What it is like as a woman in this industry?

It would be fair to say that the finance and property industry remains a highly male-dominated sector. I built my career in the notoriously male-led investment banking market, where I spent close to a decade working in commodities at large institutions, such as Morgan Stanley and Barclays. So, making the move into property and finance was not a sharp transition for me, personally. But, I have also witnessed how the industry has gotten much more diverse over the years and I am proud of how we all continue to push the boundaries every single day in our industry.

How did you get into the role you are in today?

I worked in investment banking for close to a decade and left Morgan Stanley in 2015. The reason I left my 6-9 career in banking (that stands for 6am to 9pm!) was to pursue a more entrepreneurial and fulfilling career that would help me grow personally and professionally. The founder and CEO of Blend Network, Yann Murciano, was my colleague at Morgan Stanley, where he had been running the global metals trading division at the bank for nearly a decade. So, when he started Blend Network, I joined the business because I truly believed in how regulated specialist lenders would transform the property finance market. Fast forward four years, and I’m delighted to see that I made a great choice: the business has gone from strength to strength, and we recently announced a £10m equity round for the business.

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What would be your advice for other women looking to pursue a similar career in finance/property?

I would give women looking to pursue a career in finance and property three key suggestions. Firstly, don’t underestimate the importance and power of sponsorship early on in your career. I truly believe that this is the often-forgotten key to success and stardom, yet frequently overshadowed by mentorship. Sponsorship is having people both inside and outside your organisation who promote you to others, who truly take it upon themselves to help you succeed and grow. A career sponsor is someone who elevates your visibility at work, places you in new roles, ensures you get credit, and defends you in your absence. Winning a sponsor is not a straightforward process, but my first advice is to secure a sponsor by ensuring that your contributions are noticed.

Secondly, build, nurture and grow your professional network. If you want to truly succeed in this market, foster this — because your network is your net worth.

And thirdly, build your confidence. This industry is a highly male-dominated market where relationships, networking, and trust matters. Having self-confidence allows you to communicate more effectively to command respect and to invoke trust.

And if I may add a fourth tip, it would be to read Helena Morrissey’s latest book titled ‘Style and substance: a guide for women who want to win at work’.

What are the areas where progress is still needed?

In my opinion, there are three areas where progress is still needed for the finance and property industries to attract more women and for them to succeed in these markets. For example, we need to have more role models. We all know that seeing is believing. Research shows that role models have three core benefits for women: they represent and expand what is possible, inspire women to be more ambitious and aim higher, and demonstrate the mindsets and behaviours of how to rise. The finance and property industry is no different, and we need more women at the top to inspire us all.

We also need to have more support networks. We require more initiatives that allow leaders and senior people in our industry create a rope ladder for those below.

And lastly, we need to have more male allies. They are particularly important to ensure that women advance fairly in our careers in a sector that still remains highly male-dominated. Male allies are important in making sure that everyone is not only invited to the table but is also heard, acknowledged, and recognized for their contributions.

Are you a woman in the financial services industry keen to get your voice heard? Contact [email protected] — we would love to chat!