To celebrate International Women's Day, we're profiling some of the fantastic women that work behind the scenes here at EFTPOS HQ to help power payments for over 50,000 Kiwi businesses.
Did you know that only around 23% of the New Zealand Tech workforce is female?
A lack of women joining Tech businesses in general naturally means senior leadership positions in Tech are mainly held by men. The MYOB 2019 Women in Tech Report found that just 25% of New Zealand tech businesses have equal representation in their leadership teams.
Three quarters (76% of all SMEs and 74% of technology SMEs) of business owners acknowledge that gender diversity policies bring benefits to their business, including helping to attract new staff and talent; retain existing staff; improving company performance; and fulfilling their company values. Yet, the same report found that only 21% of New Zealand businesses believe gender diversity is important to their business.
As the fastest growing industry in New Zealand, we think Tech can do better.
The theme for International Women's Day this year is #EachforEqual. The campaign challenges individuals to take responsibility for their own actions, thoughts and words to tackle gender bias so we can collectively work towards a gender equal world.
"We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements." - International Women's Day
Men still outnumber women here at Eftpos NZ, but we're on the right path, with senior leaders that strive to achieve diversity and gender balance in their teams.
From our terminal development team and technical helpdesk, to our leadership team, you'll find female role models contributing to the success of our business. We asked some of them to share how they found themselves working at Eftpos NZ, how they navigate the workplace, what advice they would give their younger self, and what motivates them.
- Alison Jones - Payment Services Manager
- Nara Jin - Payment Solution Specialist
- Kristy Gregory - Senior Manager, Strategic Partners
- Caitlin Wyllie - Marketing Manager
- Tamara Sharland - Payment Solution Specialist
Alison Jones - Payment Services Manager
Alison is our Payment Services Manager. Her main focus is business analysis within the terminal solutions engineering team where she analyses and documents use cases and requirements for new and existing EFTPOS terminal solutions. She also maintains technical relationships with our external partners and ensures that our solutions and services are up to date with card scheme and payments industry compliance. Outside of work, Alison is passionate about hiking and photography, "which does not always go well with hiking when you end up carrying two to three kilos of camera equipment on top of all your other hiking gear on a multi-day hike!".
How did you find yourself working in your field?
I actually stumbled across business analysis. In a previous role my boss asked me to document an existing business process and identify requirements to make that process more efficient. I then applied for a business analyst role at Eftpos NZ in 2008 and grew my analysis skills with the company until I moved overseas in 2013. I returned to Eftpos NZ in 2017 where my role has now morphed into Payment Services Manager.
In your opinion, what is the most challenging part of navigating a male-dominated industry?
Working in IT, both my team and global department are overwhelmingly men. For the most part I'm not treated any differently to my male colleagues. I think this is due to the experience, knowledge and respect I have gained over nine years in the payments industry. There are times where globally someone has asked a male colleague a question rather than come to me, a woman.
Another challenge I've encountered is what I call 'manterruptions'. This is where during a meeting, if a man and woman talk at the same time, it is almost always the woman who will stop talking and let the man finish speaking. At times like these it can be a struggle to get your point heard.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Ensure that you maintain a good work-life balance to avoid burnout. It’s important to keep that balance and switch off the work brain when you are at home. Take all your holidays and have the odd extended holiday to help recharge yourself.
What motivates you?
Working on a project through from start to finish and then seeing that solution working successfully in the field is always rewarding. It gives me such a great feeling of accomplishment and happiness.
Nara Jin - Payment Solution Specialist
Nara spends her days helping merchants set up EFTPOS solutions for their business. She's tasked with tailoring the perfect payment solution to each business to help them grow their revenue and reduce their costs. This means coordinating with each department here at Eftpos NZ, as well as with Banks and other partners to make sure we meet our customer's expectations and their EFTPOS terminals arrive on time and ready-to-use right out of the box. Nara maintains balance and manages stress by practicing yoga twice a week and staying active. She also loves discovering new places and experiencing different cultures, and credits this with her open-minded approach.
How did you find yourself working at Eftpos NZ?
