International Womens Day 2023 – Celebrating Women in our Ecosystem
06 March, 2023
Wales is truly blessed in our region and industry alike when it comes to great female talent. That’s why this year, to celebrate International Women’s Day, we caught up with some of the amazing women driving the Welsh FinTech ecosystem and are delighted to share their insights, experiences and advice to encourage other young women and girls to consider a career in FinTech.
Michelle Pearce-Burke, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Wealthify
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger? And how did your career journey develop from then to now?
A: I wanted to be a vet when I was really young, but finding out I was allergic to cats quickly ruled that out! Fast forward 10 years and I ended up at medical school (second best to veterinary I guess!) however, I really didn’t enjoy the course. A combination of hospitals, sick people and the ruthless years of training that lay ahead put me off. I made the big decision to leave after 3 years and dive into the world of stockbroking – which I LOVED! It was a real u-turn, but it suited me way more. After a few years working in the traditional world of Finance though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things could be done so much better… so in 2014 I quit my job to co-found Wealthify. It was built on the aspiration that investing should be available to more people – free of jargon, high fees and clunky technology.
Q: What would you say to your 15 year old self?
A: You’ll never have more time, energy and freedom than you’re about to get.. make the most of it.
Travel more. Try new things. Don’t be afraid of anything.
Q: What do you wish you knew at 15?
A: Things will turn out okay!
Sally Allan, Chief Marketing Officer, Wealthify
Q:What did you want to be when you were younger? And how did your career journey develop from then to now?
A: I wanted to be a teacher, but when I got to high school and saw how they were treated (aka terrorised), I quickly changed my mind! But from my very first job, I’ve always looked to help colleagues develop their careers, so I guess I’ve always channelled my early passion just in a different way.
Q: What do you wish you knew at 15?
A:Anything is possible if you take responsibility for making it happen.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
A: Done is better than perfect…I always remember this when I’m procrastinating or finding it difficult to make decisions.
Colleen McHugh, Chief Investment Officer, Wealthify
Q: What do you wish you knew at 15?
A: Invest in a company called ‘Google’ when you are 25!
Patience really is a virtue, it’s not just what old people tell you 😊.
Shabnam Wazed, Founder, AGAM
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger?
A: I wanted to be a lawyer. My career path started around legal compliance, global supply chain transparency, fair pay, which eventually opened my knowledge on finding ways to make a positive impact for people in a growth economy who cannot access finance in an emergency. I knew I wanted to make an impact for thousands – it was only possible to scale to that magnitude by technology.
Q: What would you say to your 15 year old self?
A: Don’t worry about missing out on the first position. Life isn’t always about being the top in school, it’s about finding the right passion.
Q: What advice would you give to women looking get into FinTech
A: Don’t doubt yourself, you’ve come a long way already. Be confident and stay positive, don’t lose hope. Once you deliver, all the ones who doubted you will start following you.
Oana Beattie, Data & Analytics Director, EY
Q: What advice would you give to women / young girls looking to get into a career in FinTech?
A: Your journey in FinTech starts with exploration. Engage in the ecosystem, connect with organisations and people, and participate in events. Find out what FinTech feels like, how it is organised and choose a place to start. FinTech is thriving because of the various skills, experiences and perspectives that people bring and contribute. You can start at the non-technical spectrum of the ecosystem and then flex as your journey evolves. Start – take action and be a part of this!
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
A: This is a quote that someone shared with me early in my career and I have been guided by it ever since. A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan and a plan backed by action becomes reality!
Kylie Baker, Head of Software Engineer, Sero
Q: What would you say to your 15 year old self?
A: Don’t pressure yourself by thinking that you need to know what you want to do. Things will pan out if you work hard, stay open-minded, and embrace opportunities that don’t obviously align with what you thought you wanted to do. It’s important to be yourself and support others where you can.
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger? And how did your career journey develop from then to now?
A: I originally wanted to follow a performing arts path, I even applied to a course at college, but then when I got there it wasn’t what I’d hoped for. I decided to find something else. There was a spot open on a computing course and that is where I found a new passion for computing and more specifically, software development.
I consider myself fortunate since leaving college to have worked in some great places surrounded by very intelligent people who have supported me in my career development.
I have followed a more “traditional path” working up from my first role as a Web Developer through to becoming the Head of Software Engineering at Sero. I’m very lucky to now have the chance to use the skills I’ve gained over the years to support others in their career development, and work on something I truly believe in that will have a positive impact on the planet and on people’s lives.
