Stacy and Rachel are Senior Policy Advisers at AMI, dealing with a whole host of challenges and helping to shape the whole industry, battling on behalf of mortgage brokers with regulators, the Government, and other bodies. They are passionate about the industry, D&I and equity, the green agenda, and much more besides.

They have come into the Financial Services world via very different paths, one dropping out of University, one working in a Northern bookmakers, and are really interested in showing how welcoming FS can actually be for young women and changing the culture of the industry from within. For any young people looking for inspiration on where to go next, or who think financial services is not for them, you may well think again.

In this episode, we chat about many things, including:

• How intense bullying led to "filling in a pond" and moving schools
• Dropping out of University
• Finding the positives and letting setbacks work for you
• Lessons from a betting shop
• Starting in Financial Services and dealing with being a young woman within it
• The importance of doing what makes you happy
• Learning from the Egyptians: Aggressively helping others
• The new industry Mentor Scheme and how you can help
• The best piece of advice Stacy & Rachel ever had
• The one person you would want to meet in history and what would you ask them

I am sure you will find something to take away from both of these ladies' journeys.

This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.

Stacy on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacypenn
Rachel on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-edwards-a8219417a
AMI on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-of-mortgage-intermediaries/
AMI Website - https://www.a-m-i.org.uk
Working in Mortgages Website - https://workinginmortgages.org.uk

Details of the AMI & DIFF Mentors Scheme can be found here:

https://workinginmortgages.onpld.com

Please do get involved.

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From her early life growing up in a small rural village in the Netherlands and wanting to be a Prima Ballerina, Esther has worked her way up, traveling from Amsterdam to London, dealing with a different culture, and changing and learning along the way.

Esther began her career in management consultancy with IBM in the Netherlands and moved to the UK in 2000. She previously worked for Legal & General where she was the Commercial and Marketing Director of the L&G Network and UK Mortgage Club. She has been at Lloyds Banking Group for almost a decade now, formally Director of Strategic Partnerships and now the Managing Director, Intermediaries.

She is passionate about helping people and inspiring a new generation and has been described as “one of the best managers I have worked for in my 25-year career” by a previous employee.

There are so many nuggets in this episode and Esther really is a delight to talk to in this very open and revealing chat.

In this episode, we chat about many things, including:

• Growing up in a small rural town in The Netherlands which was too small to hold the adventurous Esther
• Wanting to become a Prima Ballerina
• Taking opportunities and changing your mindset
• The nickname that made Esther change
• Travelling to London and working as a foreign female in FS – dealing with cultural differences
• Advice for a new generation
• Management styles and changing attitudes – what makes a good manager?
• The importance of empathy and connection
• The key to leadership
• Esther's definition of success and connecting to the deeper why
• The best piece of advice Esther ever had
• The one person you would want to meet in history and what would you ask them

I am sure her story will be of interest to you.

This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.

Esther on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherdijkstrauk

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From his early life growing up in a Council Estate in Southend, Richard Rowntree has worked his way up in a range of jobs, from a development programme at Halifax in 1991, through branch management, to becoming Sales Director, and then National Director of Santander, MD of Bank of Ireland Mortgages and now sits as the MD of Mortgages at Paragon Banking Group as well as a UK Finance Board Member.

He is passionate about his work with Progress Together, helping to change the Financial world by encouraging and assisting more new talent from different socio-economic backgrounds to not just come into finance but to ensure they progress to top positions.

In this episode, we chat about many things, including:

• Humble beginnings - growing up in a council estate in Southend
• Learning how to fit in and get on with people
• Taking opportunities
• Having to reinvent yourself
• Dealing with setbacks and staying positive
• Imposter Syndrome, coping mechanisms and your inner monologue
• Equality and Social Mobility: Driving socio-economic diversity
• What is Progress Together and how to get involved
• Richard's definition of success
• The best piece of advice Richard ever had
• The one person you would want to meet in history and what would you ask them

I am sure his story will be of interest to you.

This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.

Richard on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-rowntree-332982b/
Progress Together - https://www.progresstogether.co.uk
Progress Together on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/company/progress-together

You can contact and follow Monty:

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