Talent Talks supported by Scottish Widows

In this episode of Her Money. Her Work. Her Power., we’re joined by Marni Lindsay, who shares her refreshingly honest story of changing careers, navigating imposter syndrome, returning to work after maternity leave and finding a new sense of confidence through AI.

Marni talks about moving from financial crime into technology, why coaching helped her rethink what she was capable of, and the realities of rebuilding her professional identity after becoming a mum. She also shares how experimenting with AI took her from feeling overwhelmed by the technology to building her own prototypes and creating She Builds with Claude, a community designed to help women turn their ideas into something real, without needing to be coders.

It’s a conversation about confidence, curiosity and giving yourself permission to learn as you go. Marni’s message is simple: you don’t need to know everything or feel completely ready. Start small, take the next step and see where it leads.

• Connect with Marni on LinkedIn
• Marni Lindsay — AI educator, speaker and founder - My (very new) personal branding website I've recently finished off
• She Builds with Claude - Upskilling Women in AI - The community and sprint cohort website
• The Builder Mindset — a free private audio series | She Builds with Claude - Exclusive (not yet launched) sneak peak at my recently created audio series about digital mindset

In this episode of Her Money. Her Work. Her Power., Sarah Sandle is joined by Jayne Styles, former FTSE board executive, author, adviser and coach, to explore what power really means in the workplace. Together, they discuss why influence matters more than job titles, how to build trust and credibility, and why having a different perspective can be one of your greatest strengths. 

From squiggly careers and confidence to communication, allyship and finding your voice, Jayne shares practical advice for anyone looking to make a greater impact, regardless of role or seniority. We hope you'll enjoy this thoughtful conversation about leadership, influence and the power of helping others succeed.

Connect with Jayne on LinkedIn.

Empowering Yourself - book mentioned in the podcast

CEO Inclusive Culture Guide: Summary

CEO Inclusive Culture Guide Part 1: Deciding what steps to take

CEO Inclusive Culture Guide Part 2: Digging deeper – if you want to

CEO Inclusive Culture Guide Part 3: Recap and resources

This bonus episode is the result of our Gen Z Own the Mic event we held at the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) in July. Her Wealth Network were kindly hosted by LSEG and the participants were given access to their podcast suite to interview Abigail Foster, Personal Finance Educator and Author. In pairs, they posed a variety of questions about financial literacy, getting started in the world of finance and how to approach managing their own money. This episode contains 4 mini interviews in one.

We also have a full video version available on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dMyDNfvhKI

This is a special edition bonus episode, recorded at FundForum a couple of months ago. Chimmy Ngoma was lucky enough to sit down with Taban Shoresh OBE, to talk about her charity The Lotus Flower. A former child genocide survivor, Taban is the Founder and CEO of The Lotus Flower, a charity supporting conflict survivors in Kurdistan, northern Iraq and the UK.

This episode is incredibly humbling. Listen and try to imagine how as a child what Taban suffered and why it motivates her every day to do more.

Taban is a regular speaker on the international stage. She is a representative of the Global Refugee Forum, a member of Girls Not Brides, the Action Network on Forced Displacement and ICVA MENA Women Leadership Network. She is also an ambassador for One Young World.

Connect with Taban on LinkedIn

A video version of this podcast is available on You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5VQFuFzWUo

Why do we make the financial decisions we do? In this latest episode of Talent Talks, host Sarah Sandle is joined by Ylva Baeckström - finance expert, psychotherapist and author - to explore the psychology of money and the beliefs, experiences and behaviours that shape our relationship with it. Together they discuss financial confidence, investing, the gender wealth gap, and the practical steps women can take to build greater control over their financial future.

NB: Auto-enrolment is referenced in the episode - exact details of how this works can be found here.

Dr Ylva Baeckström is a former banker and fintech entrepreneur, now a psychotherapist, and Senior Lecturer at King’s Business School where she heads up Sustainable Finance at the Centre for Sustainable Business. 

Ylva is an expert on financial advice, gender and sustainability in financial services. With her work she aims to create positive impact for the benefit of society, businesses and individuals. Ylva delivered a TEDx in 2020 and her book Gender and Finance was published in 2022. Ylva’s research has contributed to the UK government inquiry Sexism in the City and is published in academic journals including: Journal of Corporate Finance, European Journal of Finance, Journal of Business Ethics, Gender, Work & Organization. 

Ylva is Associate Editor at The European Journal of Finance and Gender, Work & Organization and a Senior Fellow of Rennes Business School. 

Her work is featured in the media: e.g., Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, Independent, Investors' Chronicle, Sunday Times, Conversation UK and Evening Standard. Collaborating widely with financial services institutions, Ylva is a highly regarded speaker and contributor. 

Connect with Ylva on LinkedIn.

