May 2024 – Lauren Smith
news published date 5 June 2024We are delighted to announce that Lauren Smith of the Future Leader board is our May Volunteer of the month.
Lauren joined the Future Leader Shadow Board as a relationship manager working with Nicky King on corporate partnerships. Just this week she has moved roles to the Technology team. In her day job, Lauren is a Lead UX Designer focusing on inclusive digital experiences for clients and colleagues across asset management, wealth, and retail.
Lauren is passionate about diversity and inclusion having previously worked with third sector organisations who aim to make spending time in nature accessible to all. She currently has a focus on digital accessibility, working to ensure services meet the needs of vulnerable customer groups. Lauren is an active member of gender equality networks both within her organisation and in the wider industry, as well as championing greater learning and development opportunities to attract, retain and promote female talent in financial services.
Nominated by Nicky and Jess Funke-Maspes, this accolade of Volunteer of the month is for all Lauren’s fantastic work in both creating the new WIBF Corporate Partner web pages and also for supporting the Pipedrive CRM implementation project. Lauren’s expertise and methodical approach helped us navigate the various phases, ensuring the CRM is customised to align with our business processes and needs, including data preparation and rigorous testing. She also provided invaluable support during the rollout and training of the team, ensuring a smooth transition. Nicky said, “Lauren’s structured approach, enthusiasm and collaborative spirit have greatly contributed to the success of the project. She’s an absolute pleasure to work with and we couldn’t have done it without her!”
Lucy Ellis-Keeler, co-chair of the Future Leaders Shadow Board said, “Lauren is incredibly hardworking and ideas driven; she is a true role model for young talent in this sector and we are fortunate to have her on the FLSB.”
Congratulations and thank you Lauren!