Westpac Group’s head of strategy, regulatory and change – business banking, Kym Whitford, specialises in financial services now. But her background is in commercial litigation, management consulting and retail marketing functions.
“I have done a lot of different jobs I have loved, but the financial services is where I have landed,” she says.
Kym initially became interested in joining FINSIA after our popular event, The Regulators, caught her attention. The event, which will be held in Sydney on 8 November, involves speakers from APRA, ASIC, AUSTRAC, RBA and the RBNZ.
“I thought it would be really helpful to attend FINSIA’s events and become part of the broader community. A number of our team will be at The Regulators. It will be interesting to hear from so many senior members of our profession and also see how speakers respond to questions from the audience,” she says.
According to Kym who joins as Affiliate FIN, says the short courses and micro credentials FINSIA offers are attractive to her team.
“It allows us to keep learning when time is precious. The content is so relevant, with a mix of informative events to keep abreast of current issues as well as professional development.
"It’s helpful to be part of an organisation with ownership of these areas, especially for team members who are still early on in their career,” she says, adding that she’s also looking forward to networking.
“I lead a strategy function, so I'm excited to go to events and talk through trends with my peers. Access to different external viewpoints is so valuable when you work in a large company."
Westpac is a key FINSIA partner, with the two organisations working closely on initiatives such as joint events. “These projects build the banking community and offer granular insights you can only get when you are face-to-face with your peers,” says Kym.
She says membership also helps her grapple with some of the common challenges across the financial services sector.
“The financial services industry is evolving faster than it ever has. We have highly customer-centric fintechs with really specialised technology and they're solving customer problems in a way that keeps the big four on our toes. It’s prompting us to think about our customer value proposition and how we use technology to support those propositions.”
Aside from industry issues, Kym says a perennial challenge at a big institution is being able to effect change and influence in a constructive way.
“This is an important part of career development and the courses and mentoring FINSIA offers around this are really helpful for members.”
Outside work, Kym has a young family and a second life as the deputy chair for Gymnastics Australia.
“It’s been a fun, busy role with the Olympics and a great outlet to channel my professional skills into something outside banking. It reminds you how important the skills you develop in your financial career can be in in other industries,” she says.
