On Wednesday, 3rd of July, Bruin hosted an engaging and powerful event in collaboration with the incredible Women4Women community. Thank you to all those who attended. This panel discussion tackled three crucial areas: driving compliance culture, mentorship, and career advancement.
The evening was hosted by Nimesh Dave, Manager of the Compliance and Financial Crime desk at Bruin, and the panel featured distinguished professionals:
- Saira Farooq, Compliance Director and D&I champion for an Investment Manager;
- Tetyana Golovata, Head of Regulatory Compliance and Co-founder of Women4Women;
- Emily Ayre, Managing Director and D&I champion for Bruin Financial.
OVERVIEW OF THE EVENT
Introduction by Nimesh, opening the evening off with introduction of the panel and a brief speech on how Equality is not just a goal; it is a responsibility that each of us must shoulder. It is crucial that we all actively participate in creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed based on their merits. This means breaking away from stereotypes and carving out our own paths.
We must ensure that individuals are seen and valued for their skills, achievements, and potential, rather than being confined to traditional roles or expectations. By doing so, we foster a culture of inclusion and empowerment that benefits not only individuals but our organizations and communities as a whole.
‘Driving a Compliance Culture as a Woman’
Saira’s Perspective:
- Relationship Building: Establishing strong relationships is crucial for demonstrating technical ability and building credibility. This fosters trust and collaboration across the organization.
- External Networking: Participating in external networking groups provides valuable insights and support.
- Regulatory Advantage: Leveraging the regulatory focus on culture and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) helps in demonstrating positive progression and ensuring better accountability.
Tetyana’s Perspective:
- Focus on Culture: The emphasis on company culture, highlighted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), underscores the importance of shaping organizational culture.
Building Relationships: Understanding the business model and building relationships with various departments is essential for driving compliance culture.
Patience and Collaboration: Changing culture takes time and involves listening, gathering feedback, and working together. Educating, collaborating, and guiding rather than dictating are key to success.
Emily’s Perspective:
- Values: Driving culture starts with establishing clear values. At Bruin, values like Trust, Inclusion, and Collaboration are embedded in all aspects of the business, from appraisals to employee recognition.
‘Positioning Yourself for Career Advancement’
Emily’s Perspective:
- Systematic Approach: Treat career advancement systematically. Start by identifying your career goals and what you want to achieve. Then, assess what steps are necessary, including training and understanding promotion pathways.
- Organized Planning: Once you have a clear plan, take the necessary steps to achieve your goals.
Saira’s Perspective:
Networking: Leverage relationships to gain a holistic understanding of the business
Compliance and Commerciality: Focus on both compliance and the bigger picture of business growth.
Tetyana’s Perspective:
- Creating Opportunities: Continuously work on professional development and seek opportunities for growth, even within your current workplace.
- Upskilling and Networking: Engage in upskilling, professional branding, and networking to advance your career.
Mentorship
Tetyana’s Perspective:
Role of Mentorship: Mentorship is crucial for career development. Sharing personal experiences as a mentor and mentee highlights the importance of these relationships.
Finding the Right Mentor: Tips on identifying the right mentor and working effectively with them to maximize the benefits of the relationship.
Emily’s Perspective:
- External Mentors: The best mentoring relationships often come from outside one’s organization or industry. Surround yourself with people who uplift you.
- Commitment: Mentoring requires commitment from both sides. Having the right mindset is crucial.
- Guiding Questions: Providing mentees with questions to guide their thinking and structure the mentoring process:
– Why are you interested in having a mentor?
– What are your key strengths and skills, and what do you want to build upon?
– What is your untapped potential in terms of skills, experience, interests, and aspirations?
– What are your priorities over the next six months and the challenges you face?
– What do you hope to gain from mentoring, and what issues do you want to focus on?
– Have you formed specific goals?
– Where do you hope to be in 12 months?
– What will progress look like to you?
Saira’s Perspective:
- Non-Traditional Mentorship: Mentorship doesn’t have to be with someone in your firm or field. It can involve multiple relationships to broaden your network and perspectives.
- By integrating these insights, you can foster a strong compliance culture, position yourself for career advancement, and maximize the benefits of mentorship.
AUDIENCE AND ENGAGEMENT
The audience actively participated throughout the event, posing insightful questions that enriched the discussion. One attendee raised concerns about maternity leave and the perceived taboo around discussing it within their organization. The panel shared their thoughts, emphasizing that such conversations might be easier than feared since maternity leave is a natural part of life. The audience also contributed their own real-life examples, providing valuable insights and boosting the confidence of the person who asked the question.
Mentorship was a hot topic, with many attendees eager to know the best ways to find a mentor and understand best practices for these relationships. The panellists were fantastic in sharing their views and experiences, sparking real engagement from the audience.
Overall, the event was impactful, leaving many attendees feeling enlightened and inspired.
The event was highly interactive, and many attendees expressed their gratitude for providing a safe space to discuss these critical subjects. We received excellent feedback for both the panelists and the content of the discussions.
We could not be prouder of putting this event together in collaboration with Women4Women. There were numerous valuable takeaways for all who attended, making the evening truly impactful and enriching.
If you would like to learn more about the content of the event or if you are a hiring manager searching for talented individuals, please contact our Compliance team:
Nimesh Dave: Nimesh.Dave@bruinfinancial.com;
James Makinnon: JamesMakinnon@bruinfinancial.com
Louis Chen: Louis.Chen@bruinfinancial.com;
