Debbie Gamble - Women In Leadership in Financial Technology

Summary

In a compelling conversation, Debbie Gamble discusses women in leadership within the financial technology sector, highlighting the challenges and the opportunities for influence and growth. Gamble, actively involved in organizations like Women in Payments, emphasizes the importance of mentorship, diversity, and personal development. She shares her experiences and initiatives, such as founding women's clubs and facilitating mastermind groups aimed at fostering personal advisory networks. Through her work in innovation, she advocates for experimentation and embracing failures as learning opportunities, embodying a philosophy of life that values diverse perspectives.

Highlights

• Debbie is passionate about increasing female representation in financial tech leadership, an area typically dominated by men. 💪
• She actively supports Women in Payments and other organizations dedicated to empowering women in the industry. 🔗
• Mentorship and personal advisory boards are key tools Debbie recommends for career growth. 🧭
• Founding women's groups in Toronto has provided supportive environments for women in various stages of their careers. 🏢
• Championing diversity leads to richer perspectives and opportunities for innovation. 🌈
• Innovation thrives on the willingness to experiment and learn from failures. 🔍

Key Takeaways

• The number of women decreases at higher organizational levels in the male-dominated fintech industry. 💼
• Mentorship and supportive networks are vital for career development in financial services. 🌟
• Women's clubs and mastermind groups offer spaces for professional and personal growth. 🤝
• Championing diversity and inclusion leads to broader perspectives and innovative thinking. 🌍
• Experimentation and embracing failures are crucial for driving innovation. 🚀

Overview

Debbie Gamble has a remarkable narrative focused on the empowerment of women in the financial technology industry. She highlights the industry's male predominance and underscores her initiatives aimed at increasing female leadership representation. Gamble shares her dedication to mentorship, suggesting it as a critical element in nurturing new talent.

Through founding women's clubs and masterminding groups, Debbie has facilitated spaces for women to share experiences and access personal advisory boards. She emphasizes the importance of fostering environments that consider not only professional growth but also personal and mental well-being.

A staunch advocate for diversity, Debbie Gamble believes that varied perspectives are not just beneficial in corporate settings but crucial for innovation. Her forward-thinking approach in embracing new ideas and learning from failures serves not only as a strategy for work but as a broader life philosophy.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Importance of Women in Leadership This chapter introduces the topic of women in leadership within the financial technology sector. It emphasizes the importance of this topic, noting that it is meaningful and potentially valuable to many people. The speaker expresses a personal connection to the subject and acknowledges the presence of a significant number of women in the industry.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Challenges and Support in Male-Dominated Industries The chapter discusses the decreasing representation of women in higher organizational levels within male-dominated industries. The speaker describes working in such an industry as a 'labor of love' and highlights their current influential position as an opportunity to drive change.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Role and Recognition of Women in Payments The chapter discusses the role and recognition of women in the payment industry, highlighting the journey of women in the financial services sector. It mentions an organization called 'Women in Payments,' which supports women at various career stages, from newcomers to experienced professionals. The focus is on acknowledging the contributions of women and encouraging giving back to the community.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Career Support and Mentorship The speaker emphasizes the importance of providing career support and mentorship, particularly for those who are more experienced in their fields. They reflect on the significance of giving back and assisting others in their career journey. The speaker acknowledges the vital role of having support at the start of one's career, as they personally experienced its benefits when they were young.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Founding of Women's Club in Toronto The chapter discusses the founding of a Women's Club in Toronto. It highlights the importance of mentorship and how the speaker, a founding member, was inspired by Mary Aitken. Aitken, an investment banker, established the club after being frustrated with male-dominated spaces.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Facilitating Masterminds and Personal Growth The chapter focuses on the importance of providing facilities that support growth particularly for women. It highlights the significance of addressing growth not only from a professional angle but from a holistic perspective encompassing physical, mental, and personal development. Health and wellness are key aspects, and the chapter discusses involvement in facilitating environments that promote these elements, despite recent constraints in active participation.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Championing Diversity and Inclusion The chapter discusses the concept of personal advisory boards, taking inspiration from corporate advisory boards. The author shares their experience with a group called masterminds, where women unite to provide support and guidance to each other. Emphasizing the significance of diversity and inclusion, the author reflects on their commitment to these values throughout their career.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Role of Innovation in Career and Life The chapter titled 'Role of Innovation in Career and Life' emphasizes the importance of diversity of thought across various aspects of life, including personal development, career advancement, and corporate success. The speaker advocates for embracing diverse perspectives and input, suggesting that these elements are crucial for innovation. By working in the field of innovation, the speaker highlights the beneficial opportunities that come with embracing diverse viewpoints.

Debbie Gamble - Women In Leadership in Financial Technology Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 talked uh on women in leadership in financial technology uh i i'll be keen to hear your thoughts about that uh because i'm sure there are many people who will be watching that will uh that will find that valuable sure you know it's a topic close to my heart to be honest um like many industries um there's a lot of women in our industry
• 00:30 - 01:00 but those numbers get smaller and smaller as you kind of you know look at the top of the organization so um my industry's kind of male dominated um like many industries so this is a this is being a um i guess a labor of love for me and um and i get the luxury of being in a position where i can influence that um at the moment which is great so i've been
• 01:00 - 01:30 involved with many organizations in the payment space there's a women in payments um organization that we actively support and that recognizes you know the journey of women in the payments and the financial services industry um that recognizes you know from the you know the kind of newbies just starting their career you know through to uh women who have got a wealth of knowledge because they've been in the space for for many years and and and how you can give back so um that i'm i'm i'm very focused on um
• 01:30 - 02:00 and i think you know it's kind of important for people like ourselves peter that when we get into this stage in our career and we're elder that not only do you get to give back but you get to help people on the journey of their career and if you've been lucky enough to have you know that support as i had when i was you know starting my career off quite young um that is is is hugely important and
• 02:00 - 02:30 hugely influential and um i would say if any of the students have uh have got an opportunity to kind of you know find a mentor do it so so i'm i'm actively involved in that i'm a founding member of a women's um group women's club actually in toronto that was founded by a woman who was an investment banker her name is mary aitken and she was just so fed up of going to places that was donated by men so so she started her own club why not
• 02:30 - 03:00 um and that's a that's a fantastic facility uh for women um you know to think about growth not just in from a professional perspective but a physical perspective so there's a lot of focus on health and wellness and but also mental um you know and kind of personal growth so um i where i can i'm i'm involved as much as possible i i i haven't done so much lately but i used to facilitate an
• 03:00 - 03:30 amazing group um called masterminds where a group of women come together to think about almost like having your own personal you know advisory board and corporations do this right every corporation has a board every corporation has an advisory board so why not do that on a personal level um which has been very helpful for me you know in my career um and i try to i try to champion diversity and inclusion as much as possible i you know i'm a
• 03:30 - 04:00 firm believer that um we all benefit with um from kind of you know diverse thought um you know from different perspectives and having input and that like that absolutely applies to life it absolutely applies to your career and it certainly applies to corporations um so so i encourage that as much as possible and because i get to work in innovation um that means i get i get the opportunity
• 04:00 - 04:30 to try stuff out right to and and try things out so we get the opportunity to embrace the art of the possible embrace something new and if it doesn't work sometimes in in life it doesn't work sometimes in technology it doesn't work that's fine that experience is as valuable as anything that does work immediately so um i think in you know just the notion of innovation in work is actually a fabulous
• 04:30 - 05:00 kind of philosophy for life