Ethics in Financial Services podcast series

By 2019 BFSO Young Ambassadors

The BFO 2019 Young Ambassadors project consisted of a podcast series featuring interviews with senior members of the banking and financial services industry.

In each interview, we asked our guest to share a story about an ethically challenging decision that they had to make during their career. By doing so, we aimed to provide tangible case studies that other members of the industry can draw from when facing their own ethical challenges.

This podcast series can also be accessed via Spotify and Google podcast platforms, should you wish to listen on the go.

Episode 19: Sam Garland, Banking and Capital Markets Leader at PWC

Sam Garland, Banking and Capital Markets Leader at PWC

19 Apr, 2022

As an auditor and assurer Sam recognises the importance of a good culture to develop relationships that have respect and truth at the core. Sam shares some terrific insights around the three critical areas the team at PWC have identified as crucial for the development and sustainability of a healthy culture.

Episode 18: Catherine Fitzpatrick, Director Customer Vulnerability & Financial Resilience at Westpac

Catherine Fitzpatrick, Director Customer Vulnerability & Financial Resilience at Westpac

5 Apr, 2022

We spent time with Catherine exploring vulnerability. Catherine has spend her entire career advocating for vulnerable people. With this unnatural role, developed after the Hayne Royal Commission into Financial Services she has an opportunity to identify ethical issues that may cause vulnerability within the banking system and correct them. Catherine shares one of these and explains how the industry rallied together to address it.

Episode 17: Fiona Nixon, Head of Strategy and Communication at Bank Australia

Fiona Nixon, Head of Strategy and Communication at Bank Australia

22 Mar, 2022

With nearly 9 years at Bank Australia Fiona took us through the journey of a credit union that then became one of the leading customer owned banks focusing on 'creating a just and fair world’. We explore how the bank manages the increased competition and the importance of a strong ethical foundation.

Episode 16: Siobhan Toohill, Group Head of Sustainability, Westpac

KPMG logo

8 Mar, 2022

Siobhan Toohill has had an incredible career to date, pioneering sustainability since 2004. She shares a little of that journey with us in this conversation and explores the ethics underpinning her work. We talk about how financial services has embraced ESG and explore how institutions can make a difference addressing ESG issues.

Episode 15: Michelle Lim, Senior Consultant, PwC | 2020 BFSO young ambassador

KPMG logo

4 Mar, 2022

As a Young Ambassador, Michelle Lim has always prioritised ethics and when confronted with a situation she felt was far from it, the process of confronting the issue and coming to peace with her decision was harder than she expected. With clarity, courage  and openness Michelle shares the experience in a hope to encourage others to develop the moral courage needed to be true to one’s values.

Episode 14: John Paul Monck, Head Of Operational Risk Consulting, KPMG

KPMG logo

May 8, 2021

KPMG’s Head of Operational Risk Consulting, JP Monck, catches up with 2020 BFSO Young Ambassador Ricky Rangra on the impact of the Hayne Royal Commission on the financial services industry. They explore how young professionals can leverage the industry’s newfound appreciation for more consumer-centric, ethical principles, to make them more effective leaders in the long run.

Episode 13: Pablo Berrutti, Senior Investment Specialist, Stewart Investors

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Apr 2, 2021

In this 27 minute podcast with Pablo Berrutti, an expert in Sustainable Investment, we discuss the importance of ethics in the Banking and Finance industry, the rational for sustainable investment and why investing sustainably has a positive impact on financial returns, and what we as finance professionals can do to make more sustainable investment decisions.

Episode 12: Steve Weston, Volt Bank Founder & CEO

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Mar 17, 2021

In this episode, Alex sits down with the Founder and CEO of Volt Bank, Steve Weston. They discuss Steve's career, how he got started in the industry and what led him to found Volt Bank as well as ethical issues in the creation of banking products and what Volt is doing to differentiate itself from traditional players.

