Meet the Speakers at the STEM Women Financial Services Industry Event, Sponsored by NatWest Markets

We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the Financial Services Industry Event on Tuesday 7^th September.

This event is perfect for students and recent graduates studying a STEM subject who are interesting in pursuing a career in a STEM industry.

Throughout the event, we will have a “Live Presentations” area where attendees can hear speaker sessions from a range of different representatives working at exhibiting companies. These sessions will cover personal career journeys, advice to attendees, and give an invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in financial services.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with the sponsor and speakers to find out more about the topics they will be covering, and what attendees can look forward to!

Welcome talk from Sponsors NatWest Markets

Our event will begin with a welcome talk from Events Manager, Sophie Chadwick followed by a presentation from our event sponsors NatWest Markets. This session will be delivered by Lucy Grimstead, Managin Director, Head of UK & European Large Corporate FS Sales.

Could you give us an overview of your role? 

We help corporates, larger UK or multi-national corporates, many of which are household names, to manage financial risks, typically foreign exchange.  This can arise from manufacturing or sourcing stock from outside of the UK to selling goods overseas.  It could also arise from events such as the acquisition or disposal of assets or the payment of dividends.  Customer needs, the macro environment, the financial markets and products are ever-changing so no day is the same.

What topics can an attendee expect to hear from you on the event day?  

I will use my time to share with you my personal journey and how I made the steps from reading Chemistry at Bristol University to being a managing director in Natwest Markets.

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?

Most looking forward to:  I so enjoy events such as this to demystify Banking and the daunting prospect of carving a career. I also love to hear from the attendees about their ambitions and allaying any concerns that they may inhibit achieving those.

Vivine Cameron, Education Partnerships Manager – Chartered Insurance Institute

At 1:30 pm, our speaker sessions will begin with a presentation from Vivine Cameron at Chartered Insurance Institute. Vivine creates and manages partnerships with universities to encourage new talent into the insurance and personal finance profession from a wide variety of students, including those on STEM courses.

Vivine will be hosting a short panel during her presentation where attendees can meet an international, diverse group of professionals who will give insights on how to use STEM subjects for an interesting, varied, and rewarding career.

What topics can an attendee expect to hear from you on the event day?  

“AI, Data Science, Finance, Marine, Risk, Engineering, Wealth Management, Government & Equity to name a few are underpinned and serviced by Insurance & Finance Services – learn more!”

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?

“I am looking to meeting an engaged, curious, open group of new talent wishing to learn more about, roles, opportunities within this hidden gem of a career and profession.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before or during the day?

“NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK – get to know as many professionals/employers as you can – never think your question is not valid – ask big!”

Why is inspiring more women into Financial Services important to you/your company?

“Financial capability and security is a key to our future – we all need to be responsible for ensuring our futures, particularly women to prevent physical and financial vulnerability.   The profile of an average professional in Insurance and Financial planning is the mid-50s, white male.  This needs to change by growing a diverse talent pool whereby all women can identify themselves within the profession and thereby secure a stronger financial future for themselves and generations to come.”

Caroline Haas, Head of Climate and ESG Capital Markets –NatWest Markets

At 1.55 pm, attendees will then hear a presentation from Caroline Haas, Head of Climate and ESG Capital Markets at event sponsors NatWest Markets.

Rebecca Strachan, Associate – PwC

Following this, at 2:20 pm, Rebecca from PwC will give attendees an overview of what opportunities are available at the company and offer some invaluable advice.

Could you give us a brief description of your role at PwC? 

“I joined PwC in September 2020 as an audit associate. I have worked across a range of clients and teams so far, with a specialism in asset and wealth management clients, as well as studying towards my CA.”

What topics can attendees expect to hear from you on the event day?

“I will be sharing my PwC career story as well as answering any questions you may have. You can also learn more about the PwC opportunities available for both students and graduates, as well as hints and tips on our virtual recruitment process.”

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?

“Meeting and networking with motivated, enthusiastic students and graduates!”

Do you have any tips for attendees before or during the day?

“Be confident, be yourself and ask questions!”

Why is inspiring more women into Financial Services important to you/your company?

“PwC have worked with the STEM Women team for a number of years, and always find the STEM Women events a great way to network with talented students. PwC offers several programmes to encourage more women into STEM and I will go into more detail with these during my presentation!”

Achint Mann, Associate – GIC

Achint Mann from GIC will then be giving her talk at 2.45 pm, here is a short bio about Achint ahead of her presentation.

