What first inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
A role in the finance and banking industry is very dynamic with many areas of specialisation and opportunity. I’m still very early into my career but this industry has already provided me with challenges and exposure to a large support network that I hope to continue to develop. Rather than thinking about roles or a specific job title as my medium to long term goal, I’ve always pursued the notion of what skills I want to develop whether that’s soft or technical. It’s more realistic to think about how a role can allow you to grow personally and professionally in a supportive culture to reach your goals rather than be the end goal. I believe the finance and banking industry is an ever changing and proactive environment that is forward looking and is always maximising the most optimal way to work and progress society. It’s an integral part of everyone’s daily lives and I feel is a great place to learn about yourself and your environment. Of course an interest in business acumen and commerce always helps but if you’re passionate about learning and problem solving this may be a career for you!
How did your time at UNSW Sydney prepare you for this?
Reflecting upon my time in UNSW, I am very appreciative of all the opportunities and flexibility the university has provided me over the years. I started out my time in university as a full time business cadet and part time student – I attended uni in the evening and did this for my first 2 years of my degree. The flexibility of arranging night classes and working around my schedule was something I was grateful to have and it pushed me to become better at time management and prioritisation of tasks. I decided to go back to uni full time and become involved in some societies in particular the UNSW Business Society and volunteering programs including the Yellow Shirts program. These opportunities allowed me to make new friends, develop my organisational, leadership skills and learn from my fellow peers. I think my role as Careers Director in the Business society provided me with a platform for me to share some of my experiences as a cadet and be able to help other students to navigate uni as well as beyond. You always learn best when you teach someone and so this environment was a wonderful way for students to pass on their experiences, help one another and develop teamwork skills.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
I’m very optimistic about the future and the way our generation and future generations will contribute to society. I believe everyone is capable to achieve their own version of success if you’re passionate and clear in your own purpose and helping others find their purpose. This transcends age, gender, industry and is shaped by our own experiences and motivations.
Some advice I’ve found encouraging are:“Don’t be afraid to try” - whether that’s a new skill, leadership role, volunteer role. By going out of your comfort zone and attempting to do it is better than not doing it all. You’ll never regret things that you’ve done only ones you didn’t and there’s so much to gain along the way whether that’s new friendships, learnings from failure, reflection on your own strengths and weaknesses.
“Be willing and proactive to learn and grow” – I think a strong desire to continually develop and challenge yourself is one of the best ways to stay focused and work smarter for the future. Having a constant growth mindset and positive attitude is easier said than done when you simply don’t feel motivated but if you keep the bigger picture in mind and understand why you do things rather than what, your perspectives will shift and naturally be more open to change and innovation.
“Help others” – At any point in your career or life I think one should always lend a helping hand to people around them. Whether that’s helping parents wash the dishes or formal leadership on the Board of a company, our society would not be able to progress without teamwork and generosity of people giving their time, resources or energy for the benefit of others and society as a whole. So we need to be more intentional with the way we assist others and conscious of the impact we have whether that’s positive or negative and from feedback learn more about ourselves and better the ways we can help people. With the first two pieces of advice above I think is a foundation to help ourselves so ultimately we can help others.
Do you think your industry is doing enough to champion gender diversity? Have you seen a change in gender diversity in the workplace over the last few decades?
There has been a shift in society expectations over the past couple of years where notions of equality, diversity and inclusion have been at the forefront of discussion and various industries have come to a realisation that this issue is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must have’ to achieve economic growth and improve the workplace. I believe this topic will be an ongoing conversation for many years until terms such as ‘glass ceiling’ or ‘bamboo ceiling’ no longer hold meaning but are concepts of the past. It’s been encouraging to see that our society is more open to discussion and we’ve realised that the culture of firms will need to change to encompass this change. The finance and banking industry has made progress with the formation of gender diversity employee group networks, formal corporate quotas of female leadership and new job opportunities such as women in banking scholarships tailored in providing women with more opportunity. However, there is still progress to be made especially when there is a significant under representation of women in senior leadership. Some changes to encourage gender diversity have included de-gendering parental leave where the emphasis has been placed in shared care responsibility and being flexible in supporting the modern working family. I think this breaking down traditional bias of gender roles and is supporting the men as much as women. Women do feel that their career prospects are hindered if they take on maternity leave so it’s very encouraging to see men do the same and continue on their career trajectories.
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