Women in payments must be the CEOs of their careers
As the payments sector seeks the best talent to shape industry growth and change, Scotiabank’s employee resource group (ERG), Women in Payments hosted an inspiring event that was in partnership with the Global Association of Women in Payments to help women feel more empowered to build their careers and apply for leadership roles.
During the event, “Be the CEO of your Career”, attendees gained valuable advice from a panel of Scotiabank and Global Association payments executives, who urged women to find mentors and sponsors, raise their hands for new opportunities, and hone their personal brands to stand out as future leaders.
Find someone to give you the nudge:
With each of the panelists possessing a diverse CV of industry titles and achievements, they highlighted the important role mentors and sponsors played in their career paths.
“Whether you have someone who gives you feedback as a mentor, or a sponsor who actively advocates for you because they believe in you, both play a crucial part at different stages in your career,” advised Paola Tastets Ceppi, Vice President, Digital Solutions and Products with Scotiabank Chile. It’s the same technique that a corporate CEO applies, by drawing upon trusted advisors and alliance partners, to build connections and drive success.
Rachelle Hildyard, Scotiabank’s Vice President Global FIG & Correspondent Banking in Global Transaction Banking, agreed, noting that both formal and informal mentorship relationships made a huge difference for her, including her network of family and friends: “They gave me different perspectives and helpful ways to come at problems or opportunities. Sometimes you just need that ‘nudge’ to believe you can do it.”
“Mentorship and sponsorship played a big part in my career even before I had names for those roles,” added panel moderator Debra Cousins, Vice President, Business Services, for Scotiabank’s International Operations. “I’m so glad there are many formal programs in place today, at our Bank through several DEI Mentorship programs for our employees and clients, and across the industry to help women put themselves out there.”
“I didn’t have mentors or sponsors when I worked at a big bank, so I struggled,” admitted Kristy Duncan, Founder and CEO of Women in Payments Association. “That’s partly why I created the Global Association of Women in Payments, to give other women guidance and help them climb the corporate ladder. The concept can be really powerful.” Women in Payments offers a Global Mentorship Program and encourages their members to apply as Mentors or Mentees.
In fact, since 2012, Women in Payments has grown into a global organization that connects, inspires and champions women in the payments and fintech industry with the help of organizations like Scotiabank, an Americas Gold Sponsor, to support events spanning Canada, US and Latin America.
Speak up, put your hand up:
While the panelists praised the role that ‘champions’ can play – they encouraged more women to motivate each other to apply for promotions or lateral opportunities – even if they don’t have all the qualifications or experience detailed on a job posting. They implored more potential women candidates to raise their hands and be ‘the CEO’ of their own career.
“I am the kind of person who waits to be perfect before I apply, but with the help of my mentors, I have learned to overcome this,” said Paola. “It’s so important for us, as women, to speak up for ourselves. Ask for the space to talk, and use it, to share your ideas. Believe in yourself and be proud of your capabilities and experience.”
“You have to trust yourself and find your voice, even if that means putting yourself in an uncomfortable position,” pointed out Rachelle, who offered tips to make the leap easier. “Always go to meetings well prepared and go early. The conversations you have, before the meeting even starts, will set the tone for the meeting itself. And, if you know you will have allies in the room, ask those individuals in advance to support your comments or ‘amplify’ or repeat your viewpoints, if they are not heard in all the noise.”
Debra encouraged women to develop their own ‘personal brands,’ and be deliberate about showcasing it on the job and in your work style every day.
“A personal brand is all about what other people think of me, and what do I stand for, so you need to develop it, and promote it through all of your channels, including social media,” advised Kristy.
At the same time, Kristy offered wisdom to women who worry about the risks of marketing themselves or speaking up, “It’s true that women can suffer a double bind: if we project authority we could lose our likability. To help mitigate that, and be effective in meetings, sometimes we need to change how we say things and how we present our ideas, so that we get our point across, and we don’t conflict with the bigger egos in the room.”
Co-organizers of the event, Scotiabank employees Mariela McComb and Flora Wu that are committee members in the ERG then facilitated meaningful Q&A conversations around topics such as people leadership, pay equity, and details on how to build and maintain personal brands.
To wrap up the event, the panelists thanked over 200 employees and guests for attending. Improved diversity and inclusion – including more women in industry leadership – will help the payments sector evolve to benefit employees, clients and employers. “Women do, and will continue to play a big role in our industry and we must bring greater diversity of thought and ideas into the payments space to help us take the financial services industry forward,” concluded Rachelle Hildyard.
To find out more information about the Global Association of Women in Payments visit (https://womeninpayments.org/)