Louise O’Shea, Former CEO at confused.com, and Chair of FinTech Wales
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger?
A: Kate Adie – who I saw on BBC News reporting from war torn countries. Her bravery in the face of danger to bring people the truth of what was happening was inspirational.
Q: What do you wish you knew at 15?
A: The difficult times are the moments you learn the most.
Q: What are the biggest challenges for women in the workplace in 2023?
A: It depends on the stage of your career and life – women who are just entering the workplace with less outside work commitments are in a great position to throw themselves into it, learn and grow. Then there is the ‘squeezed middle’ when you are juggling commitments at home and work, or the next wave when you can reassert your career trajectory. Throughout all, be true to yourself and your purpose, and you will thrive.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
A: “Find your purpose quickly, channel it effectively, bring everyone with you and you will be unstoppable.”
Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions…Ask ‘what does that mean’. Ask ‘why is that important’. Ask ‘how can I help’. Ask ‘when can I do what you are doing’. Listen to the answers, and, if they aren’t good enough. Move on.
Q: Why do you think diversity in the workplace is so important?
A: Businesses only need two things to be successful – good ideas and good decisions. For both of those, people from all different backgrounds need to come together, be comfortable to share, challenge and be their authentic selves. When you have an environment like that, great ideas flourish and brilliant decisions are made. However for the image it would be good to change it to When you have diversity in the workplace, great ideas flourish and brilliant decisions are made.
Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO, FinTech Wales
Q: What advice would you give to women looking to get into fintech?
A: Do it!
Fintech is a fast moving, innovative industry. The skills required are varied and the career opportunities are great.
Women often get deterred by joining fintech organisations if they feel they haven’t got the right tech or financial experience, however this shouldn’t be the case. I’m lucky as I have the privilege of working with women who have many years of experience in the sector, and others who are just joining the fintech world, and they all bring something extra special to the table.
People bring value to our ecosystem from all industries and backgrounds, and experience from a different sector could be just what is needed to develop the products that help customers with their financial lives. Having not been a career banker, I believe I contributed different thinking to team Starling, and now to our FinTech Wales members, which has been inspired from a cross sector of industries.
Sarah Wrixon, CEO, fyio
Q: What did you want to be when you were younger? And how did your career journey develop from then to now?
A: I didn’t have any specific career plans but I came from a family of entrepreneurs and manufacturers so I was always interested in what made people want to buy things. And especially how marketing and language influenced those buying decisions. I studied languages at university and then joined the Scottish Development Agency’s London Trade Centre as a promotions executive.
I loved it there as it interconnected with my Scottish family’s knitwear heritage and subsequently went on to head up the knitwear and textiles division for an export buying agency. When I had my children, I hooked into my other great love – writing – and did a post-grad journalism course, which ultimately led to setting up and growing two PR businesses, one of which led to my interaction with fyio. It has been a great gift in the Autumn of my career to find myself in a different role within such an exciting and fast-moving sector.
Q: Who has been your biggest inspiration in your career so far?
A: Patricia Berry, my first boss at the Scottish Trade Centre. She was clear that women should expect as much from the workplace as men, including parity of salary but generally they have to fight harder for it – and she taught us practical techniques to do that. I met her again recently and even in her eighties, she’s still advising and still feisty!
Q: Is there a specific woman you’d like to thank/who has helped you in your career so far.
A: Carole North, who ran a PR consultancy specialising in tech in the late ‘90s and gave me my first journalist and writing commissions. She was incredibly generous in her teachings and advice, encouraged me to set up my own business when she thought I was ready, and supports me to this day
Q: How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in their career?
A: Firstly, your network is your ‘networth’ – meet as many people in as many different roles as you can – I have met some truly brilliant women and men along the way and especially recently through The Foundry, and am so grateful for their time and support. I recently attended an LinkedIn audio session run by Female Founders Rise – there was a mixed panel of brilliant women and men. I was really struck by one of the men asking why we repeatedly refer to women-led businesses and female founders rather than simply business leaders and entrepreneurs. I really liked that approach and I think it’s also important to recognise that there are thousands of female entrepreneurs, who are consciously operating at a smaller scale so they can work things around their families and won’t necessarily grab big headlines, but who are nevertheless playing a hugely important part in our economy.
Savannah Price, Founder & CEO, Serene
Q: What advice would you give to women / young girls looking to get into a career in fintech?
A: Know what you don’t know, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from people who do know. But, don’t mistake your inexperience for incompetence. You can always figure it out. And, don’t mistake expertise for infallibility. An expert is just someone with more experience than you. It doesn’t mean they always know the answer either. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut!
