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 third instalment of Faces of Finance, we interviewed Jodie Hampshire, the Managing Director of Australia for Russell Investments. We’d love your feedback and suggestions on who we should interview next! Get in touch by sending us an email at howtomoneyaus@gmail.com.

Introducing Jodie Hampshire from Russell Investments.

I’m Managing Director, Australia for Russell Investments. We manage $30 billion of client assets across Institutional and Advisor & Intermediary Solutions.

I’m passionate about promoting women in leadership, as well as wholehearted leadership. The wholehearted leadership would probably have emerged anyway, but breast cancer at the start of my leadership journey propelled me there much faster. In fact, I’m currently working towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Guiding & Teaching Meditation and I meditate daily. I credit it with keeping my life together.

I’ve been at Russell Investments’ Sydney office for the last 6 years and have led our Australian business for the last 18 months. Our clients span superannuation, not-for-profit, industry funds, licensee groups and financial advisors.

How did you get into finance?

I was the first person in my large extended family to go to University. I knew I wanted to work in business, but really had little real concept of what that meant.

My real goal was to earn $52,000 a year by the time I was 30. I thought by then I would have made it!

I studied Commerce/Law at the University of Newcastle and left with a Commerce degree and half a Law degree. People said I’d regret not finishing law but I have not for one second! I was a Dennis Denuto-style of lawyer — I never was passionate about it and only studied it as I got a higher HSC mark than I’d anticipated. That was one of the few times I’ve listened to people saying I “should” do this or that. I’m really comfortable treading my own path.

When I graduated I was fortunate to get a graduate cadetship with the CBA’s Institutional Banking division. It was a great learning experience and I concluded I wanted to work in investment management or super. I wrangled my way into an investment reporting role and started studying for my CFA. I joined Russell Investments for the first time in 2000 and worked here and in London. I’ve also had my own business, been a full-time mum, and lived in Dubai. I rejoined Russell after a stint at Mercer, in 2013.

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

Getting to work with great clients and great people. Also, working in investments is fun because it’s ever-changing, you never get bored. The same for super and with advisors, though the extent of regulatory change for these two parts of the sector in recent years have most definitely not been fun.

Do you see any downsides to working in this industry?

In finance you need to work a bit harder to connect to a purpose sometimes — my company’s purpose is improving financial security for people, and that kind of purpose underpins most people’s work in finance. That is something I think about often as I go to work, you have to work a little harder to connect with the results directly.

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

Probably that finance people are evil Wolf of Wall Street types. Those days are well and truly done for the most part, but the general public can be suspicious of the finance sector. I distinctly remember being in a suit in a regional city for a client pitch a couple of years ago and a man in a coffee shop looked at me with utter disgust, shaking his head. I felt like telling him I was a girl from the bush, my dad was a logger and I was a decent person working on improving superannuation costs for a fund.

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

I’m at the lovely point where I have all I need. I get a lot of pleasure from supporting a few charities I care a lot about — I’d give it to OneGirl (educating girls in Sierra Leone, where three of my kids were born), Plan International and UNHCR. Maybe I’d keep a few dollars for some Turkish Delights!

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

Finance is a huge part of the Australian economy, it is innovative and ever-changing, and provides enormous opportunities for an interesting career. If you like Maths and you like people, it’s a fascinating sector to work in.

I also tell young people when I do panels and presentations to pick your organisation and your partner carefully — those two factors will have a huge impact on your happiness in life.

Any other comments to add…

I wrote a book! In 2017, I led a collaboration of four adoptive parents to write and publish Lionheart — The Real Life Guide for Adoptive Families. All proceeds from the book support OneGirl’s efforts to educate girls in Sierra Leone.

That brings our third instalment of Faces to Finance to an end. I really hoped you enjoyed learning more about Jodie and her career in the financial services industry.

Kate — HTM Editor & Host

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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