Reclaiming Power and Visibility in Your FinTech Career

Building Unshakable Confidence in FinTech

In the newest episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, Nadia sits down with Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn, a former senior banker turned founder of Elevate Women, to explore the pivotal role confidence plays in career progression and inclusion within the financial technology industry. Their conversation is a rich and honest reflection on personal transformation, the systemic challenges women face in the workplace, and the practical tools available to create meaningful change.

For Harrington Starr, a FinTech recruitment business committed to supporting inclusive hiring practices across the UK, Europe, and the US, this conversation underscores a critical truth: recruitment alone is not enough. To truly enable a thriving, diverse workforce, FinTech companies must also cultivate environments where confidence, support, and representation are foundational. This episode shows how that can happen, one person, one policy, and one empowering conversation at a time.

From Banking Boardrooms to Entrepreneurial Beginnings in FinTech

Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn’s story begins in the traditional halls of banking, where she launched her career at just 16 years old. Over the course of 32 years, she climbed the ranks, gathered accolades, and built a reputation in a male-dominated industry. Yet, six years ago, Kirsteen made a profound decision to step away from it all. The motivation? Deep personal challenges and a powerful call to action.

She recalls watching her father decline with a terminal illness while her mother simultaneously suffered from dementia. These experiences forced her to confront the reality of time, legacy, and well-being. Alongside this, she felt increasingly misaligned within her corporate environment. The version of herself that once thrived in banking began to fade. This dual realisation led to the founding of Elevate Women, a business designed to help other women find their voice, own their confidence, and thrive on their terms.

Kirsteen’s transition from the banking sector to becoming a coach and advocate for women’s leadership in FinTech is not just a career reinvention; it’s a powerful statement about what it means to reclaim your identity and purpose.

Confidence as a Catalyst for FinTech Career Progression

Throughout her conversation with Nadia, Kirsteen drives home a critical point: confidence is not a soft skill. In the competitive, fast-paced world of financial services and FinTech, confidence is a professional necessity. Without it, talented individuals are often overlooked, under-promoted, or trapped in cycles of overwork and under-recognition.

Kirsteen's coaching methodology is built around helping women speak up, step up, and stand out in a way that feels authentic and empowering. She helps her clients navigate both internal and external blockers, challenges that are particularly prevalent in financial technology, where traditional leadership archetypes and male-centric norms can still dominate.

As a FinTech recruitment firm, we frequently encounter candidates who are technically brilliant but hesitate to articulate their achievements or assert their ambitions. Kirsteen’s work helps fill this crucial gap, bridging talent with the inner belief required to lead.

The SPIRIT Method: A Confidence Framework with Impact

Kirsteen developed a signature approach to confidence coaching during one of the most vulnerable periods of her life. From that journey emerged the SPIRIT method, a structured and impactful framework for rebuilding personal power and workplace visibility.

The SPIRIT method is more than an acronym. It’s a roadmap for transformation. It begins with Self-concept, which guides individuals to re-examine how they see themselves. Are you shaping your identity based on your true values, or on outdated labels and societal expectations?

Next is Priorities, where Kirsteen teaches clients to focus on what truly matters to them, rather than being swept away by the demands and expectations of others. The third pillar is Integration of relaxation and self-care. Here, the message is clear: calm is confident. In a sector like FinTech, where speed and pressure are often glorified, the ability to maintain composure and care is revolutionary.

Then comes Releasing inner beliefs, those insidious stories we internalise early in life that limit what we believe we can achieve. These beliefs, left unexamined, can be the greatest saboteurs of success. The Igniting power step focuses on identifying patterns that block advancement: replaying old narratives, disconnecting from one’s full self, or believing success must be achieved in isolation.

Finally, Thriving in alignment brings it all together. When mindset, behaviour, and ambition are aligned, Kirsteen argues, individuals are not only more fulfilled, they are also far more effective and visible in their roles.

For FinTech professionals who can’t access one-on-one coaching, Kirsteen has distilled the SPIRIT method into a book, providing practical exercises and empowering reflections. It serves as a starting point for anyone looking to rebuild or reinforce their workplace confidence.

The Assessment Tool Helping Women in FinTech Own Their Potential

In addition to her book, Kirsteen offers an online assessment, a self-diagnostic quiz designed to help women evaluate how connected they are to their confidence. This assessment explores six key areas: self-concept, priorities, relaxation, limiting beliefs, personal power, and alignment with goals.

The insight generated from this quiz helps individuals identify specific areas of growth, offering actionable next steps. In a field like FinTech, where innovation moves quickly and leadership demands are high, having this kind of self-awareness is incredibly valuable.

