What Wealth Management Needs to Do Next

Walking the Talk on Inclusion in Wealth Management

In a powerful live edition of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, recorded at The Summit for Wealth Management 2025, Nadia welcomes Delyth Richards, Former Head of Client Strategy at SG Kleinwort Hambros Bank, for a conversation that explores the deep-rooted challenges, meaningful progress, and personal reflections around inclusion in the wealth management and financial services sectors.

This episode captures more than a career journey—it offers a candid look into what it means to truly walk the talk when it comes to diversity and inclusion in finance. From the quiet pressure to conform in corporate environments, to the transformational role of authentic leadership, Delyth delivers both honest storytelling and practical insights.

As a leading FinTech recruitment company, Harrington Starr is committed to promoting inclusive hiring, supporting diverse leadership, and helping companies embed equity into their culture. This episode is a vital listen for employers looking to improve their talent strategies—and for professionals navigating spaces where inclusion is still a work in progress.

Redefining Inclusion in FinTech and Financial Services

Delyth begins by reflecting on her early career, which included a brief stint in estate agency and then a move into management consultancy. Her transition into financial services came through a role at Citibank, working in the real estate advisory team—a niche within a niche that was overwhelmingly male. Despite her natural confidence and ability to communicate effectively, Delyth admits it took her 18 months before she felt comfortable enough to truly speak up in that environment.

This experience, though personal, is far from unique. It illustrates the subtle barriers faced by many professionals entering industries where they do not see themselves represented. It’s a story that those working in FinTech hiring and recruitment need to hear. If confident, experienced individuals still feel the weight of exclusion, how much harder is it for junior professionals or those from even more marginalised backgrounds?

As her career developed, Delyth held a variety of investment advisory positions, ultimately joining what would become SG Kleinwort Hambros Bank. Rising through multiple shareholder transitions, she reached an executive leadership role, shaping firmwide strategy and prioritising diversity under a wider “responsibility” initiative. She made it clear that building a diverse and inclusive workforce was not a box-ticking exercise—it was central to the bank’s identity as an employer of choice.

The Business Case for Inclusive Hiring in FinTech

One of the key themes of the episode is how inclusion needs to be understood as a business imperative. Delyth echoes a view widely supported across academic research and industry data: diverse teams deliver stronger outcomes. She references Matthew Syed’s Rebel Ideas, which argues that innovation, resilience, and performance increase when teams are made up of individuals with different perspectives.

These findings align with what we see at Harrington Starr. As a specialist in FinTech staffing and executive search, we work with companies that outperform their competitors by fostering environments where unique voices are welcomed. Whether it’s gender, ethnicity, neurodiversity, or socio-economic background, the most forward-thinking firms recognise the need for inclusive recruitment processes that go beyond traditional networks and expectations.

Delyth explains that inclusion must cover all aspects of diversity. Far too often, companies reduce it to gender pay gap reports or promotion quotas. While those metrics matter, they’re not enough. True inclusion is about creating space for authenticity. It’s about making sure every employee feels safe to speak up, to challenge norms, and to show up as themselves.

Authenticity in Conservative Environments

Delyth’s insights on authenticity in conservative industries are particularly compelling. She opens the conversation with a personal anecdote: while interviewing for roles recently, she chose not to wear a particular pair of glasses she loves because she feared they might appear “too radical” for more traditional firms. It’s a seemingly trivial decision, but it reveals something deeper—many professionals feel they have to edit themselves to fit into corporate culture.

In industries like wealth management, which can often be slow to embrace change, professionals—especially women and people from underrepresented backgrounds—may feel pressure to adopt a uniform that aligns with outdated ideals. This suppression of individuality harms not only personal confidence but also organisational creativity and innovation.

It’s a call to action for businesses to re-evaluate what they consider “professionalism.” At Harrington Starr, we advise our clients to shift from hiring for “culture fit” to hiring for “culture add.” When companies embrace difference rather than conformity, they gain a competitive edge in both performance and talent attraction.

Social Mobility and Inclusive Hiring in FinTech

Perhaps the most striking part of the podcast is Delyth’s emphasis on social mobility, a subject rarely addressed as openly in financial services. She proudly shares her working-class, Welsh farming roots and how education was the path that opened doors. However, she acknowledges that she spent much of her career trying to blend in—wearing navy suits, brushing her hair, and downplaying her background to align with corporate norms.

Only recently, Delyth says, has she felt confident enough to embrace her story publicly. This revelation is deeply important. Many professionals from working-class backgrounds feel the need to code-switch or conceal parts of their identity to succeed. By opening up, Delyth creates space for others to do the same—and challenges businesses to consider how inclusive they really are when it comes to class and socio-economic diversity.

She also champions organisations like The Brilliant Club, which helps children from underrepresented communities see what a professional environment looks like. Giving young people role models who look like them and share similar backgrounds is essential to creating long-term change in the industry.

As a FinTech recruitment agency, Harrington Starr works with companies to develop hiring strategies that reach beyond elite universities and corporate referrals. Widening access to opportunity is not just good ethics—it’s smart business.

Inclusion for the Next Generation of FinTech Talent

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Delyth urges the wealth management sector not to let economic pressures stall progress. She acknowledges that some firms are cutting back on graduate schemes or pausing DEI initiatives, but warns that this is the wrong response. Inclusion should not be the first thing to go when budgets tighten. Instead, it should be the area of greatest investment.

The future of financial services depends on the next generation of diverse talent. That means continuing to support training schemes, mentoring, and inclusive recruitment practices. It also means challenging the growing anti-DEI sentiment seen in parts of the world. Delyth expresses concern that the fear of being seen as “too woke” might make firms retreat from their responsibilities.

But the evidence is clear: firms with gender-diverse investment committees perform better. Companies with inclusive leadership retain staff longer and innovate faster. And businesses that reflect the diversity of their clients build stronger relationships and reputations.

As a FinTech staffing business working across the UK, Europe, and North America, we at Harrington Starr regularly see how inclusion strengthens our clients’ talent strategies and commercial outcomes.

Creating Space for All Voices

The episode ends with a final question from Nadia: what advice would Delyth give to the audience to help them drive inclusion? Her answer is both simple and profound—encourage conversations and ensure people feel they can be their authentic selves at work.

It’s not just about empowering the loudest voices or those already comfortable speaking up. Delyth reminds us that it’s often the quieter individuals—the ones unsure if they belong—who need the most support. Inclusion means making sure everyone has a voice, not just a seat at the table.

That’s a powerful message for hiring managers, HR leaders, and recruitment partners. When companies create environments where all voices are valued, they see improvements not only in culture but also in decision-making, engagement, and innovation.

Why FinTech Recruitment Must Lead on Inclusion

This conversation between Nadia and Delyth is not only timely—it’s necessary. It challenges all of us working in and around financial services to rethink what inclusion really means. For recruitment firms, especially those of us specialising in FinTech hiring, the message is clear: we must do more than fill vacancies. We must build inclusive pipelines, challenge client assumptions, and advise on equitable hiring practices.

At Harrington Starr, our mission is to help companies in FinTech, wealth management, and beyond create cultures where everyone can thrive. That includes placing candidates from all backgrounds into roles where they are seen, heard, and celebrated—not just tolerated. It also means helping organisations define what inclusion looks like, not in theory but in practice.