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We hear the real stories of people from all walks of life – how they found their way into the mortgage industry, the highs and lows of their careers and their lived experiences of D&I within the industry. Click on the images below to read these inspiring stories. Do you have a story of your own to tell? Get involved!
Rachel is also the lead for Working in Mortgages and has been working in financial services for 8 years.
I started working in financial services out of pure jealousy. I worked as a Deputy Manager at a bookmakers, and after 3 years there I grew bored of watching the staff at the building society across the road leaving work at 5pm! I started working at that building society as a Branch Assistant, and from there I moved around between banks, credit unions and two further building societies (I’m outing myself as a serial job hopper). When I started in mortgages, I was managing an underwriting team and this path led me to AMI.
Being at AMI and leading Working in Mortgages (WIM) has been a prolonged best moment for me. This is the happiest I’ve been both personally and professionally. I can’t thank Robert (Sinclair, AMI Chief Executice) and Monty (Andrew Montlake, Chair of the AMI Board) enough for taking a chance on me and handing over the reins of WIM.
This might be a bit of a superficial one, but several years ago I applied for a promotion (I was already doing the role and had been for many months) only to be turned down due to lack of experience. This obviously stung, but it was made all the more terrible because my boss had chosen my 30th birthday to give me the news, even though I’d already asked him to wait until the next working day regardless of the decision, because I didn’t want the possibility of bad news on my birthday. Worst present ever.
For me personally, when I take stock of what shaped me and had the biggest impact on my life from a D&I standpoint, I’d have to say that my socioeconomic background as a child has been the biggest challenge. In the interest of keeping this brief and not wildly oversharing (for once!), I grew up separately from my birth parents in a very interesting, not at all legal, ‘adoption’ situation – one that I don’t think would fly with the social service standards these days. The adults around me were struggling with alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence was a regular occurrence and financial stability was something I thought I’d never achieve.
I remember thinking as a child “I am a good person and I haven’t done anything to deserve the hand that I’ve been dealt”. I also remember having this moment of absolute clarity that this is the hand that I’ve got so what am I going to do about it? Slowly but surely, I pulled myself out of that situation. I made the difficult decision to cut off people that didn’t have my interests at heart, and I had to learn how to feel comfortable prioritising myself.
I think that the best thing that has come out of my childhood is a strong sense of empathy, and a drive to help everyone to be as happy, healthy and supported as possible. It has been difficult managing imposter syndrome along they way – this sense that I’m taking up room in spaces I don’t belong has really stopped me putting myself forward for things, but I try to remind myself that my experiences don’t mean I am worth less, it just means I have a different and nuanced point of view.
Being involved with Working in Mortgages has been so cathartic and healing. I can’t express properly in words what an amazing experience it has been to meet and work with so many passionate people who also want to help improve the industry, and life in general, for everyone.
I feel like this is such a stock answer but it’s got to be the people! Genuinely, the people I’ve managed to meet throughout my career in financial services have been some of the best, most interesting people that seem to possess boundless passion. In so many of my previous roles I’ve been that boring person prattling on about D&I, so its been amazing to not only have people who listen to, and engage with, my thoughts and opinions, but also share them. I’ve never felt so included and seen.
Get stuck in, put yourself forward for anything and everything you’re interested in. What’s the worst that could happen?
Lesley works full time for LV= General Insurance within the Intermediary team. She is a mother to a 14-year-old young lady, a wife of 22 years and she also owns two small businesses. Lesley is an advocate for being a black woman in the financial services sector.
I started back in 1997 when I joined Legal & General as a Household Claims Handler. I’ve never moved employers – LV= bought the GI arm of Legal & General Insurance back in 2020. I’ve had a range of job roles throughout my career; Team Leader, Trainer, Service Delivery Manager, Claims Supplier, Account Manager, New Business Lead and now my most recent role as Intermediary Strategic Account Manager.
I think I’m living my best moments right now. I’m comfortable in life and within my role, and have taken advantage of various opportunities to give back and share my experiences with others, to hopefully leave them with better insights and to encourage them.
Being understood has been difficult at times. I’m a confident person, and many times my passion has been mistaken as aggression, especially as I gesticulate a lot. Conversely, when I’m quiet this has been mistaken as lack of confidence, rather than what it actually is – me giving others a chance to speak and be heard.
