Talent Talks supported by Scottish Widows
Talent Talks, brought to you by Her Wealth Network and supported by Scottish Widows, is a podcast dedicated to empowering women in their careers, particularly within financial services. The show highlights the experiences, challenges, and successes of women working in the industry, offering insights and advice to help navigate career obstacles. Produced by a volunteer-run professional networking group, the podcast aims to make financial services more accessible to women and men alike. Listeners can expect candid conversations and practical guidance for career growth in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Episodes
Special edition episode: Gen Z Own the Mic with Abigail Foster
This bonus episode is the result of our Gen Z Own the Mic event we held at the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) in July. Her Wealth Network were kindly hosted by LSEG and the participants were given access to their podcast suite to interview Abigail Foster, Personal Finance Educator and Author. In pairs, they posed a variety of questions about financial literacy, getting started in the world of financ
Special edition episode: The Domino Effect with Taban Shoresh OBE
This is a special edition bonus episode, recorded at FundForum a couple of months ago. Chimmy Ngoma was lucky enough to sit down with Taban Shoresh OBE, to talk about her charity The Lotus Flower. A former child genocide survivor, Taban is the Founder and CEO of The Lotus Flower, a charity supporting conflict survivors in Kurdistan, northern Iraq and the UK.This episode is incredibly humbling. Lis
Her Money. Her Work. Her Power - The psychology of money - why we do what we do
Why do we make the financial decisions we do? In this latest episode of Talent Talks, host Sarah Sandle is joined by Ylva Baeckström - finance expert, psychotherapist and author - to explore the psychology of money and the beliefs, experiences and behaviours that shape our relationship with it. Together they discuss financial confidence, investing, the gender wealth gap, and the practical steps wo
Her Money. Her Work. Her Power: Breaking Down Barriers to Money
In episode 3 of season 7, Sarah talks to Emily Boxall, co-founder of financial engagement app 2mins. Together they explore what is driving financial engagement for the younger generation and why people often choose to switch off from money conversations.Emily Boxall is the Co-founder of 2mins, the app turning financial education into engaging, bite-sized games. Her background spans marketing, comm
Her Money. Her Work. Her Power: From Survival to Independence
Sarah chats to Lily McNally about her experience with money, what it means to be truly financially independent and how a frog and an elephant both feature! Lily is the design lead for the Scottish Widows app at Lloyds Banking Group. She’s all about designing experiences that are straightforward, engaging and delightful. To meet users where they are, help them do the things they want to do easily,
Her Money. her Work. Her Power. Money 101 for your first payslip
In this first episode of season 7 Sarah chats with Rebecca Leiper, who is an Engagement Consultant at Scottish Widows, specialising in Workplace Pension engagement. She talks through getting her first payslip and why it pays to understand all of those different calculations, the importance of saving early into your pension and making and sticking to budget!Rebecca works closely with employers, ad
Finding the bravery to be the change you want to see: How do we protect the future
In this episode, Laura chats with Kate Monserrate, founder of Simplify Consulting, who shares her journey of building a values-led consultancy through risk-taking, resilience, and a strong commitment to people and culture. She reflects on personal challenges—including leaving an abusive relationship and navigating cancer treatment—and how these experiences shaped her mindset, driving her to lead w
Preserving human values in the dawn of a new tech era: How do we protect the future
This episode explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, with Annabel Gillard emphasising the importance of preserving trust, ethics, and human value in an increasingly digital world. She talks to Laura about how AI is a powerful but imperfect “prediction generator,” highlighting both its opportunities and risks, including bias, job disruption, and the potential for dehumanisa
Behind the Mic: Reflections From the Hosts - Growing in Your Career Journey
This episode is something a little bit different. As hosts of this podcast we thought it would fun to turn the mic round and chat about what we've learnt from our guests, our favourites, funny moments and building our own confidence.This is much about pushing ourselves into our discomfort zone as it is about the podcast; so if you've enjoyed the 20+ podcast episodes take a listen and sh
Career Growth Playbook: Advice for Women in Finance - Growing in Your Career Journey with Anna Lane
Welcome to another empowering episode of Talent Talks, where we spotlight the voices shaping the future of financial services. In this episode, Sarah sits down with the dynamic Anna Lane, CEO of The Wisdom Council and President of Women in Banking and Finance (WiBF). With decades of experience driving innovation in the industry, Anna shares candid insights on ambition, visibility, and the power of
