In this exclusive, we talk with female executives at American Express about the lessons they learnt along the way to become industry leaders in financial services and the several routes that aspiring young women in the industry may take to succeed in the finserv industry.

Charlotte Duerden

Amex's International Card Services Chief Customer Officer is Charlotte Duerden. She was the UK Country Manager before this and was acknowledged as a top executive in the UK for her support of gender inclusion.

One of the most important lessons Charlotte has learned is to share her ambition with others around her, in addition to keeping it for herself.

According to her, "ambition is nothing to be ashamed of, and it's crucial to create an environment where people feel comfortable discussing their aspirations, both personal and professional."

"By doing this, our female colleagues at Amex feel more supported in realizing their goals."

According to Charlotte, a major factor in this is creating a space where women feel comfortable talking about what they want out of their jobs, and it requires dedication to encourage them at every stage of that process.

"Although there will never be a "job done" in gender inclusion, by making it a constant priority at Amex, we have and will continue to drive meaningful change," says Charlotte.

Making sure women's views and aspirations are heard and understood is crucial to this. This makes it easier to identify and address the obstacles preventing women from reaching their full potential.

"It really pays off to intentionally create opportunities for honest dialogue about women's experiences at work, whether it's through understanding and leveraging the importance of mentors, enabling ongoing career conversations, and creating tailored development opportunities or safe spaces for discussion, like within our Women's Interest Network.”

Hannah Lewis

As the UK Country Manager for Amex, Hannah Lewis oversees a team of around 6,000 employees. Having worked with Amex for 16 years, she assumed leadership of the UK division in 2022. Throughout her employment, she has occupied positions in product marketing, business development, and partnerships, as well as in the consumer, commercial, and merchant sectors of the company.

Hannah adds, "I've had some amazing female mentors at Amex over the course of my 16 years there, and they have truly helped to guide and shape who I am as a leader today."

"I gained a lot of knowledge from them, and although it's crucial to heed guidance from others, you must do so in a way that is authentically you."

Hannah believes that a person's "superpower" is what ultimately sets them apart, thus aspiring female leaders in finance shouldn't allow stereotypes about what makes a great leader affect their authenticity.

We all solve issues, lead, and inspire others in different ways, and if you're not doing it from a genuine place, it won't work and you won't have the desired effect on your coworkers, company, or career.

"I've learnt to embrace listening and trying to comprehend other people's thought processes as a part of my own approach. I want to make sure my decisions are well-considered and intelligent, and I want to be challenged and hear different points of view.

Hannah points out that encouraging coworkers to voice their opinions may be a terrific way to spark original thought. "I want everyone to feel empowered to share their ideas because that's what drives our business forward in an industry that is driven by innovation."

Stacey Terbenz

After serving for two years as Vice President and UK General Manager of Global Commercial Services, where she was instrumental in leading Amex's commercial sales and marketing teams, Stacey Sterbenz was most recently appointed to the position of Senior Vice President, Acquisition and Customer Marketing for International Card Services.

For Stacey to succeed in her work, she must be honest with herself and everyone around her. "Unlocking new opportunities and continuing to learn, grow, and progress has been made possible by being honest about what I want from my career," she adds.

Naturally, there are a wide variety of career options available in the financial services sector, most of which include the chance to transfer to other teams, disciplines, or locations.

She continues, "But leaders, mentors, and sponsors are not mind readers, and if you are not being open and honest about your goals, you may not receive the support you need to pursue these chances or be taken into consideration.

Over time, my goals have shifted from wanting to relocate nations to wanting to remain anchored and from having larger team leadership experience to having experience in a new stretch area. I'm lucky that all of these options have been available to me because I work in payments for a multinational corporation like Amex.

But it has also shown to be as important to be honest about the path I haven't wanted to travel in order to save wasting time on unfavorable side trips.

Being open-minded is admirable, but don't allow it come at the price of being honest about the best professional route for you. You are the only one who really knows what this is, but as long as it remains unsaid or concealed, it won't matter much.

Caroline Bouvet

After joining American Express in 2007, Caroline Bouvet held the position of Vice President of Products and Partnerships after working at Accenture. Caroline, who has worked for the company for 15 years, is in charge of overseeing the Amex card portfolios for both consumer and business use.

Caroline explains, "My role might not be what you'd expect when you imagine a career in financial services."

Caroline oversees the management of American Express's card portfolios for both the company's consumer and corporate segments. Her goal is to make sure the portfolios are the best in their class and meet customer expectations.

According to her, "a typical day for me could involve anything from attending a Cardmember restaurant experience and hearing directly from customers to leading a meeting with one of our strategic partners." "It's an interesting and varied role that I never would have thought to exist when I first started my career."

In fact, the financial services industry is quite diversified, and women have a plethora of options to pursue exciting and fulfilling jobs. Caroline has discovered that an organization's culture is really important and should not be undervalued.

"Having a strong corporate culture is essential to helping women reach their full potential as they advance in their careers in financial services, as well as to encourage them to begin in this field.

Being acknowledged as a person with a job and a family life was crucial to me. My ability to advance and develop has always been encouraged, and this has really aided in my professional growth.

"The fact that I am surrounded by strong women on a daily basis is no coincidence. Without the growth possibilities and supportive culture we have here, women would not be able to hold nearly half of the top management positions in the Amex UK company.

FinTech Magazine appreciates Amex for fostering a healthy workplace culture that encourages gender inclusion and congratulates Charlotte, Hannah, Stacey, and Caroline on their outstanding careers and efforts to support women in financial services.