From my early days back in 1997, I observed that there was no one that “looked like me” in senior positions. I set myself the ambition of being the first black Service Delivery Manager for Claims. I’m proud to say that I achieved this in 2007. It was important for me to ensure that I made the most of this senior platform, to create an environment where I could educate others, at every level, on the struggles that black people face in this corporate arena.
More recently I created a D&I group within my business division. This is a ‘safe space’ for myself and others to have open and honest conversations, and to learn, listen and overcome challenges. I’ve naturally become a mentor to both my peers and senior management, encouraging open dialogue around diversity and inclusion.
I’ve never stopped being my authentic self. I’m an open door – ask me anything. It’s okay to ask, it shows me that you’re willing to be educated.
I was a Finalist in Women In Insurance Awards 2023 and also Allianz Star Awards 2023 – this was for my GI work and my commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.
Being able to be an advocate and having opportunities to make a change. Being able to be here for others to listen to my experiences and take a few words of wisdom away to allow them to evolve.
I was involved in ‘fireside chats’ at two Mortgage Showcase events during 2023, speaking to Independent Financial Advisers and Brokers about diversity, or lack thereof, within their businesses.
I’m also currently volunteering with a National Social Mobility Charity – Career Ready. I get to visit schools, mainly Y12 and Y13, to deliver masterclasses that can assist them to kickstart their professional life. This includes things like the art of communication, networking, CV writing and much more.
Always be open to feedback. At times, feedback can feel demotivating, and you may feel like people don’t understand the way you feel or why you may act/react in a particular way. But never disregarded feedback – always listen, take it away and reflect. You have to accept the opinions of others and think about what, if anything, you would change if you approached the same situation again.
With more people of colour in senior positions than ever before, these development conversations with the upcoming generations will be more relatable. I absolutely believe in the saying “people buy people” – stay true to yourself, be your authentic self!
I’d like to see more people of colour in senior positions – this will help us all to embrace the diverse world in which we live. Career conversations with the upcoming generations – people of a variety of cultures, backgrounds and countries – will then be more relatable.
I’m Rebecca Egerton, I am a 33-year-old female living in the Northwest of England with my husband and two dogs. I have many hobbies and interests, including trail running, reading ( literature, history, true crime), crochet, sewing, playing clarinet and many more!
I ‘fell’ into the industry really. I dropped out of university and worked in hospitality and catering for a while. I eventually got sick of working evenings and weekends and so I found a job in a local Estate Agents. After a year of being there and impressing them with my work ethic, they agreed to train me up to be a Mortgage & Protection Adviser. I have been in the mortgage industry ever since.
My best moment is probably right now. I feel I have obtained a good chunk of experience, I feel confident in my knowledge, and I am in a role which I enjoy far more than I ever enjoyed the actual advising side of things. In my current role I get to help other advisers, and I am involved with compliance and processes (which I weirdly enjoy). To top it all off I work for an employer who I can hand on heart say is the best I have ever worked for. I feel supported, appreciated and truly valued where I am, and I look forward to going to work each day.
My worst moment was a period when I worked at a company who did not value or care about their employees. They didn’t communicate with us clearly, and we were always kept in the dark about future plans and developments of the business – so much so that we all lived in fear of what would happen next and if our jobs were safe.
If that wasn’t enough, they were not at all accommodating to the needs of individual staff members – as an Autistic person I struggled with certain aspects of daily working that were forced upon everyone as a blanket rule (which, I must add, didn’t need to be this way and didn’t affect productivity, other than adversely). This led me to having daily panic attacks on the way to work, and eventually to me leaving the company. I am really grateful that where I work now is the total opposite of this.
I have always been very passionate about equality and social justice, so this topic is very close to my heart. I strive to learn more about D&I as it evolves, and to educate those around me – I believe that there is space for everyone, and we should all feel happy, safe and valued in all aspects of life. As well as being Autistic, I am Dyspraxic and have ADHD, which I was diagnosed with at a later age than people usually are. I feel that I would have benefitted from knowing these things about myself (especially the Autism) before going into the working world (school wasn’t so bad for me), as I would have had a greater knowledge and understanding of myself and been able to advocate for my own needs.
