Happy #InternationalWomensDay to the incredible women who work with us and to all women around the world!
At Konsentus, we are working hard to deliver the options and the right support mechanisms to achieve true equity in the workplace. We understand that each individual brings different qualities to the table and if we provide the right environment, we can truly enable the value of our diverse experiences and collective skill sets.
Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. In solidarity of #IWD2023, we took the opportunity to catch up with two brilliant women from the Konsentus group, both with very different roles, to understand what motivates and inspires them, and how they fully #EmbraceEquity.
Below, read our interview with Anika Tazmin, Engagement Manager for International Markets at Konsentus group, about being a young woman in the emerging market of open data exchange. You can also read our interview with Lauren Jones, Director of Market Development at Open Banking Exchange, here.
Hi Anika, please introduce yourself…
Hi, my name is Anika! I’m 26 years old, I like to bake, I’m tri-lingual, I am a dog mum, and I’m also an engagement manager at Konsentus.
I studied Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Nottingham for 4 years, before joining the Commercial Team at Konsentus after the COVID pandemic as my first graduate job. I’ve loved taking a step into the open banking and open finance industry, developing a technical understanding behind daily banking activities, building meaningful relationships through meeting new people, and enhancing my professional skills and abilities. I never thought that I would have ended up in this field, but I’ve stayed because it’s been an exciting journey filled with innovation and creativity.
What is the most important lesson that you have learnt and would like to share with other women?
I think the most important thing is to be proactive in your learning and your growth. I believe that knowledge is power, and you can never stop growing, so you should have the courage to ask questions and take on new challenges so that you can go into unfamiliar territory and learn how to survive, and then thrive. When you lose that hunger to learn, that’s when you become stagnant and cease to grow, so keep that fire alive and learn about whatever brings you joy!
Have you faced any barriers in your career? If so, how did you overcome them?
A mental barrier that I faced was lacking confidence in myself, coming to this industry as a graduate in foreign languages was exciting, but scary. I felt like I needed to build up this wealth of knowledge and expertise before being deemed a reliable source of information, this made my life difficult as I was holding myself back. I began to vocalise my thoughts more and be more proactive in my approach to work. I said yes to more opportunities and pushed myself out of my comfort zone to prove that I could do it.
Which women inspire you the most?
The women that inspire me the most are the women that are around me every day, my mum, sisters, friends, and work colleagues. They inspire me because they are strong women who constantly push to become better versions of themselves, from consistent small acts of kindness to massive achievements in their professional fields, they are women that make me also want to be the best version of myself.
Why do you think diversity and equity in the workplace is so important?
I believe that diversity and equity only serve to enrichen the workplace, they allow for more people to bring their variety of talents and skills to a company which can boost innovation and employee satisfaction. Ensuring that all employees have access to the same opportunities and advancement emphasises fairness and equality which boosts how employees feel within their companies, hopefully also boosting productivity and company revenue.