In episode 3 of season 7, Sarah talks to Emily Boxall, co-founder of financial engagement app 2mins. Together they explore what is driving financial engagement for the younger generation and why people often choose to switch off from money conversations.

Emily Boxall is the Co-founder of 2mins, the app turning financial education into engaging, bite-sized games. Her background spans marketing, communications and journalism, including freelance writing for the Investors’ Chronicle. She co-founded 2mins with her dad, Chris Boxall, and together they are on a mission to build financial confidence through humour, creativity and fun.

Website: 2minsapp.co.uk

LinkedIn: 2mins 

Personal LinkedIn: Emily Boxall

Instagram: @2minsapp

TikTok: @2minsapp

Sarah chats to Lily McNally about her experience with money, what it means to be truly financially independent and how a frog and an elephant both feature! 

Lily is the design lead for the Scottish Widows app at Lloyds Banking Group. She’s all about designing experiences that are straightforward, engaging and delightful. To meet users where they are, help them do the things they want to do easily, and leave them feeling lighter. 

In the last few years, Lily has used her own lived experience and storytelling superpowers to really focus in on the unique barriers women face when it comes to financial independence - to support women in the UK to reach a better financial future.

Lily is also a strong advocate for greater representation in decision-making. She believes we need more women - and more lived experiences - “in the rooms where big decisions are made”, ensuring financial products and services truly reflect the people they serve.

Connect with Lily on LinkedIn.

In this first episode of season 7 Sarah chats with Rebecca Leiper, who is an Engagement Consultant at Scottish Widows, specialising in Workplace Pension engagement. She talks through getting her first payslip and why it pays to understand all of those different calculations, the importance of saving early into your pension and making and sticking to budget!

Rebecca  works closely with employers, advisers, and internal teams to design and deliver impactful campaigns, digital journeys, and member experiences that improve financial outcomes. Rebecca is particularly passionate about women’s financial wellbeing and closing the gender pension gap, contributing to industry reports, events, and thought leadership. Externally, Rebecca is involved in various networks within the industry including Scottish Financial Enterprise Young Professionals and Gender Equality Networks, Women in Banking and Finance, Future Asset and Her Wealth Network.

Scottish Widows Women & Retirement Report 2025

Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn

In this episode, Laura chats with Kate Monserrate, founder of Simplify Consulting, who shares her journey of building a values-led consultancy through risk-taking, resilience, and a strong commitment to people and culture. 

She reflects on personal challenges—including leaving an abusive relationship and navigating cancer treatment—and how these experiences shaped her mindset, driving her to lead with courage, prioritise wellbeing, and create a more inclusive workplace for women. 

The conversation highlights the importance of bravery, adaptability, and continuous learning in a fast-changing industry, encouraging listeners to embrace discomfort, leverage their networks, and actively shape their careers and the future of financial services.

Kate Monserrate is an accomplished leader and experienced consultant with over 20 years’ experience in financial services helping businesses deliver and embed large scale transformational change across the value change from asset managers, technology and platform providers to administrators and advisor networks. 

In 2014 Kate co-founded Simplify Consulting to deliver maximum value to clients including several key players within the wealth industry applying core values of simplicity, professionalism, and tenacious delivery. 

Using her personal experience as a female leader and business owner, Kate understands and advocates for diversity and inclusion to break down barriers and promote fairness in workplace opportunities. 

Kate’s LinkedIn 

Simplify LinkedIn 

Gender Gap Whitepaper - PowerPoint Presentation

This episode explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, with Annabel Gillard emphasising the importance of preserving trust, ethics, and human value in an increasingly digital world. 
She talks to Laura about how AI is a powerful but imperfect “prediction generator,” highlighting both its opportunities and risks, including bias, job disruption, and the potential for dehumanisation if not carefully designed and governed. 
 Ultimately, the conversation is a call to action - encouraging individuals and organisations to engage with AI proactively, using curiosity, community, and courage to shape a more human-centred and positive future.

Annabel Gillard is the co-founder of LSE LSE FORGOOD initiative advising corporate clients on ethical applications of behavioural science, and 'Conversations on AI', a cross-sector tech ethics network. She also leads on AI ethics, organisational culture and ethics-by-design for Brave Governance and Co-Labs Global.  

Previously she spent over 20 years building institutional businesses in asset management and she serves on the City of London Corporation's 'Women Pivoting to Digital' taskforce, the Trustee Board of Clore Social Leadership, and the advisory committees of Blueprint For Better Business and the Institute for Business Ethics. She has an MA in Philosophy and AI, an MSc in Behavioural Science and is a CFA charter holder. 

Resources:

Stuart Russell Reith Lectures 4 x podcasts  

Rachel Caldicutt and the Society for Hopeful Technologists (survey closed but there's a link to the newsletter) 

Jon Alexander[http:///] and Citizens 

Anthropy - Inspiring a better Britain  

Conversations on AI website: - come and join the conversations!