Isabella Johnson is the Relationship Manager at Finalto’s London office, working in the Sales Team. In addition to her day-to-day role supporting her Sales colleagues and managing client relationships, Isabella acts as the bridge between departments at Finalto. She’s the first port of call when you need to know what’s happening with a client account or need to coordinate across departments for a complex project,

We spoke to Isabella about breaking into the industry, balancing different priorities, and how learning doesn’t just happen: you need to keep actively working at it.

Tell us about the journey to your current role

I started my finance career at a brokerage in Melbourne. I was completely new to the industry and there was a  heaps to learn: not just about the processes and procedures, but even just getting to grips with the terminology and products.

The next step in my career began when I then moved to London, where I worked at a leading crypto exchange, before moving to Finalto.  I’ve now been here for three years, and it still feels like I’m learning something new every day.

As someone who grew up in Australia and Singapore, the ultimate goal when pursuing a career in financial services was always to work in a major hub like London. It’s still exciting coming into the Finalto office in the City and working with clients from around the world.

Tell us about a day in the life of a Relationship Manager at Finalto

I started out as a Junior Relationship Manager, which involved supporting the Sales team and managing relationships with existing clients.

That could mean making sure the Sales Reps had the latest client information and up-to-date marketing materials to do their jobs effectively. Effective ‘Sales’ isn’t just about intelligence and charisma (though those help), you rely on a deep understanding of a client’s needs, what’s happening in their region, and how to present our products and services in a compelling way.

For instance, there’s strong appetite for NDFs in the LATAM region. Finalto has a really innovative NDF offering, which obviously helps the Sales team in turn to provide a product our clients in the region really want. Those kinds of nuances are at play across all our markets.

A key part of the role also involves responding to queries or helping resolve any issues clients had. One of the more exciting parts of the job was being in a client-facing position from day one.

Now, in my current role as Relationship Manager, there’s also a stronger focus on direct sales and acquiring new business.

You also work with other Finalto departments?

This is a huge part of my job. For example, when a sales rep onboards a new client, I’ll work closely with the onboarding team to make sure all documents are in order and nothing’s missing. As the point of contact for Sales, I’m constantly fielding requests from other departments that need information about a client or something else that sits with Sales. If Client Services or Onboarding require client information , I’ll often be the person they come to.

That also means if anything’s outstanding, I’ll follow up with colleagues or directly with the client to make sure everything’s sorted.

Often, I’ll need to speak to someone in another department to get a key piece of information or resolve an issue. In those cases, the key is knowing exactly who the right person is across the business. Each team has its own specialists or people with a particular focus, and knowing who to go to in each case is invaluable.

So how do you know who to talk to in each case?

When I joined the company, I received training and was formally introduced to the heads of department, which was essential. But you also need to pay attention, keep listening, and take in as much as you can about how your own team operates and how the wider business fits together.

This would be my advice to any young person looking to break into the industry, especially without a formal background in finance: stay curious. Just as importantly, be proactive about getting people to teach you. Keep asking questions, seek out new contacts, and make a point of learning from everyone.

That’s actually one of the most exciting parts of being part of the Sales team. All the sales reps are really smart and great at what they do. It’s a diverse team, and each person has their own style and techniques. If you stay curious, this can be an enormous learning opportunity.

If you would like to get in touch with Isabella and the Finalto Sales Team, email sales@finalto.com to learn more about how Finalto’s award-winning liquidity, fintech and risk management can support your business.

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