Every single person who graduates from Nottingham becomes part of the university's rich story - they also become the author of new chapters as they embark on their own individual career journeys.

It is this unique connectivity which is so valuable to the students following in their footsteps, and one which we foster. Each seasonal graduation sees a number of hand-picked alumni return to address students, share their story and provide a little inspiration.

We caught up with our four winter speakers, Simon Albrighton (Mahematics and Computer Science, 1997), Simon Crowther (Civil Engineering, 2015), Vanja Ljevar (Marketing, 2014, Digital Economy PhD, 2022) and Yasmin Talsi (Biotechnology, 2015), who each shared a little of their journey to date, career advice and a handful of Nottingham highlights!

Winter 2025 graduation speakers 800x

Clockwise from top left: Yasmin Talsi, Simon Albrighton, Vanya Ljevar, Simon Crowther.

Meet our speakers

Simon Albrighton (Mathematics and Computer Science, 1997) - over 30 years' experience at KMPG, where he is currently Head of Advisory - Corporates.

Simon Crowther (Civil Engineering, 2015) - known as 'the flood guy', he works in flood risk management, working out drainage calculations and flood risk assessments for a wide variety of clients, from homeowners through to the Environment Agency.  

Vanja Ljevar (Marketing, 2014, Digital Economy PhD, 2022) - chief data scientist and co-founder of Cubic Intelligence, which is a behavioural analytics company. Board member for the University of Nottingham Business School.

Yasmin Talsi (Biotechnology, 2015) - an experienced insights professional in the pharmaceutical industry, Yasmin is currently Global Insights Lead at UCB Pharma.

What skill did you learn at Nottingham which you still use in your career today?

Vanja: "My time at Nottingham really taught me the power of critical thinking, it is incredibly useful in helping me look at things from different perspectives. Often, asking the right question is even more important than having all the answers."

Simon Crowther: "I run a business in flood risk management and civil engineering - my degree underpins everything I do day to day, from the decisions I make to the credibility it’s given me as a business owner."

Simon Albrighton: "The key thing I learned while I was at Nottingham was the value of curiosity and empathy. They've been equally as valuable as my technical skills, probably more valuable in a way, as when you go into business you get taught new skills which supercede what you learn at university. But my curiosity and empathy have survived for longer."

Yasmin: "What's amazing about this university is there's such a plethora of opportunities available to you to develop your leadership skills, your critical thinking and your curiosity. It's that curiosity that really has propelled me along my career and gotten me from A to B. It's curiosity about people, about tasks that I'm doing, curiosity about the world." 

What's the biggest realisation you've had during your career so far?

Vanja: "One of the biggest things that I've learned since graduating is that your progress is never linear. This was a hard lesson because when I started my company, I really just thought that you start from zero and go up and up. But i've learned the importance of failing, because you'll learn so much more through that."

Simon A: "Being curious can be uncomfortable. What I mean by that is sometimes you want to get to a destination where you know you're complete, but constantly being curious means you're never there. It requires a level of self-awareness to go ‘actually, there's more’, but it's a lovely way to live your life, to go, 'well, what's next?'"

Simon C: "Learning never ends. But equally, it's the first time that you really have to take ownership for your own learning. You can take different paths in life, but you've got to really want to keep learning and want to have an open mindset to utilise what you've already learned as the base and make a conscious effort to keep going."

Yasmin: "It's really important to remember the big picture. It's very easy, especially when things are busy, to get bogged down in the detail. Taking a step back and remembering 'what am I trying to do here? What's the objective?' can provide you with valuable perspective."

What's your number one tip for anyone who has recently graduated?

Vanja: "It's very important to celebrate even the smallest wins. Life is so filled with all of the different ups and downs, that it's so important to celebrate yourself and all of your achievements along the way."

Simon A: "Stay human. Technology is here to help us. There's no denying it's changing the workplace and it's going redefining what we do. But ultimately, humans will always work with humans and it's the empathy and ability to connect that will make the real difference."

Simon C: "There's so much pressure for everyone to go on and get the perfect job, so try to make sure you can enjoy whatever you're doing in the here and now. Even if it's not necessarily what you ultimately want to do, that's fine, but see what extra skills you can get out of it along the way."

Yasmin: "Build your network. Whether times are tough or times are great, it really is all the connections that you make on a human and personal level that will help you through the good and the bad."

Build your career with our support

Whether you have recently graduated or are considering a career change, we're here to support you - remember we're the top UK university for graduates entering highly skilled employment (HESA Graduate Outcomes survey publications 2021–2025 for full-time, UK, UG and PG graduates).

Our Careers and Employability Service is here for alumni, for life. You can search jobs boards for opportunities specifically for Nottingham graduates and even book an apppointment with a careers adviser.

Contact our Careers and Employability Service >