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DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT
A different way of thinking Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace is at the core of Virgin Money. MPA spoke to four of the bank’s female staff to find out what that looks like HAVING WORKED in the finance industry for six years, Kimberly Zhao has seen her fair share of male-dominated environments. But on joining Virgin Money in 2020 she found herself part of a well-balanced team who encourage her to speak up and show her the possibilities for growth. Although she says product and pricing analysis is highly specialised and typically a male profession, Virgin Money “saw the potential” in her and helped her identify and harness the skills she already had in order to become the bank’s home loan product analyst – something previous organisations had not given her the opportunity to explore. “Every one of us should choose and pursue a career driven by passion rather than by gender,” she says. The gender balance in the product team allows for greater diversity of thought, Zhao says. Everyone has a different way of thinking about things, and the culture at Virgin Money means she can express her opinions and challenge the process. “It’s important to have different skill sets and views as it helps to generate a better outcome,” she says, adding that her manager,
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head of home loans Kristy Clucas, encourages that different way of thinking. Clucas says she is not the only one with this attitude, though; across the board, Virgin Money is a supporter of females and, importantly, of elevating them. “From our CEO down, everyone wants to see everyone succeed,” she says.
pay scale, she remained at the same level. She says it took two and a half years after having her second child before she finally felt she was moving forward. “That’s a really important lesson, that supporting people through those childbearing years is such an important factor,” Clucas says, adding that Virgin Money has a “family-first culture”. Working mums are a great asset to any team. Virgin Money’s NSW business development manager, Sonia Molnar, says that as a working mum she is more determined to come in, do a good job and prove herself.
“It was almost like I was damaged goods that could only do a smaller job because I’d only be there three days a week” Kristy Clucas, Virgin Money This is not something Clucas has seen everywhere. After having her first child while at a previous organisation, Clucas says she felt like she had been “put on a shelf ”. “It was almost like I was damaged goods that could only do a smaller job, because I’d only be there three days a week,” she explains. She was asked continuously whether she was having another child, and while she watched her husband progress and go up the
The support and encouragement she gets from Virgin Money means she is “a better person” when she gets home to her family. “I think my family reaps the benefits of me being more present and an authentic self, because I am being rewarded and appreciated in what I do, and that drives me to continue to work,” Molnar says. While the majority of brokers in the industry are men, Molnar has noticed that
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