Trailblazer Hermione Storey-MacIntosh

Hermione is the Director of Economic Crime Transformation at KPMG. She works with a broad range of financial services clients in the UK and globally on large-scale, complex programmes to transform their ability to detect and prevent various forms of economic crime, from money-laundering and terrorist financing through to bribery, corruption, and fraud.

Tell us about your involvement with WIBF 

 My first involvement with WIBF was when I was shortlisted for the ‘Future Leader’ award in 2020. I still remember the excitement (and frankly, shock) of finding out – it was in the depths of COVID, so was some much needed good news! I have since attended multiple WIBF events and was shortlisted for the Future Leader award for a second time in 2022.

How do you advise women find the right opportunity to continue their career growth/

 I am a firm believer in sponsors and the impact they can have on your career. By ‘sponsor’, I mean a senior leader who uses the strength of their relationships and influence to accelerate your career progression. When it comes to finding opportunities for growth, sponsors can be a huge help by raising your profile within the firm and using their influence to unlock doors that would be impossible to do on your own. There are different ways to find a sponsor, but I think the most important thing is to ensure they have the right level of influence at senior levels and good visibility of your strengths and achievements. I have found it works well if you work closely with them so they can see these for themselves, but that’s not always necessary as long as you keep them updated.

When I reflect on some of the fantastic opportunities I have had in my career, most if not all of them have been helped in some way by my sponsors.

 Can you share some helpful resources such as books or podcasts?

I use podcasts like the FT News Briefing and The News Agents to stay updated on the go. Books wise, ‘The Pyramid Principle’ by Barbara Minto is a great resource to drive logic and impact in your communication. I also found ‘Invisible Women’ enlightening – it’s a great example of how powerful data can be in exposing biases.

What advice do you wish you have been given at the outset of your career?

• Think strategically about your career

I will always remember when 3-4 years into my time at KPMG, one of my mentors asked me “what kind of Partner do you want to be?”. I was so taken aback by that question! It wasn’t something I had even considered. I had been so fixated on just progressing to the next level rather than thinking long-term and working backwards.

• Don’t be afraid to fail

Taking a more strategic mindset has also helped me to reframe how I look at ‘failures’ or setbacks, which at the time can feel damaging but in hindsight are often minor and if anything, have helped me build resilience.

• Volunteer for opportunities that will stretch you

We learn best by doing, so I would always encourage taking on stretch roles geared towards the subject you want to learn more about or skills you want to develop.