For FinTech businesses, encouraging employees to complete assessments like Kirsteen’s can lead to more honest career development conversations, better leadership pipelines, and a stronger internal culture of empowerment.

The Most Common Career Pitfalls for Women in Financial Services

Kirsteen and Nadia move beyond theory and get specific about the day-to-day challenges that women face at work. One of the most pressing, Kirsteen explains, is disconnection. Women, she says, often overwork to prove themselves, becoming so engrossed in their tasks that they lose connection to their identity and vision. This over-functioning becomes a barrier to visibility, strategic thinking, and ultimately, promotion.

Another common pitfall is the lack of strategic relationships. In many FinTech environments, success depends not only on ability but also on who you know and who is advocating for you. Kirsteen notes that without strategic visibility, women’s work is often taken for granted, or worse, credited to others.

This rings true in recruitment, too. At Harrington Starr, we see many talented candidates who have struggled to gain recognition, not because of their skills, but because they were not taught how to showcase those skills or build sponsor relationships. Kirsteen’s coaching directly addresses this gap by teaching women to own their impact and step into greater visibility.

What FinTech Firms Can Do to Build Inclusive Workplaces

Kirsteen’s message to FinTech companies is clear: inclusion must be intentional. It’s not a ‘nice-to-have’, and it doesn’t happen by default. Real inclusion starts at the top, with leadership that is diverse, aware, and accountable. But it must also be embedded in every level of the business.

She urges companies to pay close attention to their mid-level talent. Too often, the focus on C-suite diversity overlooks the layers of untapped potential within the organisation. If you fail to develop those rising stars, the leadership pipeline dries up. That’s not only an inclusion issue, it’s a business risk.

Tailored development is also essential. A one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. Different employees have different challenges, and meaningful support requires understanding those nuances.

Finally, Kirsteen challenges companies to recognise the existence of leadership bias, even among women. Masculine leadership traits are still valued disproportionately, she explains, while traits like empathy, listening, and collaboration are often undervalued. But in today’s FinTech ecosystem, where agility and emotional intelligence are key to innovation, these so-called ‘feminine’ qualities are indispensable.

Creating Community: The Secret to Long-Term Inclusion in FinTech

One of the most powerful moments in the podcast comes when Nadia asks what each of us can do, individually, to drive inclusion in the workplace. Kirsteen’s response is simple: create community. Connection, she argues, is the foundation of growth, resilience, and opportunity.

She encourages listeners not to view colleagues solely by their job title. Every person, regardless of seniority, has untapped experiences, skills, and stories that can contribute to the business. Being curious, asking questions, and paying attention can radically transform workplace culture.

This ethos aligns with Harrington Starr’s approach to FinTech recruitment. We don’t just match CVs to job specs; we foster partnerships between people and businesses that are aligned in vision and values. Building community is part of building successful careers, and Kirsteen’s message reinforces this beautifully.

Driving Real Change Through FinTech Recruitment and Culture

As the FinTech landscape continues to evolve, businesses must recognise that culture and recruitment are two sides of the same coin. At Harrington Starr, we’ve seen first-hand how confidence gaps, lack of visibility, and cultural exclusion can derail even the most promising careers. Conversely, when businesses invest in inclusive hiring, tailored development, and confidence-building initiatives, the results are transformative.

Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn’s appearance on FinTech’s DEI Discussions is more than a conversation; it’s a challenge to the industry. Are we creating environments where women can thrive? Are we encouraging leadership that looks and feels different? Are we listening to every voice in the room?

If the answer is “not yet,” then now is the time to act. Inclusion doesn’t start with policies; it starts with people. And as Kirsteen so powerfully reminds us, building confidence in those people is one of the most effective ways to drive innovation, loyalty, and sustainable success in FinTech.

Conclusion: It’s Time to Speak Up, Step Up and Stand Out in FinTech

This episode is a must-listen for anyone committed to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the FinTech sector. Kirsteen Williamson-Guinn brings vulnerability, wisdom, and practical advice that resonates deeply across all levels of the industry. Her SPIRIT method, assessment tools, and real-world insights make it clear that building unshakable confidence is both possible and necessary.

For FinTech hiring managers, people leaders, and candidates alike, this conversation is a timely reminder: success doesn’t come from ticking diversity boxes, it comes from walking the talk.

At Harrington Starr, we’re proud to partner with businesses that share this vision. Whether you're looking to hire FinTech talent or you're ready to grow your own career, we’re here to help you speak up, step up, and stand out.