Mental Health Awareness Week: Understanding financial anxiety

Since founding ABSTRACT in 2007, David Nikolich has made it his mission to make the corporate world a fairer and better place. Through award-winning learning and development programmes, David and the team at ABSTRACT work with client partners to create inclusive leaders at all levels of organisations, whilst permanently embedding behavioural change in themselves and others.

David learnt first-hand through decades at senior management level in organisations such as AVIVA and RBS what it took to inspire change in a business; the right people, instilled with the right behaviours, creating the right environment.

David considers himself in a privileged position to provide influence and allyship to help inspire business leaders to be, and do better.

Niki works in Financial Services acting as a Lead Mental Health Advocate, supporting colleagues with ways to help manage their wellbeing. She has worked closely with mental health charities including Mental Health UK, raising money and awareness for their Mental Health and Money Advice services. 

Raghu was appointed Managing Director of Customer Engagement & Distribution in June 2022. He is responsible for the service we provide to customers through our digital, branch and telephony channels. Leading our team of highly trained colleagues and accelerating our Retail strategy to deliver leading customer service that combines the best digital experience with 24/7 access to the best people.

Raghu is passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to develop and fulfil their potential – no matter their background – and is proud to be Retail’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion sponsor.

Raghu graduated from Columbia University and London Business School with a MBA. He then spent over 20 years at HSBC in a variety of roles, ultimately holding senior positions across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the UK. Most recently he ran HSBC’s Retail and Wealth business in India and prior to this was Global Head of International and Customer Propositions and Head of Distribution, both based in the UK. While in the UK, Raghu chaired the Bank’s Inclusion Board and was also the Executive Sponsor for Embrace – the ethnicity ELN.

When he’s not working, life centres around his family and Raghu has been married to Tej for 19 years and is father to Zain, Zara and Aiza. They live in North London and enjoy cycling, music and travelling.