The Women in Payments EMEA Symposium, which was held last week in London, is a key event in championing women’s roles in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, and we were delighted to have FXC Intelligence represented among the speakers, including our Head of Delivery, Liz Collier-Harrison. 

I sat down with Liz to hear her reflections on this year’s Symposium. From thought-provoking sessions to networking opportunities, Liz shares her insights on what made the event so impactful for her. 

 What motivated you to apply to speak at the Women in Payment Symposium?

I believe it's really important that, as a female leader, I represent other women in this space and help others understand the journey that brought me to this point in my career. I aim to be a role model not only for women at the event but also for colleagues across FXC Intelligence. 

I am in a position of privilege, where I know how hard it is for women in modern organisations to get to this level. That’s why I think it's so important for the next generation to see that journey – and to know it’s achievable.  

Could you give us a high-level overview of your talk and what you hoped the audience would take away from it?

The session focused on how women could get on to boards and to increase diversity in leadership – an especially interesting topic for me. Although I am not currently a member of a board, as a senior leader within a business, I can ultimately share valuable insights into the journey towards board-level roles. I was also able to act as a bridge between the perspectives of those in the room and the experiences of someone with board-level insight. 

I collaborated with the fantastic Sarah Clark from Velo Bank to help the audience understand that joining a board is an achievable goal while also providing the context of what that means in a modern business. 

We often talk about board membership as the top level of leadership and suggest that once you’ve built your executive CV, the next step is a board role – but what does that really involve? What does it mean specifically within the finance industry? And how does someone actually take that step?

My goal was to ensure that the fantastic women attending that day got some clear, practical next steps as to how to move toward board membership.  

What were some of the key themes and challenges discussed at the symposium?

The key theme for the symposium this year was "Architect Your Future”, so there were quite a few different elements to the Symposium. 

Early on, it was clear that we had to acknowledge the current geopolitical situation and the impact this has working in the payments industry. For example, we know that the global climate has changed quite considerably, not just over the last few months but even the last few weeks and days, and we unpacked what that means – where does that leave the industry? What does the future of the industry look like?

A big part of what we can control comes down to how we empower the next generation coming through the payments industry and to consider the current challenges inherent to working in the sector, but also the opportunities such as with AI, which we now know is a key theme in 2025 and beyond. Career mobility and the career journey for women also featured heavily, which is actually what Francesca Piras, FXC’s own Senior Product Manager, did a fantastic talk on.

Can you share a standout moment or session that resonated with you?

What really resonated, undoubtedly, was our very own Francesca Piras talking about career mobility. It was incredible to actually hear of her journey – how she's navigated her career to date and the impact that’s had on her life. It showcased the breadth of knowledge and experiences that she had had. 

But the other part of that was her being alongside two other incredible women: Maliha Shekhani, Head of Strategy at BNY Treasury Services, and Alexis James Steals, Senior Consultant and Executive Leadership Coach at ADS Services. Seeing FXC represented on that stage and three incredible women talking about their career journeys, what they overcame, and how they use their skills to move the industry forward was inspiring.  

What was the most memorable part of the event for you?

On the second day, I took part in a session all about how we can potentially limit ourselves and our opportunities through our narratives and how we can actually take control of that to tell a far more powerful version of our experiences.

I got the opportunity to stand on stage and share my own challenges, reflecting on where I once thought I had failed in my career but actually understand how the many unexpected twists had shaped who I am as a leader. 

Alongside four other inspirational women who were very open about the challenges they’d also faced, I got to see how I wasn’t alone in my experiences. Getting to be there with these women, well, the impact it had on me and everyone else in the room really left a lasting impression.

What's one takeaway you're bringing back with you personally or professionally? 

At a professional level, it is really important to get out there more, take the stage and be a visible role model to the incredible women I work with on a daily basis and in my industry. 

On a personal level, it also turns out I’m quite good with a microphone in my hand! I came away knowing I can do so much more to give back to my industry, and I am excited to do so. 

What does it mean to you to be part of a space dedicated to empowering women in the payments industry?

Having that network and having peers that you can lean on to understand what’s right for you in both your role and career is so important. I personally wouldn't be as far in my journey without such incredible women. I’m lucky enough to have a network of women within FXC, both in the Senior Leadership Team and the internal Women In Fintech network, but having a network outside of FXC is great too, as it is an opportunity to get new ideas, perspectives and a reality check sometimes! 

One thing I will do is encourage those in our Women In Fintech network to have their own networking opportunities, to be speaking at conferences, to build their profiles and showcase their own experiences and to take away things that will ultimately build FXC into an even stronger business.

What advice would you give to other women or allies in the payment space who are early in their careers?

Get out and network! These sorts of events really showcase the importance of having a strong network, and you will get to meet incredible individuals and learn from them first-hand. It really will support your career!