Rewriting Your Career Story: Pivoting with Purpose - Growing in Your Career Journey with Kevin Doran
Have you ever thought about changing direction during your career, moving into a completely different role or industry? In this episode, Sarah chats to Kevin Doran, CIO at Lloyds Banking Group about pivoting with purpose. The conversation covers finding your golden threads, how to craft a story that connect the dots and what it really means to be authentic. A self confessed failed math teacher, Ke
Professional Network: Helping Grow Your Career Expectations - Growing in Your Career Journey with Jill Henderson
In this latest episode Sarah dives into a topic that can truly transform your career - professional networking. Whether you're early in your career or looking to level up, the right network can open doors you didn't even know existed.Our guest, Jill Henderson, is Head of Workplace Strategic Relationships at Scottish Widows and new sponsor of Her Wealth Network. She was until recently, th
From Feeling Stuck to Finding Your Spark - Growing in Your Career Journey with Jess Harvey
Every been in a role where you feel like you're going nowhere or perhaps you're just not 'feeling' the role any longer. So what do you do? In this episode Sarah Sandle is joined by Jess Harvey, the founder of the Female Mentoring Alliance to talk about why so many women feel trapped in their careers, bust a few myths that might be holding you back and explore what it really tak
Lost your job? Don't panic! - Growing in your career journey with Paul Chapman
Have you ever found yourself out of a job unexpectedly? In this episode we welcome Paul Chapman to talk us through how to coach yourself through redundancy, allowing your self space to breath and make the best decisions for your next move. Paul is a board adviser to Her Wealth Network and a seasoned recruiter with almost 20 years of experience placing top talent in financial services roles. He joi
Personal Brand and Visibility - Building Bonds that Build Careers with Shakaila Forbes-Bell
Shakaila Forbes-Bell is a Fashion Psychologist, consultant, TV commentator, founder of the platform 'Fashion is Psychology' and best-selling author of the book “Big Dress Energy”. Shakaila talks to Chimmy Ngoma about the connection between psychology and what we choose to wear, how that gives us confidence and how we can celebrate our identity through our personal brand.She uses scientif
The Power of Sponsorship and Allyship : Building Bonds that Build Careers with Akua Opong
In this latest episode we welcome Akua Opong, a multi-award-winning speaker, who has over 15 years of experience in the financial and tech industries. A Chartered IT Professional with the British Computer Society, she is a recognised thought leader in Social Impact, CSR, ESG, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Gender Equality. She talks to our host Chimmy Ngoma about the importance of allyship and spon
Your Action Plan for Success: Building Bonds that Build Careers with Gill Whitty-Collins
In this episode, we are excited to chat with Gill Whitty-Collins, the author 'Why men win at work...and how we can make inequality history'. Our host, Chimmy Ngoma talks to Gill about finding your 'confident core' and how the sooner we find our super-powers, we ensure we reach happiness faster!Gill was born near Liverpool in 1970, the youngest of three sisters. After attending
The Art of Strategic Networking - Building Bonds that Build Careers with Mary Agbesanwa
In this first episode of the new season for 2025, we are joined by Mary Agbesanwa, who is passionate about how technology is transforming the financial services industry, especially wealth management. Listen to her chat with host, Chimmy Ngoma about being your authentic self and super-connectors. How looking to help others when you're networking should come before self-promotion and how to us
Women's Wealth: Finding Your Financial Confidence with Samantha Secomb
In this episode we are joined by the superpower that is Samantha (Sam) Secomb, Founder of Women’s Wealth, an innovative unbiased financial advice and coaching service that specialises in empowering women to create fabulous financial futures for themselves. Laura chats to Sam about her career, where are all the female advisers, what the profession can offer in terms of career and what drives her pa
Inclusive Investing: Finding Your Financial Confidence with Faith Reynolds
In this episode we are joined by Faith Reynolds, a strategic adviser, experienced NED, chair and speaker. She is an adviser to the board at TISA and a non-exec director at Fair4All Finance. She's led a series of initiatives to improve communications and break down barriers to financial services and talks to us about getting women investing, what other women are doing in this space and Resourc
Passionate About Pensions: Finding Financial Confidence with Susan Hope
In this episode we talk to Susan Hope, Pension Specialist at Scottish Widows about taking control of your pension. Susan is a Chartered Financial Planner and is passionate about closing the gender pension gap. Her day job is helping individuals understand the tangible benefits of workplace savings and frequently talks on topics such as the financial implications of life events, particularly for wo
