International Women’s Day: What and who inspires you?

International Women’s Day is a key date in our calendar here at Atom.

We recognise that it’s such an important event for highlighting stereotypes, bias and discrimination, but also to celebrate the role of women and an opportunity to move the issue of women’s equality further down the line.

This year, we’re going with the theme of #InspireInclusion and asking the women of Atom bank what and who inspires them every day.

Mel Lynch — Mortgage Underwriting Manager

What do you do?

I get to coach a team of 5 Mortgage Underwriters, make lending decisions on customer mortgage applications and represent the team in meetings or through project support.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by people who are willing to put themselves out there, who will take risks and back themselves until they get to where they want to be — not necessarily just related to working life. I love to see people who have achieved what it is they want to just be happy (or are on that path)!

Who inspires you?

Over the years I’ve been inspired by other women that I’ve reported into or worked alongside, and I continue to be so all the time. I am always in awe of the wonderful women at Atom who achieve all they do at work, but also make achievements in their personal life too. This includes raising families, running a household, extra-curricular studies, making time to exercise, being a support mechanism for others and basically being all round grafters.

Stefani Bodikova — Customer Support Agent

What do you do?

Making sure customers have their questions answered whilst getting the right support.

What inspires you?

Real stories of women around the world. I’m currently listening to a memoir called Untamed by Glennon Doyle. It’s about the author searching for purpose in her life while being unsure about her role as a woman in the society and in her family. It inspires me to look within and see what’s important for me, and how I might be compromising my integrity at times.

Who inspires you?

All the women in my life: my Mom and sister, my friends and colleagues. Every one of them is going through something different but, despite that, every one of them has a tremendous strength in them to go through any challenges thrown their way. They inspire me a lot!

Hannah Gravatt — Mortgage Propositions Analyst

What do you do?

I help facilitate creating and building new mortgage products for our bank.

What inspires you?

To be a role model to my daughter. To be someone she looks up to. To show her the world. To teach her new things. To guide her through life.

Who inspires you?

My younger sister. She always works so hard and achieves so much. She always puts others first, and does anything for anyone. She’s an amazing mummy to my niece and nephew. And a fantastic auntie to my daughter. But most of all, I get to call her my sister!

Sarah Pickard-Fossey — Telephone Business Development Manager

What do you do?

I am a Commercial TBDM, I build and maintain relationships with commercial brokers.

What inspires you?

Being female in a male-dominant career makes me feel inspired to work harder and build lasting and memorable relationships with others in the working environment. I would like to see more women in commercial lending.

Who inspires you?

Coco Chanel herself! A woman can be two things, who she wants and what she wants. Love this!

Helen Willis — Intermediary Support Team Leader

What do you do?

I lead a wonderful team of Telephone Business Development Managers and support them in taking good care of our brokers, whether that be through answering telephone queries or conducting engaging broker presentations.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired in general by ‘being useful’. It sounds like such a simple thing but getting home from work at the end of the day and knowing that others have benefitted from something I’ve said or done is incredibly inspirational for me. I’m also inspired in general by those that show great gratitude in life — I always think this is such a lovely thing to witness in day-to-day life.

Who inspires you?

My Mam, always. Her compassion moves me, her kindness in any situation inspires me to always treat others kindly and in a way that others will tell stories about it. She’s very much a small hand-written notes and gifts ‘just because’ kind of woman.

My Mam’s resilience in any situation is incredibly admirable and I love that alongside her incredible heart of gold, she can make anyone laugh with her incredible quick-wittedness.

Emma Wright — Telephone Business Development Manager

What do you do?

As a TBDM I help onboard new brokers and handle inbound queries, all things pre-submission, anything from new business enquiries to how to key a DIP/FMA. I also have video meetings with brokers to let them know about all the great things we offer.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by driving positive change, I’m always looking for ways to improve processes — to make things smoother, more efficient and easier for everyone involved!

Who inspires you?

My Mam is my absolute rock and constant inspiration. She is the kindest, most selfless person I know, my ray of sunshine every day.

Rachel Burns — Business Analyst

What do you do?

I’m a business analyst responsible for bridging the gap between stakeholders and technical teams, analysing data and business processes to identify opportunities for improvement.

What inspires you?

My sister! Since primary school, my sister Lindsay always aspired to be a head teacher and, in 2023, her hard work paid off. Her work ethic and determination are something I admire. Her leadership skills are second to none and she strives to improve the education system and make schools outstanding.

Who inspires you?

Reese Witherspoon inspires me due to her versatility as an actress, her successful production company, empowerment of women in entertainment and her advocacy for gender equality.

Anne-Marie Warner - Service Support Manager

How does Atom inspire inclusion every day?

By giving people the opportunity to join an amazing bank and trying for alternative roles, to start over if they wish and by supporting their personal goals and development. We have so many amazing benefits here at Atom, from the 4-day work week to the mental health and menopause champions, to the private healthcare we offer, each one of these small things inspires inclusion and supports women through their careers.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer women starting a career in Fintech and/or STEM?

Go for it, it’s more interesting than you may realise and there are far more roles to undertake, not every role in technology is heavily technical and there are countless resources available to support you on your journey.

Which women inspire you?

My daughter, at only 13 years old she has the drive and the principles to be who she wants to be, to break bias and challenge herself. She is amazing and I have no doubt she will continue to inspire as she grows into a strong young woman.

Helen Wilson - Chief Operating Officer

How does Atom inspire inclusion everyday?

At Atom we have always encouraged everyone to be an individual and bring their best selves to work. It needs to be a lived experience where everyone is treated as an equal with their voices heard and valued and their contributions welcomed and celebrated.

How do you ensure inclusion is embedded within the business?

It’s about ensuring that the challenges are recognised and action is taken to address them, and we all ‘walk the talk’.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer women starting a career in Fintech and/or STEM?

Believe in yourself and be your authentic self. Women have different perspectives and this is a positive you can bring to any organisation.

Which women inspire you?

I certainly don’t want to highlight any famous women as inspiration, for me, the inspirational women are those that are working, but also have the ‘second’ job of being a carer, whether that be children or parents – it’s a juggling emotional roller coaster!

What is the key to building a company where women can thrive?

Inclusion for women involves recognising and understanding the unique challenges that women can face and ensuring there is appropriate support in place. This needs to be tangible and permeate throughout the organisation.

If you want to find out more about International Women’s Day, head over to the IWD website or explore the #IWD2024 and #InspireInclusion hashtags on social media.

Inspired by the women here to consider a job in fintech? Head over to our careers page to find out what roles we have available.