Pauline Blight-Johnston was a decade into her career when she had a eureka moment.
“It suddenly became real to me that there was a person at the end of every one of the numbers I was analysing – someone we were making a real difference to,” she says.
“That ignited my passion to get it right for them all. It changed the level of energy and excitement I bring to the job. Now, the advice I give to anyone joining the banking and finance industry is to keep the people using financial services in mind. That way, you’ll do a better job, enjoy it more and make wise decisions.”
Currently Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Helia, Pauline recently became a Senior Fellow at FINSIA.
“It's a great honour to be recognised for the contribution I have made to the financial services industry; it’s where I have spent my whole career,” she says.
A varied working life
Pauline considers herself fortunate to have had a variety of roles in a number of different companies.
“I started as an actuary, then had the opportunity to move into general management. I've worked across insurance, reinsurance, superannuation and banking in Australia and overseas,” she says.
She has also served on the boards of the Actuaries Institute, the Financial Services Council and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance.
“I've had a lot of variety in my career, and I love variety.”
The transition into general management was one highlight.
“I had to elevate my thinking and focus more on the impact we have, what we’re trying to achieve and how we can help people in the organisation to connect with their purpose and the reason they’re doing their job,” she says.
Working in claims management in life insurance is another highlight.
“That was a really powerful experience,” says Pauline. “Being in that situation brings home how vulnerable and scared people can be, how much difference we can make to their lives, and how important it is that our services are accessible and fair.”
An industry challenge
Pauline believes the 2017 Banking Royal Commission stands out as one of the biggest challenges the industry has faced.
“I wasn’t directly involved but I was close to many who were,” she says. “A lot of people in the industry were represented as having acted with bad intent. In most instances, I don’t believe that was true, although I do think that with hindsight as an industry we didn’t place enough importance on getting it right every time. The Royal Commission has helped us connect to how it impacts our customers when we don’t get it right.”
This underscores the importance of FINSIA’s leadership role.
“Embedding professionalism and advancing standards is going to be critical as AI and machine learning continue to impact the industry,” she says.
Staying grounded
When she’s not working, Pauline enjoys keeping fit.
“I also look forward to spending time with my three children, my extended family and my friends,” she says. “They help me to stay grounded, de-stress and keep everything to do with my job in perspective."