Through the lens of the media you often just see one side of finance, Wall Street traders and stock charts make up most of the images that grace your screens. At How To Money, we know there’s a lot more to finance than that, and there are countless individuals working in the industry across a wide variety of roles.

Whether you’re looking to work in finance or are just interested in what they do all day, this series focuses on people working in the industry and their stories. Welcome to the Faces of Finance…

In the second instalment of Faces of Finance, we interviewed Ele de Vere, the Marketing Manager at BetaShares. As this is a new series we’d love your feedback and suggestions on who we should interview next! Get in touch via the comments below or send us an email at howtomoneyaus@gmail.com.

Introducing Ele de Vere from BetaShares!

I’m a New Zealander turned Sydney-sider, and have been here for just over 2 years ago and love the city. The energy, beaches and opportunities here are pretty special, and couldn’t think of a better place to be in my 20’s (and beyond…)!

Where do you work and what is your role?

I am a Marketing Manager for an Australian ETF (Exchange Traded Funds) manager called BetaShares. We currently have 51 funds which are available on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and manage over $6 billion in assets (assets = people’s money).

Editors Note: We wrote about ETFs with BetaShares earlier this year — if you’re looking to gain an understanding of how they work.

While financial planners and robo advisers use BetaShares ETFs, I am predominantly focused on engaging the end investors. Particularly investors just getting started through education about investing and ETFs, so they can build up the confidence to get started in the sharemarket. Just this year, we’ve launched 9 new funds, my favourites were two really interesting tech ETFs. One of these new products provides access to Asian Technology Companies (including the legendary Jack Ma’s Alibaba) and the other provides access to the global Robotics and A.I. sector.

I’m a believer that technology is the core of the new economy, and these themes resonate strongly with me, being firmly in the ‘millennial’ age bracket who use technology every day, in every way!

How did you get into finance?

I started working in finance once I moved to Sydney, and what can I say? While I’ve always understood the importance of saving, investing and super, since I started working in the industry it’s sparked a passion and I couldn’t think of working in any other industry. At school, there’s not a real focus on how to manage your money. It’s more, go to school…get a good job… earn money… then what? What do you actually do with the money you earn?

Investing and managing your money is such an important life skill and one we don’t focus on enough!

What do you enjoy about working in the financial services industry?

Speaking from my own experience (as this won’t be the case in all companies), I love the fluidity and fast pace of the financial services industry — which is filled with awesome, honest and smart people.

What is the most common misconception you think others have about the industry?

There’s still a strong perception of mistrust — rightly or wrongly — in the financial services industry. The Royal Commission has not helped, and I find it disappointing that the actions of a few (ok, maybe more than a few!) impact everyone who works in the industry.

If you received $1000 extra to spend to ‘increase your happiness’ right now, what would you use it on?

Fun = Shoes

Practical = ETFs….or Shoes 😉

What are your tips for young Australians considering a career/job in finance?

The finance industry is fast paced and forever challenging, and with the right mindset and skills, you can find a brilliant career!

There are many different areas of finance to consider: banking, financial planning, funds management to name a few, so I’d recommend talking to people who work at a company that looks interesting to you. Be bold and reach out on LinkedIn or email them and ask what they do day to day, so you can understand what eventually you might be doing. My inbox is always open, so feel free to email me anytime at ele.devere@betashares.com.au.

Any other comments to add…

Whether you choose to work in finance or take another path, always keep money management as a priority in your life, because no-one wants to retire and be living off stale bread! Retirement will come around quickly, and the beauty of being younger is that time is on our side, and no amount of money can ever buy the opportunity that we have right now.

Want to learn more about money and personal finance? Check out our article archive, the How To Money Podcast and the Australian Finance Podcast. Catch us on Twitter @HowToMoneyAUS and Instagram on @HowToMoneyAUS.

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