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
A: Taking a step forward, even if it’s the wrong step, is better than standing still. Once you’re moving, run your own race.
Anne Jessopp, CEO, The Royal Mint
Miki Ponjevic, Growth Manager, Admiral Pioneer
Q: Is there a specific woman you’d like to thank/who has helped you in your career so far?
A: My sister, who is a senior leader in a global technology software company, has had a huge impact on helping me define my career until this point and has always inspired me to want to take on new challenges and pursue leadership opportunities. She has been an enormous enabler to my confidence, particularly with tech being a male-dominated sector, and without having seen her growth and success, I don’t think I’d have believed I could ever achieve something similar. She is the kind of mentor I would wish for all women my age and those just starting out on their careers. I’m very grateful for her and proud to call her family!
Martha Williams, Senior Credit Manager, Chetwood Financial
Q: What advice would you give to women/young girls looking to get into a career in fintech?
A: If you’re considering a career in fintech, my advice is to keep learning and never let self-doubt hold you back. Don’t let technical jargon or unfamiliar territory put you off. Instead, be open to new experiences, set achievable goals, and seek out opportunities to grow and challenge yourself. You’re in control of your development, so take ownership of your path and keep learning and evolving. Also, remember to shout about your achievements and progress; don’t wait for others to notice, highlight your successes, take pride in your accomplishments, and use them to propel yourself forward.
Q: Why do you think diversity in the workplace is so important?
A: Diversity in the workplace is critical to foster diversity of thought. It’s about ensuring that everyone has a voice and bringing together a team with varied backgrounds and experiences. This fosters creativity, drives innovation, and enables us to approach problems from different angles. By embracing diversity, we can provide better products and solutions to benefit a wider range of consumers. This means more than just having people from different genders or ethnicities in the room; it’s about removing barriers and ensuring that the best person for the job gets the opportunity to contribute.
Sally Hannigan, Communications Manager, Chetwood Financial
Q: What would you say to your 15-year-old self?
Remember that your career won’t be limited by the choices you make today. With your whole life ahead of you, have fun and choose the subjects that you enjoy. A successful career is more about hard work, tenacity, and a willingness to embrace change than making sure you choose the ‘right’ subjects for GCSE or A-levels.
Career paths are rarely linear, so accept the wiggliness of your future. I’ve been a primary school teacher, an interior designer, and a marketing communications professional – none of which is journalism (which is what I thought I wanted to do at age 15). The fact that my career now looks completely different to what I thought it would 25 years ago means nothing. I still love what I do, which is the most important thing.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
I’ve worked with lots of great women, and the best advice I’ve been given is to “do your own PR”. As women, we’re conditioned to keep our achievements to ourselves with throw-away comments like “nobody likes a bragger”, and “girls should be seen and not heard”. However, the reality is that whatever your gender, you need to shout about the positive contributions you’re making to ensure they’re recognised. The alternative means that you’re likely to be taken advantage of or under-rewarded for the great work you deliver for your employer.
Emma Williams, Head of Marketing, Hodge
Q: What would you say to your 15 year old self?
A: I’d say “don’t be afraid to fail”. It’s such a valuable skill. I was (and still am l) a bit of a perfectionist, and I realise that I’ve learned a lot more from the mistakes I’ve made along the way than the times I got it right the first time. Having said that, I’d also encourage 15yr old me to work beyond my comfort zone too, because as cheesy as it may sound, that really is where growth happens.
Q: What advice would you give to women / young girls looking to get into a career in fintech?
A: Don’t be put off by the ‘finance’ or the ‘tech’ – there are a wealth of other careers available – it’s not just about those two areas, as wonderful as they are. Marketing, customer experience, product, sales, people services, operations, customer care, the list goes on, and every one of the teams mentioned above are an integral and important part of any FinTech business.
Q: What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
A: I had a manager, early in my career, who once said to me “ask for forgiveness, not permission” and that has stayed with me.
We’d been chatting about instinct and how sometimes with marketing it’s part science, part gut – they’d also said “I trust you” in that same conversation – they didn’t realise at the time but those words have hung around in my head, rent free ever since, and have given me the confidence to trust my gut, and also to ask for forgiveness not permission more than once – I’ve no doubt there will be plenty of times I’ll live by those words again in future too.
Q: Why do you think diversity in the workplace is so important?
A: Diversity is so important because true innovation comes from having diverse options, beliefs, backgrounds and experiences. If someone doesn’t look like you, they won’t think like you – and that’s true innovation.
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