Women in Financial Services
Nolly Maseko - E2W Risk Group
katie.robertson / 07 Feb 2024
Nolly has been an integral and valued member of the E2W community for many years, where she regularly provides support to other members, as well as receiving support from the network herself. Whilst working in her current role, Nolly felt there was a huge gap in the support system for women working within the Risk Function, so we decided to change that!
Mission Statements For the Risk Group
The Risk sub-group has been created shine a spotlight on the Risk function, create a platform for Risk professionals to engage with each other and ultimately achieve the below:
- Highlight the value of our contribution to the Financial Services as a whole and how we engage with all the other FS contributors
- Peer-support for one another
- Build and widen our networks
- Bust some of the myths about our profession (We are not Auditors)
- Create one-stop shop where budding and existing Risk professionals can access advice on how to enter, transition into and progress within Risk, based on our personal experiences
- Advocating for Gender-Specific Awareness: Recognising the unique challenges women face, our group is dedicated to highlighting gender-specific issue faced by women in risk management. We advocate for greater awareness and tailored risk management strategies that consider the distinct vulnerabilities and strengths of women in various sectors and walks of life.
- Championing Diversity and Inclusion in Risk Management: We strive to champion diversity and inclusion within the risk management profession by promoting the representation and voices of women. Our goal is to inspire systemic change, ensuring that risk assessment and decision-making processes benefit from a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
Getting to know Nolly:
I have spent the last 8 years in various First Line and Second Line roles in the Financial Services.
I graduated with a Degree in International Business & French from the University of Hertfordshire and fell into a Risk role by chance, I was en-route to Accountancy while raising a 3 year old.
My initial role was entry level, doing back office work for asset management firms at a local firm in Essex. This gave me the flexibility to juggle my parenting responsibilities and gain some critical fundamentals of Risk Management.
I currently work for the Central Bank in a second Line Assurance role, ensuring UK Financial Services firms remain compliant with their regulatory obligations.
Aside from my day job, I am very passionate about advocating for diversity and volunteering within the Financial Services industry and have done so through various outlets.
- I have been a member of E2W for about 6 years and engaged in several of their initiatives including the the Advisory Board, Alpha- Challengers (for mid-level career women in Finance) and
- I was a member of the first ever shadow board of UK charity Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), helping their membership team to embed their strategy and improve their membership offering
- I am currently a mentor for Migrant Leaders, where I have supported a very talented student prepare for university and apply for spring 2025 internships.
- I sit on the Risk forum for the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, where I work with fellow Risk practitioners to plan events throughout the year to address various Risk topics.
Quick Fire Q&A
When you retire, what would you like to be remembered for?
Leaving the Financial Services better than I found it. For me personally, through advocating and influencing decisions that champion a more diverse environment, where we can bring our authentic selves to work without being penalised for it.
I would love for my daughter and her generation to have an easier transition and experience in Financial services than myself and the generations before us.
What has been the biggest challenge during your career and why?
Finding community and a ‘tribe’ that would be a safe space to get support and insight into how to navigate a fruitful career in Risk. Risk professionals tend to work in silos and there is no clear pathway to success as most people fall into it by chance
At the beginning of my career I worked in environments where I was often the ‘only’ or the ‘only other’ black person. This felt isolating and made it challenging for me to navigate the corporate ladder independently.
I never felt comfortable enough to be authentic, out of fear of being misunderstood. Even when I witnessed or experienced inappropriate behaviour I never felt empowered to speak up.
Joining organisations like E2W nearly 6 years ago changed this for me, I met other women who expressed similar struggles of feeling ‘othered’ for various reasons and the frustrations that it caused them.
Fortunately our community has a joint mission of fixing the areas where we see room for improvement and it has been empowering to work together to create change in the Financial Services through our small and large actions.
I learnt that in order to be truly happy at work I had to find an organisation with the right ‘cultural fit’, which was aligned to my personal values and where I could flourish.
This revolutionised my career journey and I have been fortunate to have worked in environments that tick all the boxes and where I genuinely fit in and am happy.
What keeps you going/motivates you?
I have a strong sense of justice, in general and think that as human beings we each have a role to play in improving the spaces that we occupy.
I specifically chose to pursue a career in Risk as I felt that at its core it is focused on making the Financial Services industry safer and protecting consumers and the organisation we work for.
I always have the end user in mind when I do my work.
On a personal level, I have had some very interesting life experiences. Especially growing up between two very different continents with somewhat opposing cultures.
It motivates me to stay curious about the world around me and the people in it. I love to learn about other people’s cultures, their influence and languages.
It helps that I can communicate in 3 different languages too, I have some very interesting conversations and am always trying to refine and expand my vocabulary.
There is an immense amount of personal growth that comes with staying curious and excited about the world around me.
What makes our mission meaningful to you?
Apart from my personal experiences that I have already mentioned, I am impressed by how everyone involved with E2W is committed to the same mission with the same level of zeal and authenticity.
Mark and Tina have been actively advocating for gender diversity for over 2 decades and it is clear that this is not a tick box exercise for them, but there is a genuine desire to make a difference.
This passion has spread from the top down.
The best gift you’ve received?
It sounds cliché, but good quality and solid relationships are the gift that keeps on giving.
Family, friends, mentors have played a massive role in my professional and personal life.
It is comforting to know that their advice, support and help are always available and are a resource that can never be depleted .
Next holiday destination?
Cape Town – I love Africa and I always feel at home, no matter which country I’m in.
It’s great reconnecting with my family and my roots.
There is also something refreshing about the fact that in certain countries both my first and last name are pronounced fluently by the airport officials!
And of course being able to speak my native language is just the cherry on top.
What are your thoughts on the next generation of women in finance?
I am excited to see how the industry will continue to evolve for the better and how they will make it happen.
We have already taken major strides with initiatives such as increasing female board members, returnee schemes and shared parental leave (which was a long time coming for the dads).
The next generation also have very different motivations to previous generations - work/life balance and social justice play a big role. It will be great to see how they will continue to use those drivers as empowerment tools to push for change.
If you would like to join the Risk Group, please get in touch with Katie.Robertson@e2w.co
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