Episode 11: Steve Harker, Former CEO Morgan Stanley Australia

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Feb 12, 2021

Former BFSO ambassador Ranie Nguyen reunites with Steven Harker after first meeting almost 5 years ago to talk about Steve’s career in banking and his passion for ethical culture and principles.

Episode 10: Stephen Scott, Founder & CEO Starling

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Jan 25, 2021

Former Young Ambassador Alex Green sits down with the Founder and CEO of Starling, Stephen Scott. In the podcast they discuss the changing landscape of misconduct risk in banking and how advances in technology is making it possible to quantify previously unquantifiable factors like the effect of peer groups and other social factors on the likelihood of misconduct occurring in an organisation.  

Episode 9: Damien Walsh, Managing Director Bank Australia

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Dec 5, 2020

Former Young Ambassador Christina Wu catches up with Bank Australia Managing Director Damien Walsh to talk about how he leads through ethical and social crises and the secrets to building an organisational culture that centres around doing the right thing.

Episode 8: Dr John Laker, former Chairman of APRA; Chairman of The BFSO

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Nov 15, 2020

Former BFSO Young Ambassador Elpitha Sergis sits down with former APRA Chairman and Chairman of The BFSO Dr John Laker to discuss the changes in Australian banking since the GFC. In particular, the conversation focuses on the importance of a moral compass, having the courage and integrity to make the right decisions and the role that banks are playing during the COVID crisis.

Episode 7: Joseph Healy, Co-Founder Judo Bank

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Oct 15, 2020

Alisa meets with Joseph Healy, co-CEO and co-founder of Judo Bank, and discusses general issues on ethics found in Joseph's latest book 'Breaking the Banks' as well as ethical dilemmas he faced in the industry.

Episode 6: Nikki McConnell, Regional Manager for Rabobank

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Sep 10, 2020

One of the Banking and Financial Services Oath’s Young Ambassadors, Dani Simpson, sits down with Nicki McConnell, a Regional Manager for Rabobank, to discuss the ethical issues faced by front line staff in the banking industry. Issues especially regarding particular behaviour brought about in response to the trauma of the Global Financial Crisis.

Episode 5: Craig Robertson, GM Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing, BoQ

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Aug 20, 2020

One of the Banking and Financial Services Oath’s Young Ambassadors, Alex Long, sits down with BOQ’s General Manager of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing,  Craig Robertson to discuss the ethical issues faced around this area of the banking industry. Issues especially regarding the great impact and decisions on certain customers in order to protect the bank and the greater community as a whole.

Episode 4: Stephen Dunne, former CEO, AMP Capital

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July15, 2020

Young Ambassador Alex Green sits down with former CEO of AMP Capital, Stephen Dunne to discuss the ethically challenging decisions that he had to make during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

Episode 3: Colin Neave, former Commonwealth Ombudsman; former Customer Fairness Advisor, ANZ

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June 12, 2020

Alex Green sits down with Colin Neave, the former Commonwealth Ombudsman, to discuss a challenging decision that he faced as ANZ Customer Fairness Advisor, as well as lessons learned during an extensive career.

Episode 2: Jillian Broadbent AC, executive business leader

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May 10, 2020

BFSO Young Ambassador Christina Wu chats with executive business leader Jillian Broadbent AC about the importance of an open and transparent culture in safeguarding higher ethical standards within financial organisations.

Episode 1: Simon Russell, Founding Director of Behavioural Finance Australia

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Apr 7, 2020

In this episode, BFSO Young Ambassador Philip Joseph sits down with Simon Russell, the Founding Director of Behavioural Finance Australia, to discuss the problems identified in the recent Royal Commission and how behavioural finance can be the solution.

The Oath

  • Trust is the foundation of my profession.
  • I will serve all interests in good faith.
  • I will compete with honour.
  • I will pursue my ends with ethical restraint.
  • I will help create a sustainable future.
  • I will help create a more just society.
  • I will speak out against wrongdoing and support others who do the same.
  • I will accept responsibility for my actions.
  • In these and all other matters;
    My word is my bond.