Talent Talks supported by Scottish Widows

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, com...

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,...

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, a...

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...

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 dehumanis...

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 s...

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...

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...

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, t...

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...

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...

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 sci...

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...

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...

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...

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 p...

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  Resour...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...