I've been working at Eftpos NZ for 3 and a half years now. Over that time, I've learned so much about EFTPOS and the payment industry, but I’m still constantly learning and developing my skills.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Step out of your comfort zone, do not judge people based on their appearance and speak up for yourself.
What motivates you?
I want to be a better version of myself, I’m constantly trying to 'Kaizen' all aspects of myself I like the concept of Kaizen, it can not only apply to business, but also to self-development. I believe that I can do better, which motivates me to raise the bar and push myself to be the best I can be.
At work, I’m highly motivated by happy customers. I like to go the extra mile to meet my customer’s expectations. My goal is to make sure each customer has everything they need to make the best decision for their business.
Kristy Gregory - Senior Manager, Strategic Partners
Kristy has been with Eftpos NZ for over 12 years, and during that time, she has worked in almost every department across the business. This has given her incredible insight into the inner workings of Eftpos NZ and earned her a reputation as an Eftpos NZ guru. She still wears many hats and is known for doing what 'needs to be done' sinking her teeth into everything from product management and projects, to representing Eftpos NZ at partner and industry events, and as an infrastructure member on the CECS Management Committee run by Payments New Zealand. Her core role involves contributing to and managing our strategic direction. She also takes care of our strategic partners, including some of the biggest acquiring banks in New Zealand.
Kristy has her hands full at home too, running around after her 18 month old son. She balances a full work schedule with making time to spend with her son.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Some of the day to day issues that caused me grief weren’t worth getting worked up about.
What motivates you?
I'm motivated by the sense of accomplishment I get when I know I'm succeeding in my role. It's so rewarding to drive towards a goal and achieve it.
Please share your thoughts on women in payments
I love being a woman in payments! It is an extremely exciting time in our industry. This year we are due to launch more products and services than what we have ever done before.
Caitlin Wyllie - Marketing Manager
If you've read a tweet, webpage, email or article from us, chances are Caitlin wrote it! Her job is to get the right words out to the right people. She is mainly tasked with making sure that as many businesses as possible hear about our fantastic products and services and keeping our customers in-the-know. When she's not furiously typing out another blog post, she can be found running around after her five year old son or checking out one of Wellington's dining hotspots.
How did you find yourself working in your field?
I sort of fell into marketing. I'd just finished up a degree in psychology and criminology and needed to save for a trip I was planning to New York, so I took a job in sales at a duty free company. The ecommerce manager there needed help running their online promotions and email campaigns, so I put my hand up.
In your opinion, what is the most challenging part of navigating the workplace?
I do find it difficult at times to juggle motherhood and the demands of my role. Fortunately workplaces are becoming much more parent-friendly. Flexible working hours and the ability to work from home makes it easier to work while still meeting our children's needs.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
You can't do everything. It's just not humanly possible! Do what matters and learn to say 'no'.
What motivates you?
I'm motivated by the feedback, opinions, compliments and criticism of our customers. That's why I read almost every reply to our bi-monthly email newsletter. Sometimes marketing and corporate communications can feel like a cold, one-to-many endeavour that doesn't make space for any kind of 'real' interaction between a company and it's customers. Wherever possible, I want our customers to know that we are real humans that care about their needs.
Tamara Sharland - Payment Solution Specialist
Like Nara, Tamara is a Payment Solution Specialist. Our EFTPOS specialists are 'the first point of contact' for our new customers so if you've ever called 0800 EFTPOS, it might have been Tamara on the line! Tamara is a huge advocate for health and fitness. Outside of work you'll find her at the gym, on one of the many beautiful hiking trails around Wellington, or playing touch, tag or basketball. She also loves to travel and spend time with friends and family.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by the infinite opportunities that we have as humans. I am motivated by the thought of always learning and becoming a better version of myself. I'm motivated by inspiring others to follow their passion and purpose in life by living out mine.
What's it like for women in Payments?
It can be challenging to have a voice in this industry, considering it is so male-dominated. When I see a woman in a senior role within the industry, I know that they got there through a lot of perseverance and hard work.
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