Financially Fearless: Finding Financial Confidence with Laura Burridge
In this episode, we are joined by Laura Burridge from Hargreaves Lansdown for over 8 years, starting a content writer and now marketing leads for Financially Fearless, share trading and value. Financially Fearless is an initiative which empowers women with their money. Laura wants to empower the next generation of female investors as it's predicted that 60% of the UK's wealth will be in
Navigating Career Challenges: Finding Your Way with Dr Bijna Kotak Dasani MBE, FRSA
Join Dr. Bijna, a banker-turned-venture capitalist and global business leader, as she delves into her inspiring career journey. From starting her career at firms such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to advising monarchies and startups, Dr. Bijna shares the pivotal moments that shaped her success. In this episode, she emphasises the importance of mentorship, overcoming challenges in male-domina
Career Success Unlocked: Finding Your Way with Victoria McLean
In this episode, we chat to Victoria McLean, founder and CEO of City CV, an international career consultancy firm specialising in banking and financial service. With over 20 years of experience and a background in recruitment at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, Victoria's skills span CV/resume writing, interview and career coaching, and recruitment, including creating and directing internatio
Overcoming burnout and rediscovering balance: Finding Your Way with Holly Chate
In this episode, Holly Chate, COO of Future Dot Now, shares her inspiring journey from biochemistry student at UCL to a diverse career spanning the public, private, and third sectors across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. After facing burnout, Holly followed her passion which led to her joining Future Dot Now, a charity dedicated to closing the UK's digital skills gap. In this episode Holl
From Hedge Fund to Fintech Co-Founder: Finding Your Way with Nitika Vyas
Nitika shares her inspiring journey from a successful career in investment banking and hedge funds to co-founding a fintech startup focused on empowering women with their finance. Driven by her passion for psychology and helping others, Nitika pursued a counselling qualification and volunteered with mental health charities. Nitika discusses the career transition that led to the creation of Aila Mo
Navigating Career and Parenthood: Finding Your Way with Cynthia Poole
This episode features Cynthia Poole, Director of Relationship Management and Business Support at Raymond James. Cynthia began her career in the U.S., but after the birth of her first child, she faced a pivotal decision—leaving her job to prioritise family. She discusses the challenges and rewards of stepping away from her career to raise her children, and her eventual journey back into the workfor
Self-promotion isn't a dirty word: Finding Your Voice with Stefanie Sword-Williams
In our keynote episode, we're joined by Stefanie Sword-Williams, the author of "F*ck Being Humble" and a industry leader in the world of public speaking. Stefanie shares her journey, offering a wealth of actionable advice for those wanting to be brave enough to speak in front of any audience. From finding your ‘thing’ to conquering nerves, Stefanie provides practical tips that liste
Bonus Episode: Allies in Action - Finding Your Voice with Mark Freed
In this episode, we sit down with Mark Freed, co-founder of E2W and founder of Men for Inclusion. Despite early academic struggles due to dyslexia, Mark has become a powerful advocate for gender equality in the financial services sector. He shares his journey from a young working-class boy to a change-maker in London's financial district. Mark discusses the critical role of male allies in ach
The Viral Voice: Finding Your Voice with Alina Timofeeva
This episode features Alina Timofeeva, whose TEDx talk catapulted her into the spotlight. Alina shares her remarkable journey from a working-class background in Russia to becoming a multi-award-winning speaker. Learn about the power of perseverance, the impact of cultural perspectives in public speaking, and how finding your voice can lead to unexpected opportunities on the global stage.
Speak Up, Stand Out: Finding Your Voice with Megan Pope
Join us as we talk with Megan Pope, last year's joint Finding Your Voice event winner. Megan opens up about her experience being autistic and how she found her voice in public speaking. Discover the challenges she faced, the strategies she employed, and how winning the event has impacted her life. This inspiring conversation highlights the importance of diverse voices in public discourse.
From Silence to Spotlight: Finding Your Voice with Laura Bampfylde
In this episode, we sit down with Laura Bampfylde, the driving force behind our annual Finding Your Voice public speaking boot camp. Laura shares her insights on overcoming stage fright, and helping others discover their authentic voice. Learn about the transformative power of effective communication and how it can open doors both personally and professionally.
