Ben Wicks OBE

Ben Wicks OBE (1995, History and Modern Languages) was formerly a civil servant at the Ministry of Defence and was recognised in the 2013 New Years Honours List with an OBE for services to Defence. He then went on to work as a fund manager and Head of Data Insights and Research Innovation at Schroder Investment Management, London. In 2023,  he stepped away from his role to devote his time to teaching chess in prisons and fund-raising for Chess in Schools and Communities.

Why did you choose to study History and Modern Languages at Univ?
I am terrible at narrowing my options, so I was always likely to try a joint honours degree!  History, I chose because of the sheer scope for enquiry. I had a great love for French based on my experience of the country and culture. Univ was my choice because of its reputation as a down-to-earth college.

Do you have any favourite moments from your time at Univ?
Probably the rowing. I’m not sure I would have imagined myself saying that, when standing in the freezing cold at 6am on weekday mornings waiting for the inevitable pain of the training session! But in retrospect – what a great chance to enjoy the thrill of ignoring all your common sense.

What did you do after leaving the College?
I went into Investment Management. I had long been fascinated by the maths of risk, trying in my spare time to build systems to beat the casino at blackjack, etc. Being able to manage money in a regulated environment was a great chance to scratch this itch in a far more wholesome way. Five years later I noticed myself paying more attention to geopolitics than financial news, so I made a switch to the civil service and joined the Ministry of Defence. This was a tremendous time in my life, when suddenly the definition of risk management took on a completely different meaning. Whilst there, I became struck by the impact of well-designed decision-making processes. So, I decided to take this experience back to the City and establish some novel technology for analysis and decision systems in fund management.

How did your time at Univ influence your career?
The tutorial system really encouraged me to “argue my corner”. I discovered quite quickly in investment management that it was not so common for people to be equally passionate and comfortable about the maths as about the debating. People tended to rely mainly on one at the expense of the other, so I would say that Univ stoked up my debating skills to complement my stats passion, and this became a very effective combination for me.

Have you faced any challenges in your life that you are happy to share here? How did you cope with them?
Yes, I have faced a couple of major challenges, both in terms of illness and personal life crisis. What I would say is that, so long as there is tomorrow, there is always reason to hope things will improve – however marginally. If they don’t, well, there is always tomorrow again. When I am in these moments, I have learned to shorten my perspective, to get to tomorrow, or sometimes to an even shorter horizon. And onwards after that. This keeps the hope levels topped up and gives decision-making and personal resolve the best platform for success.

How did you first become involved in teaching chess?
After half a lifetime of working in large organisations, I decided it was time to follow another passion. I have always been aware of (and uneasy about) the different cards people are dealt in society, and the impact this may have on their choices and outcomes. I am a lover of playing chess in my spare time, and I am fascinated by how it provides a completely level playing-field for decision-making. I decided to take this experience to a very unfamiliar cohort and teach chess to people in prisons. I am doing this within a charity, Chess in Schools and Communities.

What spurred your transition from working in investment management to working for Chess in Schools and Communities?
I believe that money is a means to buy time to focus on the things we feel are the most important. So, I picked my moment to buy myself some time operating in a very different environment and left the City behind. I wanted to meet a very different set of people in prison, where I was aware that conditions are very poor. I wanted to bring them some joy and some reasons to believe in themselves, which is exactly what the process of discovering and improving at chess brings.

What are your goals in your work with Chess in Schools and Communities?
I am one of about 20 colleagues teaching chess in prisons within the charity. My hope is for us to bring joy and self-belief to people who are lacking in both. The testimonials we get from prisoners whose lives have been changed by our work make all of the delivery challenges worthwhile. It is amazing to watch people reflecting about themselves in light of what they discover from this game. In some cases, the simple fact of prisoners discovering this game and getting a weekly visit from an enthusiastic coach has even saved lives. I want us to be able to expand our work to reach every prison in England. I am currently leading a fundraising campaign, called Every Move Matters, to seek private sponsorship from corporations or individuals to help us achieve this dream.

What’s your advice for students at Univ?
Back yourself, be kind to others, work hard, enjoy everything you have access to. You are privileged, take ownership of your chances. And when things don’t work and the world feels like it is conspiring against you, just get to tomorrow.

Describe Univ in three words.
Awesome, Grounded, Fun.