“Be bold and believe in yourself”… In conversation with Dane Pedro

Please can you tell us about your professional story and how you started your career?

I wanted to make a difference, and my career has been linked with legal and financial services, as a result. During the 2008 financial crisis, the government was sharing statistics about household debt. At the time, I was one of the first people to be trained on financial inclusion. It was a great insight into money advice, county court judgments, bankruptcies and debt relief orders.

I worked at the Citizens Advice Bureau, which opened my eyes to advising others, before joining a law firm to work on welfare benefits, debt and representing clients at tribunals. I also studied for my law degree. Then opportunities came up at the Financial Ombudsman Service at the height of the payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling scandal, and subsequently, the Financial Conduct Authority. I worked across different sectors, developing broad experience with the regulator, before being encouraged to move into industry.

When I made that move, it was like being thrown into the deep end. But it was great because I could put everything I had learned into practice. I worked with the product teams and legal teams; it was really the start of my compliance career. As I progressed, working with several different credit card and payments companies, I loved being able to sit on operational risk committees as a representative for the UK. I never saw myself doing those kinds of roles, but I felt proud to be a black woman in the room. Compliance picked me, rather than the other way around. But it’s a great area to be in and there is so much to learn.

For the past nine years, I have also been a magistrate, and more recently, Presiding Justice. There are a lot of transferable skills from my professional life: meeting people, looking at complex information, assimilating decisions and communicating them in a clear way. Everything is linked.

Please could you tell us about any adversity you have faced in your career, and looking back, would you have done anything differently?

I have been told I am too ambitious. I have been monitored and managed to within an inch of my life. I have also faced resistance from people who felt they should have been in my role. These events were quite difficult because I had never faced them before. Sometimes, it’s tempting to act in an unprofessional way, but I have always been mindful that it’s a small world, and I really value my character and integrity.

I have a good support network of family and friends. I can also take out my frustration at the gym. Sometimes, creating that space has allowed me to realise that it’s not really me; it’s the situation. When I look back, challenging times have made me stronger and more confident.

Have you ever had a good mentor to bounce things off as well?

I’ve had good managers, but I haven’t had a mentor until recently. Although I have support as a magistrate, I’ve now joined Women in Banking and Finance, which is supporting me on the compliance side of my career.

How do you manage work-life balance?

It’s easy to sit at a laptop for hours without a break, especially since the pandemic, when we are all working at home more. Many times, my husband has made me a cup of tea, which goes cold; I heat it up again, it goes cold; then I throw it away and make another one.

One of the things I have learned to do is be more consistent about going to the gym. Spin is one of my favourite classes, and afterwards, I feel like I could conquer the world. I need to fill myself up so that I can pour for others. If I am not replenishing myself, I will just get stressed. I also need to give myself time off and holidays because work will always be there, bills will always be there.

Have you seen improvements to the gender gap during your career?

There have been improvements, but there is still a disparity between what men and women get paid. In the financial services sector, there are more men than women, but we are seeing more women in senior positions. Women don’t always ask for what we want because we don’t want to come across as greedy. But if we don’t ask, we don’t get, right? The worst-case scenario is that an employer can say no.

What’s the best work-related advice you have ever received?

Don’t take it personally. I am very passionate about what I do, and I want to do it to the best of my ability; but, sometimes, things will go wrong. Be true to yourself, know yourself, and stand up for yourself; there is a way to do it without being rude.

Do you have any advice for the next generation of women?

Be bold. Believe in yourself and don’t compromise yourself based on the views of others. Get yourself a mentor who will be able to help. Networking is also key because those connections are so powerful. It’s not just about messaging them when you want something; it’s about keeping that conversation going and sharing interesting articles and ideas. It takes work, but you never know who you are going to meet, and who can open a door. Even if you feel nervous about meeting someone, do it anyway. It’s about living a life of intention.

iGROWW is Protiviti’s internal women’s network group and stands for ‘Initiative for Growth and Retention of Women at Work’. It has a strong voluntary membership which tackles women’s professional issues through forums. It also facilitates networking events and community service activities. For more information, please contact Rhianne Williams [email protected].