Inclusive management team as a non-executive last year.
She explained why it’s important to her to give back to the IP community through these roles, “I think it’s more that it wasn’t there for me when I was starting out. You’re just in the dark, trying to find a way forward. I think it would have been so helpful if there were people like me, ahead of me.”
She added, “So now I’m in a place where I can give that to other people, I do – to try and make other people’s career path a lot smoother than mine.”
The Sheila Lesley Award recognises those who have made great impact through their contributions to the community over the past 12 months. In addition to sitting on council and supporting IP Inclusive, the judges noted Ese’s strong dedication to mentoring and helping fellow members, describing her efforts as “giving the extra”.
As well as being a rewarding experience, Ese feels working with organisations like IP Inclusive, that focus on diversity and inclusivity, is a great opportunity to provide input and help shape the future of the profession.
She said, “When I started out, there were not people like me in front of me to look at as an inspiration. To say that the profession seems more open now because there's someone like me – and CITMA gives me the opportunity to do that – I think it’s fantastic.”
Hopes for the future
Seemingly still taken aback by her win, Ese described the news as “amazing,” with a gleeful smile, adding, “My colleague nominated me, and I didn’t really think anything would come of it. I’m really chuffed and humbled by the news – it’s amazing.”
When asked what she sees on the horizon, Ese continues to set her bar high in her career, “My immediate goal is to continue doing what I’m doing and doing it very well.”
She added, “I'm lucky – I know most people just do a job to pay the bills, but I've fallen into a profession where I actually enjoy what I do! So, I hope to continue enjoying it as much now as when I first started out.”
Find out more about the Sheila Lesley Volunteer of the Year Award here.