I took a long time to see this in myself due to lack of representation, and so I want to be the voice and the example for others that I didn’t have myself, in both my personal and professional life. I have had a successful career to date, but I could have been much happier and content had both I and my previous employers been aware that blanket rules for working aren’t always appropriate for everyone, and accommodations can help people thrive – I want to spread that message too. Being part of a community whose diagnoses are often misunderstood, ignored and misrepresented, makes me empathetic to others who struggle with different aspects of D&I, and to want to instigate change where I can.
I find it really interesting; I know it’s nerdy, but I really do enjoy compliance and processes, and I enjoy seeing products and trends in the market evolve and respond to various factors in the economy and around the world. I also really enjoy helping people. When I was advising it was helping people buy their dream house that gave me satisfaction, now it is supporting advisers in their roles to help their customers in turn.
Be confident in your strengths and don’t be afraid to advocate for your own needs – whether that be flexible working, communication preferences, sensory equipment or any other accommodations that can help you perform to your best. Also, educate yourself about things that affect those around you and don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something – go and learn about it, it’s how we evolve.
Remember that everyone is not the same, we all have different needs and experiences. What helps one person thrive in one role will not necessarily help another, and allowing accommodation for people based on their individual needs helps them to be happier and more productive through enabling them to be fully engaged in their role.
I cover Finance, Compliance, Governance, Technology, Human Resources and Operations. I have been in the mortgage sector since 2012.
I read a tweet posted by Rob Jupp who, at that time, was known to me just through living in the same town of Brentwood, and obviously following local people. Rob posted about a Sales Consultant role and I said that if he ever had an admin job, to let me know. About two months later he did just that and after two interviews with Rob, and then Brad and Kit who are the other co-founders of Brightstar, I was given the job as the first Office Administrator.
There is both a personal moment and a team moment for me. My best personal moment was collecting the British Mortgage Award for the first time in 2022 – it was a very special moment. It isn’t always the case that those in Operations roles win the business leader categories and so it was an honour for me to do so. The single stand out best team moment was in February 2020 – winning the Sunday Times Best Small Company to work for, and doing so with a record score in the awards history. Surrounded by colleagues and friends, that night was special in seeing how far the company had come and everything it had achieved.
The pandemic. Having to prepare alongside my management team and colleagues for all the eventualities that our business might face. Trying to support and reassure colleagues about the future, when we were facing so many unprecedented changes and Downing Street briefings. Reading, digesting and implementing strategies to support our business operations and preparing to return to a full office kept my mind busy for sure. The pandemic brought out the best in many people though, where we all pulled together in the worst moments.
I have spoken countless times now about the personal struggle I had through not seeing myself in this industry. As a young gay man, I wasn’t able to identify peers or other people like me to aspire to, people who had been on my journey. Being part of the LGBTQ community doesn’t come with an obvious physical identity people can see. That didn’t hold me back though, and in time I found people who I could look up to. The journey I have had within Brightstar has been filled with nothing but love and support. Most importantly, the business has backed me to speak my mind and get involved. The culture that Clare, our Group Director of People Development, has cultivated is one where people support each other, and that we as a business work to push the boundaries, break the established norms and promote a more diverse and inclusive industry – and has done so for many, many years!
The people. The team that I work for, the team that I work with and the team that work for me. Our Brightstar Group family is full of talent and passion – seeing colleagues thrive and succeed everyday, achieve their life goals and get on in life, whilst also doing the same in my own life is wonderful. The friends and contacts that I have made will last a lifetime, and for that reason, this industry will be my work home for a good few years yet! I have plenty of goals to achieve in life, as my husband and I continue to build our life together, so there is no stopping me yet!
Follow in the footsteps of the people who have gone before you, who have tried and tested different paths – but don’t be afraid to create your own path as well. Nothing ever improved because we did what everyone did before us, and that is the same for what is to come. My only advice is to turn any regret you have, or mistake you make, (because we will all have plenty of both in our lifetimes) into a positive learning experience. Take one thing away from each mistake to do better – in time, everything works out.
There is plenty of competition within our industry and equally there is plenty of opportunity to work with, and not against, each other. We need to keep building and growing our businesses, and to do so whilst respecting others at all times. Equally, we have a long journey still to go where those who we support in finding financial solutions can look to our industry as one that represents them – where those giving the advice are from their backgrounds, upbringing and culture – so let’s keep the foot on the gas and do just that!
