Meet Lucy Lindsay, Team Lead for Zip ANZ's Small-Medium sized Business BD & Partnerships function. In this article Lucy opens up on what has enabled her multi-role progression in her first five years here, and what makes her a proud Zipster.

Tell us who you are, what you do at Zip and a little bit more about your Zipstory

My name is Lucy Lindsay and I lead the SMB (Small-Medium size business) Business Development and Partnerships team across ANZ. I’ve been with Zip for over five and a half years now, starting in the Customer Experience team in 2018 while I completed my degree.

I’ve had a fascinating journey since, with stints with the Underwriting team, where I assisted with Anti-Money Laundering auditing, before transitioning into a credit analyst position. At the time I was keen to explore options with Zip’s Commercial function, and was able to secure a move into the Consumer Finance team as a Partner Success Manager, responsible for building relationships with merchants and growing our Zip Money presence across key verticals.

Things move at pace at Zip, and before long I had taken on more of a project-focused role, leading key initiatives across the Commercial team including amongst others expanding our offering to key merchants through referral partnerships and working with our ANZ Product team to develop merchant-centric product features.

In my current role I get to do what I love most; partner with our amazing merchants to help them get the most out of our Zip Money proposition, while continuing to grow Zip’s market share in some of our most business-critical verticals.

You’ve been a Zipster for five years now. What has enabled you to accelerate your career fastest during your time here?

The support I’ve had from Senior Leadership has been huge for me. Leaders have given me the opportunity to push myself and learn new things, which has helped me grow my career as a Zipster. A great example being when I had decided that I wanted to take my next step in my career by moving into the Commercial team. I initiated a chat over a coffee with one of the leaders when I heard his team was expanding, and then one thing led to another.

In my experience to date, if you want to do something at Zip, put your hand up and give it a crack. That said, it’s important to work on establishing your personal brand to open up these conversations. Luckily for us as Zipsters, there are many ways to do so. Whether it’s signing up to take on Movember, joining our ANZ Culture Committee, or getting involved in Hackathons, these are all aspects of Zip’s culture that have enabled me to build relationships with many people across the company.

Another aspect of our culture that I think fosters growth is the fact that no matter your level or seniority, you are always able to contribute to the conversation. Our lack of hierarchy and the fact that we are encouraged to put our hands up to take on new opportunities has led to me working with and learning from senior leaders across the business. I truly believe that less hierarchy means more room to grow, and my story at Zip is evidence of that.

In your experience, what are some of the opportunities you get working in Commercial at Zip that you wouldn’t get working elsewhere?

Change often feels like a constant at Zip, and for me that’s a positive. Changing strategies and the subsequent impact on the makeup of teams needed to deliver them has given me the opportunity to lean into new areas, and gain exposure to different leaders.

We work in a very cross-functional manner, and the access we all get to those with diverse backgrounds and specialisms not only helps coordinate day-to-day delivery, it also gives Zipsters a broader, more holistic understanding of the business.

Thinking about the way you get your best work done, how does Zip support your wellbeing?

The nature of our work in Commercial means we need to work at pace to meet the expectations of our merchant partners, and we work really hard to make sure we’re always thinking Customer First. One of the benefits we enjoy as Zipsters is a quarterly wellbeing day, which for me usually means a day of total rest.

A lot of people will often save their annual leave for a holiday or to take an extended break around Christmas, but having that extra day of leave within the quarter allows me to rest up and reset when it’s needed most.

Which chapter in your Zipstory, that not a lot of people may know about, makes you most proud to be a Zipster?

I would say the initial ‘Interview’ I had with my leader to land the Partner Success Manager role in 2021 was a classic example of how fast paced and exciting it can be to work here. But it also really demonstrated how others are often willing to open doors for you if you are committed and work hard.

Meeting him for the first time in person to discuss the opportunity, I was amazed that before I’d even taken a sip of my coffee, he was able to tell me how other people in the team - including our Co-founder - had advocated for me, and that I’d be a good fit for the team. He then proceeded to offer me the role.

I’m aware this isn’t the precedent for internal mobility at Zip, even though there are many Zipsters who’ve moved successfully up through the business. But looking back, that experience sums up my time at Zip - things move fast, hard work is recognised and if you see an opportunity put yourself out there, because more often than not at Zip it’s yours to take.