Olivia Winteringham

Your Story:

I didn't always work in fintech - I used to run an award-winning independent theatre company. In 2018, I made the choice to switch to tech through School of Code, a 16-week intensive coding bootcamp designed to break down barriers to the industry and promote diversity. This mission aligned with the values I'd cultivated in theatre: working with a diverse range of professionals to create live performances in surprising venues to attract an audience of people who didn't typically go to theatre.

After the program, I landed my dream job as a UX/UI designer at Santander and was swiftly promoted to senior consultant. The similarities between theatre and UX/UI are striking - both focus on people motivated by a goal. They go on a journey to achieve that, and by the end are changed for the better (unless it's a tragedy, but we can learn a lot about the user's unhappy path from that!) The same is true of career development where individuals identify goals, go on a journey which results in learning, growth, and new abilities.

Your Impact:

During my four years at Santander, I haven't just been a designer. I've also dedicated my time to promoting and supporting the skills development of others. I was a leader of Skill UP community, an initiative that enabled a 430-strong engineering community to career growth by cultivating skills in security, data, frontend, backend, and mobile development. Skill UP hosted community-led meetups, offering mentorship, skills-exchange and learning opportunities. Over 2 years it resulted in 37 productive meet-ups with nearly 3,000 attendees and 39 community-contributed newsletters circulated across the organisation.

I'm passionate about paying it forward and celebrating my colleagues talents. That's why I nominated two women in tech for "We Are Tech Women: Rising Star 2022" and "Women in Tech Awards 2021", both of whom were shortlisted.

I'm committed to identifying diverse tech talent and have been a mentor at School of Code bootcamps, where I continue to give talks about my career change into tech. In 2021, I co-ordinated the recruitment phase of three new bootcampers to Santander from School of Code, successful candidates were representative of the LGBTQIA+ community. Last summer I was as a keynote speaker for School of Code's recruitment partner Spinks at their "You Equal Tech" diversity and inclusion roadshow in London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

Your Advice:

I want to talk about my personal life. It's not usual for me, but the saying "you can't be what you can't see" rings true. Not all lesbians look like me, and tech and finance people don't fit one mould either. If you've faced rejection for your sexual orientation or gender identity, and have had to cultivate resilience, don't underestimate the strength you possess.

I've experienced harassment in the park for holding my partner's hand and coming out was not entirely positive. I had to re-examine relationships and learn to have calm, constructive conversations to understand why my sexuality was considered terrible. If you can relate to this, you likely have great abilities to handle difficult conversation - a superpower in any business situation.

Never dim your light or hide the value of your perspective and experience because when your workplace values you as the multi-faceted and nuanced person you are, I'd suggest you'll be a happier, healthier and more productive member of the team. If you don't see this in your organisation speak up and affect change.