In today’s rapidly evolving finance landscape, establishing a strong, visible brand is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

For high-growth organisations and teams with critical missions, reputation-building and leadership visibility can be the deciding factor in their competitiveness, stakeholder trust, and market share. But how do organisations stay ahead in an age where crisis management is no longer enough, and pro-active strategies are key?

FINSIA’s recent Sydney Leadership Roundtable, hosted by CEO Yasser El-Ansary and bringing together senior leaders across a range of professional services, explored the current trend in team reputation and leadership brand-building that focuses on harnessing the power of employee advocacy and building a unified voice within the marketplace.

New Work Consulting Managing Director Julissa Shrewsbury who facilitated the roundtable, said leaders are increasingly suggesting that companies should rebuild brand trust by demonstrating expertise and cultivating shared values through their employees. This approach shifts away from a purely defensive stance to one that proactively shapes how an organisation and its leaders are perceived in the broader business ecosystem. 

Evolving from crisis management to proactive strategy

Historically, reputation management was heavily centred around crisis response and risk prevention. Leaders focused on mitigating threats to stakeholder trust, often reacting to challenges as they arose. However, in today’s environment, a more proactive approach is essential.

For many in financial services, crises whether economic downturns or internal mishaps, can significantly impact a firm’s reputation. The roundtable found that building resilience through strategic crisis management is key to navigating difficult situations and emerging with an intact reputation.

Being able to manage crises effectively demonstrates to clients, investors, and Australian regulators that the institution can withstand and recover from challenges, which strengthens long-term trust.

Furthermore, leadership brand-building has also become a cornerstone of this approach. Top-tier leaders are expected not only to influence internally but also to establish their presence externally, according to Ms Shrewsbury.

By positioning themselves as visible, trusted voices both within global corporations and in high-profile joint ventures, leaders can significantly enhance the organisation's reputation. Through employee advocacy, leaders can drive visibility and instil a sense of ownership in their teams.

“Meaningful brand and reputation-building through people has to connect with each individual’s and team’s sense of identity within the organisation,” she said.

“Engaging people to own their response to: ‘Who are we?’ ‘What do we do?’ ‘Why does it matter?’, at every level of the organisation, creates confident and proud employee representatives. “

Moving from basic KPIs to a comprehensive, company-wide approach

In the past, reputation and brand-building efforts often revolved around marketing and communications programs, supported by sales teams and basic KPIs. The challenge was that many of these efforts felt siloed, inconsistent and faced roadblocks. Today’s best practices reflect a much broader, more integrated approach, where brand-building is not relegated to a single department but is infused into the fabric of the organisation at all levels.

Featured in the roundtable discussions was the need for organisations to focus on building the personal brand of leaders within high-growth, strategy-critical teams. These leaders are at the forefront of influencing both internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring that the company’s values and mission are clearly communicated across all touchpoints.

According to Ms Shrewsbury, crucial to this process is positioning, visibility, and communication—not just through surface-level engagements but by fostering a deeper, culture-driven connection with both internal and external audiences.

Reputation and brand-building are no longer merely about maintaining a polished image. Authenticity is key.

Financial institutions are also increasingly recognising the importance of prioritising customer needs and experiences, the roundtable found. A reputation for customer-centric service builds loyalty, especially when it’s accompanied by clear and prompt communication, as well as personalised offerings.

To maintain competitive advantage and mitigate risk in the modern, high-stakes online landscape, leadership teams must focus on creating a clear and shared narrative that everyone can align with, said Ms Shrewsbury.

Organisations can build and manage their reputation and brand image through their people. This includes fostering a mission-critical team culture where every employee feels empowered to speak to their company’s identity, mission, and value proposition.

“Using a framework of brand and culture: clarity, connection and communication, companies can assess how well they engage their people in representing the business,” she added.

“When everyone from the top down is confident in these core messages, they are better positioned to contribute to the organisation’s reputation and growth.”

The ability to stand out and be recognised is also no longer an optional element of business strategy—it is mission-critical.

The roundtable explored how organisations that want to succeed in the current market must invest in pro-active reputation management and brand-building through their people. Authenticity, alignment, and leadership visibility are crucial for staying competitive and ensuring that the organisation is seen and heard by the right stakeholders at the right time.

As competition intensifies and risk mitigation becomes more complex, the companies that will thrive are those that take ownership of their identity, continuously work to build a shared voice, and empower their employees to represent the brand with confidence and pride.

“Staying competitive and mitigating risk in the high-stakes, immediate and online business landscape we now work in necessitates building an authentic voice and pro-actively growing positive, positioned visibility among key stakeholders and audiences,” Ms Shrewsbury said.