‘I’ve constantly thrown myself into challenges, stepping out of my comfort zone’

In our latest Women in Finance Interview, Tony Sanchez speaks to Ana Diaz, Head of Marketing and Communications at Fiduciam.

Ana has been part of the Fiduciam team for almost five years now, bringing with her a diverse background from her previous experience working in the education sector in Spain, Russia and the UK.

While initially hired as an Office Manager, Ana pursued additional marketing responsibilities and was promoted to the position of Marketing Manager after just one year.

In February 2023, Ana was appointed as Head of the Marketing and Communications team.

What brought you into financial services?

Destiny? A matter of luck? While I was teaching, I felt that the walls of the classroom were closing in on me, and I needed to try something else.

My flatmate forwarded me a job advertisement from Fiduciam and I decided to give it a shot.

Thanks to the Fiduciam’s skills-based hiring approach, I got in and I am still here five years later!

What do you think makes a successful leader? And in particular women leaders?

Empowerment and mentorship. I admire leaders who empower their teams to take ownership of their work and develop their skills and capabilities.

In particular, female leaders who mentor and advocate for others contribute to a culture of equality and serve as role models.

I also believe that empathy and emotional intelligence are essential to lead a team.

What are the biggest barriers you have faced in your career in financial services?

Imposter syndrome. I joined Fiduciam with no prior finance or marketing experience and began in a team just by myself, meaning that I was responsible for the entire scope of marketing activities.

Undeterred by this challenge, I embraced this responsibility and sought out initiatives to self-train and discover new opportunities in the marketing sector. It has never been easy, though!

If you could tell your younger self one thing you know about business now, what would it be? 

Anything can be learnt on the go. One thing I’ve learnt about dealing with imposter syndrome is that learning is always possible.

Don’t worry too much about not knowing everything at the start of your career, a project, or a new job.

There are countless resources and tools available to help you reach your goals.

Acknowledge that you can’t know everything, work towards finding solutions and ask for help.

What’s your own personal mantra?

It’s better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t. Within reasonable limits, of course!

Life is too short – or too long – to live with the feeling of “what if I had…?”.

What do you think is key for finding a successful work-life balance?

I think it’s key to know where you need to be at any given moment in time and be there.

This applies to work, relationships, hobbies… and for that, you need organisation skills and to be surrounded by flexible people.

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid. You can grow into the person you aspire to be.

What do you think is holding women back?

There are plenty of things outside our control holding women back, like old-school norms and lack of representation.

But one major factor that hits hard is confidence.

Many women just don’t feel bold enough to speak up and go after what they deserve, especially when they’re the only female voice in the room. It’s a real roadblock to moving forward.

Do you think there is still a glass ceiling?

Despite the progress made in recent years, there are still invisible barriers that prevent women from advancing to higher levels of leadership and achieving their full potential within many organisations.

To be fair, I have not personally experienced this and I am not sure what would be the fairest way to address this, but raising awareness of this reality is a good start.

What are your thoughts on the Women in Finance Charter? 

I think it is an excellent initiative. Here, at Fiduciam we are proud to participate in it.

Any initiatives and programmes that promote gender equality and provide support and mentorship are essential to nurture women’s potential.

It is important, however, to implement these initiatives sincerely, rather than just checking boxes.

How do we encourage more women into financial services? 

Inspiring them. Role models are key to empowering women in finance.

By showcasing successful female leaders in the industry, we break stereotypes and show what is achievable.

Sharing their stories and accomplishments can inspire the next generation of female finance professionals to aim for leadership roles.

This has been key in my career progress. I have been so lucky to meet so many inspiring women throughout my career (colleagues and friends) who have motivated me.

The gender pay gap is only second worst to the construction industry. What can organisations do to address this?

To start, organisations need to give women a fair shot at proving they’re worth the same salary as their male colleagues.

That means offering them equal opportunities: the same projects, career paths, promotions, etc.

It’s about levelling the playing field and recognising everyone’s talent and potential, regardless of gender.

What is your biggest achievement to date? 

I’d say it’s the journey of becoming the person I am today.

Since I was young, I’ve constantly thrown myself into challenges, stepping out of my comfort zone.

Those moments, the ones that made me shake a bit, have shaped who I’ve become.

I’m proud that I never gave up on what I wanted, and now, I know my value and what I deserve. That, to me, is my biggest win!

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