Strong leaders are not solo operators, FINSIA Vice President Grant Cairns told our Virtual Current and Future Leaders.
Team work, the support of stakeholders and having sense of purpose are vital components to leadership, according to CBA’s Executive General Manger, Regional & Agribusiness Banking.
“I've had an incredible privilege to work for amazing managers throughout my career, who've really given me some wonderful opportunities,” said Grant F FIN Chartered Banker during an interview with WA YFP committee member Boris Divis.
“They’ve really pushed me into areas that I probably wouldn't be comfortable going into. And with the benefit of hindsight and reflection, they pushed me probably into those areas to really develop me, which I'm very grateful for.
“I’ve also got a very supportive wife who has allowed me to go on and embrace a number of those opportunities.
“At work itself I've had the privilege of building a very strong leadership team and that's critical. You can't operate solo in a big organisation.
“You need to have a strong group of leaders around you, but also stakeholders and other support bodies to really support you with the work that you're trying to achieve.”
That’s why Grant, who started his career as a Chartered Accountant before moving into banking, joined FINSIA where he became one of the first on the fast track Chartered Banker by Experience program.
He says he is a big believer that banking has an “even more profound impact than an accountant or a lawyer does” - because of the advice and solutions provided.
“I believe that people working in the profession should be appropriately qualified, skilled, and operate with a set of ethics,” he said.
“And I think FINSIA offers all of that and more. That's why I was very passionate about it, it was really about professionalising the industry.
“I thought here's a program that Australians can now get access to that's akin to becoming a chartered accountant.”
With COVID-19 putting the banking and financial services sector at the centre of efforts to support the economy, being professional and having a sense of purpose are crucial, according to Grant.
“This has been particularly important this year as we’ve supported Australian businesses through the impacts of the pandemic.
“So having a strong sense of purpose about the work you do is critical. It helps you manage the obstacles that may arise so that you can remain focused on the outcomes you need to achieve for your customers.”
Despite the challenges, Grant maintains there are fantastic career opportunities in financial services highlighting his own experiences around the country.
“In pre COVID times, I would love getting around this country and meeting some frankly amazing entrepreneurs and spending time with our teams who support our customers,” he said.
“Then I'd get to interact with businesses right from very small businesses, up to large listed companies - not just agribusiness, but property developers and investors, not for profits and many more. The breadth is just extraordinary.
“I don't think there's many other industries outside of banking and finance where you get that same breadth of experience.
“That's what gets me out of bed in the morning and makes the work feel very purposeful as well as just seeing people in the team and people at the business grow and build their careers.”
