Reflections on 25 years

Can you remember your first day at work?

My first day was before the formation of ING Direct Australia as I started work for a subsidiary of Mercantile Mutual. The office was in Bridge Street, Sydney, just around the corner from where the ING office is today. Mercantile Mutual Finance had a mortgage portfolio and eventually was the entity that ING used to obtain a banking licence. When I started in 1985, there were around 20 employees in MMF, now ING in Australia has around 2,500 employees.

What was your first job at ING in Australia?

When ING Direct was launched in Australia in 1999, I was executive assistant to the then CEO, Vaughn Richtor. At the time, it was growing quickly and there were great opportunities. I was encouraged to expand my experience which saw me move into HR. I went from a role that supported one executive to one that supported many employees in a growing business. My first role in HR was providing local support for international assignments as well as being an HR generalist.
It was a busy time, the HR team was small, and I learnt so much.

What was the reaction of your friends and family when you told them you worked for ING?

The response has been consistent and positive over the last 25 years. “I’m a customer. ING has really good products and service.” It still makes me smile and I usually thank them for keeping me employed!

Going back over the years, how has ING changed?

ING has grown and evolved. It has gone from being the new bank in Australia to now being an established bank. Looking back, banking and HR have become much more complex. To stay successful, you need to move with the times and stay curious (not resist change) which can be easier said than done.

What makes ING in Australia special?

One of the things I get to do in my role are exit interviews with employees that are leaving. A consistent theme that I hear is the people… and I agree. Working with people who are motivated about how they can contribute to providing great products and services for our customers creates a particular type of energy.

There are other aspects that make the connection meaningful for me. Like our flat structure where you interact across all levels including the CEO and executive committee (both local and global) and work on challenges from an end-to-end perspective, not in silos.

I really enjoy that no two days are the same, which is good as this is a dynamic and busy environment to work within.

What’s your favourite memory from your time at ING?

It would be the 18 months spent working for ING in Paris. I was able to test myself. I was performing a similar role to the one I had in Australia but in a totally different environment. The HR team in France were so welcoming and patient as I didn’t speak very much French. This experience was special as it allowed me to reconnect with all the aspects of HR in a senior role supporting a smaller team that had a full range of responsibilities.

My partner Tim and I also got to live in another country and experience a different culture which was amazing. Part of the time in France was during covid, so my experience of working and spending more time at home also included the challenge of expanding my repertoire of French recipes!

How do you reflect on your career choice of 25 years ago?

The big career moment was my move into HR around 20 years ago. At the time, it felt uncomfortable and a bit scary as I didn’t know much about HR. But it was also exciting, and I wanted a role where I could influence outcomes that made a difference.

On reflection, it was the decision that shaped my future career journey. I’m always surprised about where my career has taken me. I never expected to work and live in the UK and France, and these were important experiences on both a professional and personal level. I made the right choice. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and had a leader, at that time, who encouraged and supported me to challenge myself and explore my potential.

Working in HR, are there any particular characteristics that ING in Australia look for in their employees?

I regularly interview candidates during the recruitment process. I tend to focus on getting to know the person and how they operate to get things done rather than the technical aspects of a role. Some of the things that make a candidate stand out for me are a genuine curiosity to find solutions for issues and challenges, an energy and willingness to do what needs to be done and a healthy level of self-awareness.

Employees who understand the value of building effective relationships and who are good communicators (which sometimes means having challenging or robust conversations) is an advantage in a fast-paced environment.