“I have been at GIC for over 3 years now and work within the Human Resource and Organisation Department as an Associate. I am passionate about Diversity and Inclusion and am delighted to see that many women and non-binary people want to start their careers in the Financial Services industry.

I am excited to be working with STEM Women again, and look forward to sharing more on GIC and what we have to offer.”

 

 

Alissa Garland, Early Years Recruitment – Bloomberg

Next up, we will welcome Alissa from Bloomberg at 3.10 pm who will be giving attendees an in-depth overview of the opportunities available at the company and highlight their unique company culture and what it’s like to work at Bloomberg.

Could you give us a brief description of your role at the company?

“I am an Early Careers recruiter and programme manager for Bloomberg LP, my job is to ensure that students and recent graduates are aware of our roles and understand what Bloomberg do. As part of this, I get to attend a lot of amazing events and speak with students to educate and up-skill them. In addition to recruiting for roles, I also programme manage our summer Internship which is usually made up of around 95-100 final and penultimate year students. During our 10 week programme I am the main HR point of contact for interns and also get to arrange lots of fun events and networking opportunities as well as ensuring the well-being of interns.”

What topics can an attendee expect to hear from you on the event day?

“We are excited to teach attendees more about Bloomberg and the roles and opportunities we have available. We are also looking forward to showcasing the breadth of opportunities available in FinTech for someone who has completed a STEM degree.”

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?

“I am most looking forward to speaking to the attendees, albeit virtually, I love answering questions about Bloomberg and showcasing our company. The most rewarding part of my job is when I meet someone at an event such as this and then in the future get to see them in the office!”

Do you have any tips for attendees before or during the day?

“Do your research! It is always great to ask questions of the representatives on the day but make sure these questions are founded in some research of the company. The STEM Women careers fair platform makes it so easy to do this as all the links you need are just a few clicks away!”

Why is inspiring more women into Financial Services important to you/your company?

“Women are currently underrepresented in STEM but we don’t want to see that affect the diversity of our company. This means we need to work extra hard to attract and retain women in STEM from a relatively small existing pool while doing our part to help grow and diversify the future talent pipeline through industry partnerships and our own initiatives.”

Rachel Levi, Head of Innovation Engineering – Swift

Our final speaker session will be presented by Rachel from Swift at 3.35 pm. Rachel is Head of Innovation Engineering, managing a team of engineers who focus on supporting the Innovation team to accelerate and de-risk the creation of new products, services, and technologies. This involves testing new technologies, running proof of values, solution design, and much more.

What topics can attendees expect to hear from you on the event day?

“You can connect us for various topics of discussion such as Strategic direction of Swift, what we do in Innovation, Open positions suitable for your level, Diversity, Careers in SWIFT, and our Employee value proposition.”

What are you most looking forward to on the event day?

“I am very much looking forward to sharing my experience as a female in Financial Services and encouraging others to join this exciting world. I am also looking forward to showcasing the incredible work Swift does in the Innovation space, inspiring STEM women to join our cause.”

Do you have any tips for attendees before or during the day?

“Do your research ahead of the event so that you are well versed in terms of your career goals and the different opportunities in the industry, and don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions! We would love to hear from you and connect so that we can answer any specific questions you have about your career or life in SWIFT. Feel free to connect with my colleagues, Manpreet or Andre on LinkedIn if you have any queries related to open positions on our career page.”

Why is inspiring more women into Financial Services important to you/your company?

“As a female in Financial Services, I understand the importance of women supporting women, and It’s important to me to get the opportunity to support others as they begin this journey.  SWIFT is constantly evolving and understand the importance of diversity. Therefore, we are committed to bring women into some of the niche roles such as IT profiles where we have seen the trends of low women applicants. Hence, we are here to connect and showcase who we are as a Company and how can you make an impact in this exciting journey that we are on. We would like to engage with women community aspiring to step into this exciting world of financial services.”

 

STEM Women Financial Services Event

Before our speaker sessions begin, attendees can also watch and ask questions during a live panel discussion with women working in Financial Services.

If you’re interested in starting your career in Financial Services and would like to attend a STEM Women event. Visit https://stemwomenevents.com/event/5171 and register for your free ticket today!

There are also still spaces available for employers looking to exhibit at this event and our upcoming autumn 2021 events. Get in touch with Lauren at laurenj@stemwomen.co.uk for more information.