What do you do at Coronation and what experience led you to this role?

I am a member of the Personal Investments team and have been part of the Coronation family for eight and a half years. I have a BSc (Hons) in economics and marketing and a CFA qualification. Essentially, our team supports professional investors, such as financial advisers and multi-managers who use our portfolios for their clients.

Grit and inspiration

What drove you to succeed

I am quite ambitious and competitive by nature, although that competitiveness is almost entirely inwardly focused – I tend to push myself to always better my last achievement. Although this can be wildly frustrating (you can never win!), I am always driven by the opportunity to improve. Coupled with this, I have always been highly motivated by the need to be independent and self-sufficient.

When it comes to proving myself, this will be a life-long journey. Your environment is fluid and there will always be new people or situations in all spheres of your life that may require proof of your skills or relevance. But I think the most challenging of all is proving your worth to yourself and truly believing it.

What built your resilience?

I believe that it first needs to come from within, and then from your village - and I am incredibly lucky to have a large group of family, friends and colleagues who always root for me and I know I can lean on without question.

Shoulders of giants

Who was a major influence for you growing up?

As clichéd as this may be, this answer has to be my mom. She is fiercely independent, incredibly hard working and has an unrivalled zest for life. From a young age I understood that I needed to do things for myself and be proud of my ability to do so. She ensured that I believed that I could make whatever I wanted of my life, as long as I was diligent and principled. I wholeheartedly believe that having such a strong (and bubbly) female figure in my life has been fundamental to shaping who I am today.

Core values

At Coronation, employee ownership is a big part of our culture, what does this mean to you and how does it shape your behaviour/approach?  

Coronation’s culture has created a wonderful environment for me to develop in my career, with the idea of ownership being one of its strongest influences. As I am highly self-motivated, the ability to take ownership of my role and to make it my own, has allowed me to truly connect with what I do. This kind of trust brings out the best in my abilities and drives me to work harder and commit more, encouraging the perspective of a long-term partnership with Coronation, rather than viewing what I do simply as a job.

We place high value on integrity in all that we do. What does integrity mean to you, personally and for the business?

Integrity to me means living as a conscious and conscientious human. It is doing the right thing even when it’s hard. It also means being true to yourself and striving for the things that you believe in and which make you happy, but never at the expense of others.

Integrity is a solid anchor in Coronation’s culture and philosophy. In this industry my role can often be very sales orientated, with emphasis placed on flow targets. Coronation, however, has always held fast to its commitment to putting the client first. That means that our attention is placed on supporting clients, ensuring that they have all the information required to make the best decisions for their investors, and that our funds are used appropriately.

This has been fundamental in cultivating a passion for my career as I feel completely supported by the business to have honest and credible discussions. I can truly stand by and believe in the information that I share, feel that I am adding value to client portfolios and making a difference to their long-term outcomes.

Mindshift

What advice would you give women entering the workplace now?

Although the world is changing and you can truly make any dream your reality, women still face some big challenges. Every woman that you speak to will have a story. Listen, learn and prepare yourself. But the framing of these things is up to you – your reality is what you deem it to be. It is coloured and shaped by the lenses through which you choose to see the world. View challenges as an opportunity to show your worth - you will be so much stronger for it!

Your femininity is an asset not a handbrake. The strength of teams and companies comes from diversity, not likeness. There are many things that women are naturally better at, and successful businesses require a plethora of skills and character traits. So be yourself, focus your energy and capitalise on the things that make you different and indispensable. 

And, of course, show up! Make sure that you always put your best foot forward in everything that you do. Believe in yourself and your abilities and, importantly, support each other. And have fun – you are going to be spending a lot of your time with your colleagues and in your chosen place of work – make sure that you enjoy it.