FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
you to be yourself . Being encouraged to feel comfortable being myself and doing things in my own authentic way early in my career has been incredibly valuable for me .
Q . NAME ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY YOU COULDN ’ T LIVE WITHOUT AND TELL US WHY
» Probably my iPad – I love that I can video call both family and colleagues wherever I am and properly connect . Personal travel is also much more enjoyable if my children can be distracted with their favourite cartoons on a long train or plane journey .
Q . AS A WOMAN IN FINTECH , WHAT ' S YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE AND HOW IS THE SPACE CHANGING IN RELATION TO DIVERSITY ?
» We ’ ve made huge progress collectively across the industry , and I ’ m pleased to be a part of that – but there ’ s obviously much more still to be done . In addition to ambitious targets and robust measurement , we need to look at practical measures to bring more women and underrepresented groups into the industry , at all levels . That might require looking beyond traditional requirements and investing in people with different skill sets to take advantage of the full spectrum of potential that is out there .
I ’ m really proud of the progress we ’ ve made at American Express , with women making up 48 % of senior management here in the UK . My personal experience has been really positive ; I have grown through the company as I ’ ve had some very inspiring women role models and leaders .
What ’ s important to me now is making sure we continue to build on this so that anyone would see our business as a place where they want to work and grow their career .
Q . WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP ?
» I ’ m fortunate to have been surrounded by incredibly talented and inspirational people throughout my time at American Express . I have had some fantastic leaders , team members and senior role models to learn from , and now in my role as UK Country Manager , I get to work with people from across the whole business . Hearing their diverse range of experiences and perspectives is one of my favourite parts of the job .
I ’ ve also met and worked with some incredible people across the industry , whose expertise and insights have been enormously valuable . Staying close to industry bodies and advisors is also key in keeping up to date .
22 May 2023