My WIBF Journey – Lorna McAndie

Lorna McAndie is IT Category Manager at M Group, bringing more than 20 years of experience leading global teams through complex transformation across financial services, aerospace, utilities, consulting and infrastructure, including living and working in Singapore. Alongside her career, she is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion and helping others achieve their potential. Although she now works outside financial services, she continues to volunteer with WIBF, recognising that many of the challenges women face in traditionally male-dominated industries are shared across sectors.

Lorna’s involvement in gender equity began in 2022 when she became Co-Chair of the Tesco Bank Gender Network. Wanting to better understand the challenges women face in the workplace and be part of creating meaningful change, she found a community through Women in Banking and Finance that has remained a constant throughout her career, even as she has changed roles and sectors.

Today, Lorna volunteers as Scotland Mentoring Lead, where she supports members by matching mentors and mentees, helping individuals navigate career challenges, build confidence and realise their potential. She is also preparing to take on the role of Head of Commercial Partnerships for WIBF, reflecting her commitment to strengthening the organisation and helping shape a more inclusive future for the industry.

In this article, Lorna reflects on what volunteering has taught her, the value of mentoring and networking, and why creating opportunities for others continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

I first became involved in diversity networks in 2022 when I became Co-Chair of the Tesco Bank Gender Network. At that time, I was conscious that, as a leader, I did not necessarily understand the challenges women faced, particularly around motherhood and working within financial services. Since then, my eyes have been opened to many other challenges women face and, indeed, the importance of diversity in all its forms.

I joined to educate myself and to be part of positive change, helping to better understand and support others to achieve their potential. As a human-centred leader, it is very important to me that both I and my colleagues can bring our whole selves to work, embracing every aspect of who we are and contributing in a way that feels authentic.

Chairing an internal gender network introduced me to WIBF, as Tesco Bank was a corporate member. When I left Tesco, it felt natural to remain involved as part of the Scotland Management Board. Since then, I have changed jobs twice and now work outside financial services in the construction sector. However, I have remained with WIBF because I love the satisfaction that comes from helping people.

I am now the Mentoring Lead for Scotland, and it is an incredibly rewarding role where you can genuinely support people’s development by matching them with the right mentors to help them overcome challenges. We are seeing a significant number of redundancies across the sector, making the value of networks and mentoring for job hunting, interview preparation and reskilling even more important. I also regularly speak on panels about our mentoring programme, which I really enjoy. Most recently, I took part in a panel with an audience of students. The energy in the room was incredible. There was so much potential, and I don’t think we’ve ever been asked so many questions!

Over the past 23 years, my career has been incredibly varied. I’ve worked globally, including in Singapore, and have built experience both within and outside financial services. I’ve also changed roles every two to five years, yet WIBF has been a constant throughout much of my career. I value everything it has given me, from the learning and experience to the opportunity to meet inspiring women who genuinely want to create positive change. Through networking and volunteering, I have also made many friends for life.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that volunteering isn’t always easy. There have been difficult times and occasions when, after a challenging day at work, the last thing I wanted to do was walk into a room full of people and network. But every single time I’ve felt that way, I’ve left the event glad that I made the effort. I’ve learned something new, made valuable connections and, hopefully, contributed to something bigger than myself.

The volunteer role also flexes depending on what’s happening. At certain times of the year, particularly around the Awards or when organising events, it can become quite demanding. However, seeing people come together, build connections and discover new opportunities always makes the effort worthwhile.

I am thrilled to be continuing my WIBF journey by taking on the role of Head of Commercial Partnerships as we evolve as an organisation under a new strategy, direction and CEO. It’s a fantastic opportunity to help leave a lasting legacy and play a part in transforming the industry for everyone. I very much look forward to working alongside fellow volunteers to help deliver this important role.