Looking back on my first chapter with Zip

As I look back on the first chapter of my Zipstory since I joined the company just over 12 months ago, I wanted to share some of my reflections of life as a Zipster.

Here’s what I’ve learned about working in fintech as Director of Finance for Zip in ANZ, having transitioned from a career spanning over 20 years in the more traditional corporate banking and financial services sector.

I can see the impact of our work and the value it creates every day

One thing I’ve noticed is how differently we operate from the banks, which tend to be larger, and move slower. There’s certainly fewer ‘legacy’ style problems at Zip, than what you may often come across working in a 200-year old bank.

In my experience when you feel less bogged down, it certainly makes you feel that you’re making a real, visible difference with your work.

An example being the agility at which we can turn around our forecasts. Our teams are smaller, and get end-to-end ownership meaning more often than not we can meet the expectations of our stakeholders.

Less hierarchy and more access to leaders enables dynamic decision making and career growth

We have a relatively flat structure at Zip; we are nimble and get almost real-time access to leaders, which means we can get input on decisions and troubleshoot together in ways that help us move forward.

Our structure did take me some time to get used to, but it’s very rewarding to be able to get feedback from senior leaders quickly, while also taking on board the learnings gained from such unique perspectives.

We are making change for good by applying best practice financial management

Our Finance team is very dynamic, although one of the attractions of joining the company was the opportunity to review our ways of working and then bring in different processes learned during my time in other companies.

In my short time at Zip, I believe I’ve been able to add value from my experience working in more structured organisations. This is going to be increasingly important because as we continue to grow we will also need to evolve our thinking.

In my experience this is where a team with a diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives can win.

Best in class perks and benefits to support us to be at our best

As Zipsters we have a strong work ethic, and the company places great emphasis on investing in the team to look after its wellbeing.

We are offered fantastic benefits which I’ve so far really appreciated, especially the four quarterly wellbeing leave days which are designed to help us recharge throughout the year. With the extra day of leave we get for birthdays, that gives me a total of five weeks of annual leave a year which is a great allowance.

Looking ahead to my next chapter

I'm excited about what the future holds at Zip. I can see lots of opportunities for us - in the Finance team and as a broader business - and I'm really enjoying being a part of a team that’s responsible for building that future, alongside other likeminded people.

There’s still lots of work ahead, but what better way to do it than with the amazing team we have? If you are keen to be a part of a supportive organisation, that is nimble when it comes to decision making and continues to invest in a winning culture, then a career at Zip may be a good fit for you.