Square Mile and Me: James Uffindell on building Bright Network

Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today, James Uffindell, CEO of Bright Network, a platform which helps connect young ambitious people with career opportunities, takes us through his journey – from City faux pas to career highlights

What was your first job? 

I worked in the local pub growing up – it was great to see how a business worked, plus it developed my soft skills dealing with customers. I remember being really chuffed when I got the job. Someone once said to me “you’ll always have to sell something, even if it’s just yourself”!

What was your first role in business?

In my last year at university I had no idea what to do, both mum and dad had both left school at 16 so I didn’t have any real careers guidance. However, thanks to a brilliant teacher I had been lucky enough to get into Oxford and I wanted to help others to do the same so I launched a start-up from my student bedroom helping students apply to university. I was helping students all over the UK, and eventually globally – I grew it during my twenties and sold it to private equity in 2013. 

And when did you know you wanted to build Bright Network?

Having had this experience with my first business, it made me realise that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Talking to big employers, they were telling me they wanted to access the very best talent – this inspired me to create Bright Network. It’s this that drives us every day. Our mission is not only to connect the brightest talent (we have over a million members on the platform now) with the best opportunities, but also to help businesses build a diverse, resilient and successful workforce by tapping into a broader, more inclusive talent pool.

What’s one thing you love about the City of London? 

For me, London really is the capital of the world; there is nowhere else like it for the sheer energy and range of opportunities. The thing I love the most is the genuine focus on talent. Firms know that to win and compete they have to find the best talent and are relentless at doing this – this is why we have some of the most successful organisations in the world based here.

And one thing you would change? 

Things have improved significantly over the years, but we can do more to improve diversity of thought in leadership roles – more women in tech and a broader range of perspectives. It’s not just about ticking boxes; a diverse leadership team makes the City more vibrant, fun and resilient. 

What’s been your most memorable lunch? 

When I was 20 and at university I got to have lunch with Michael Heseltine when he came to speak to the students. It was inspiring to hear how he had started a business straight out of university, and then the impact he had in the world of politics – such as being key to redeveloping Liverpool. He’s an inspiring figure and I was lucky to meet him when I was so young.

And any business faux pas? 

In the early days I once accidentally did an email mail merge to around 300 Bright Network members but failed to change the first name from ‘James’ so they all replied asking what was going on! However, I fessed up and it worked out well – I spent that evening chatting to lots of our members via email which was a great way to build engagement in the early days as we were getting started.

What’s been your proudest moment?

Getting to a million members on Bright Network really was quite a moment. I took the millionth member (Abel) for lunch and we had so much in common e.g. growing up with single working mothers etc. Hitting a million was a nice reminder that we had built a product that people wanted, while also reinforcing just how important that individual and personal element is to our mission.

And who do you look up to?

I don’t think it can be attributed to just one person. From an entrepreneurial perspective, Richard Branson’s pioneering spirit in the 1980s – his bold, fun approach and willingness to take risks. On a more personal level, my mum, a single parent who supported me through everything, has been a huge influence. I also deeply admire anyone who has overcome significant barriers with sheer determination and talent to make a mark in their field. I’m fortunate in my job to be surrounded by such brilliant people; I’m constantly learning from them and am continually blown away by it all.

Are you optimistic for the year ahead?

Absolutely! We’re at a pivotal moment where businesses recognise the importance of an inclusive workforce, soft skills and that talent is not just about the academic grades. Having experience on both sides of the early careers recruitment process, I’m interested in how AI will shape this landscape. Its adoption by young professionals has led to a huge surge in graduate applications and a lot of similar sounding responses from seemingly strong candidates likely using the same AI tools. This is causing an enormous headache for HR teams. But, on the positive side, AI also has the potential to be a powerful tool for driving social mobility in the workplace during the recruitment process, and is especially useful  for neurodiverse students. We use a data-driven recommendation algorithm that provides increasingly better matches for graduates and higher engagement on campaigns for employers.

So, I’m interested to see what happens next and am hopeful we can use it to continue making strides towards social mobility in the workforce

We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?

Probably Paradise by Liverpool Street – it’s near the office, high quality, but also fun, quirky and a bit different.

And if we’re grabbing a drink after work?

The Radio Bar overlooking the city is hard to beat – amazing views plus a nice reminder of UK innovation as it’s in the old BBC building where the first radio broadcast was made.  

Where’s home during the week?

West Hampstead – easy to get into the City and a great community hub.

And where might we find you at the weekend?

I love to escape at the weekends and just got back from Provence. 

You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?  

 I used to run marathons but a knee injury put an end to that. I’ve now become a full blown MAMIL (Middle Aged Men in Lycra), so probably cycling somewhere with some mates. 

Quickfire: 

Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Favourite film: Citizen Cane – an entrepreneur, but a flawed one!

Favourite artist/musician Oasis: I grew up with Britpop, great years

Favourite place in London: Covent Garden – I used to live there, it was just a 10 minute walk to our first office on Regent Street

Cocktail order: Old Fashioned

Coffee order: Flat White