A Conversation With Marc Bailey

Marc, tell us a little about Sucden Financial and your role as CEO?

I initially joined the company in 2015 as Deputy CEO as part of the succession planning that took place as the outgoing CEO moved into the role of Chairman. In 2020, I became CEO. Sucden Financial is a subsidiary of Sucden, a French commodity, logistics and trading firm specialising in the trade of agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa and sugar. Sucden Financial is a London-based financial services and derivatives company – we offer access to markets and risk mitigation solutions, mainly to corporates who produce or use commodities

Having established your charitable fund with EECF how did you promote and engage your staff in this company initiative? 

Initially, our journey started with the 50th anniversary of Sucden Financial. The idea was to give back the very commodities we trade to the East London community, at a time when inflation had started to bite. Essentially, we wanted to utilise the team’s professional expertise in food, energy, and IT to help vulnerable people in our local area at a time when those resources were scarce. The Board awarded us £50,000 for the 50th anniversary, and we invited staff to fundraise and match the amount.

Our CSR team were tasked not only with setting up fundraising activities, but also with ensuring the money was effectively used. This led them to join forces with EECF, who guided and supported us in efficiently allocating the money to generate the maximum positive impact. Our flagship fundraising event was a cycle ride from our London office to our Paris office – this has now become an annual event, bringing clients, colleagues, and friends of the firm together to raise money for EECF. Last year, we rode from London to Amsterdam; this year, in 2025, we will ride from Perpignan to Barcelona, across the Pyrenees. The CSR team have done a great job in engaging staff, and we’ve been extremely grateful to the EECF for helping us to keep that momentum going by demonstrating the transformational impact that our fundraising has had on local people in need.

Sucden Financial’s charitable giving has had a positive impact on small East End charities.  Is there a grant that stood out to you? 

In the last two years, we have been guided by staff in deciding which grants to give, maintaining high levels of staff engagement. The most recent grant we awarded was to support sport as a means of reducing knife crime, which was a cause I was particularly passionate about. There is a shocking waste of life caused by this issue, and the ongoing suffering that follows is something we should all care about and work to reduce. These tragic and all-too-common crimes must not be ignored and I’m really proud that Sucden Financial were able to make a potentially life-saving impact on young people in East London through the EECF.

Is there any reason why the company has focused its giving on the East End of London?

We have been a successful City-based business for over 50 years, and we wanted to give back to our direct community. London is one of the biggest and richest cities in the world, but one in four Londoners live in poverty. By tackling our immediate local area, we can be even more efficient and engaged in the work that we’re trying to do, and have an outsized impact on those who are most in need of help.  

In addition to Suden Financial working with EECF, you too are now personally involved as a member of our Life Chances Leadership Council.  What motivated you to get involved and what are you hoping to bring to the role? 

My family lived in the East End community. I left the area when I was young but have early memories and maintained family connections throughout my childhood. I would like to use my knowledge and connections to support the EECF.

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