I started my career in RBS where it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of such a large business; home to thousands of staff and countless departments … but also some really good people.

With the structure of that organisation, the training and the opportunities provided you quickly become consumed within the corporate world and focused on the ladders that will enable progression in the same environment.

I spent 24 years at RBS climbing that ladder and really enjoyed my time there but, looking back, I wish I had sought new external opportunities earlier.

In such a stable environment, with a consistent income, company benefits and pension schemes, you become very comfortable and that inertia keeps you put.

I wish I’d been happier in my own skin

I’m now the CEO of a payments FinTech business called Total Processing, based in UK and UAE … and currently opening in Ireland.

My role involves strengthening the already solid foundations of the business to enable us to scale effectively. I balance this using a conscious influence from my large corporate past, whilst maintaining the dynamic and entrepreneurial nature that the company is rooted on.

In a FinTech delivering fast paced growth, business models should change and adapt as the company operates and develops.

Just because something worked well for the business yesterday, it might not be right for it to work the same way tomorrow.

I wish I’d got to know my 21-year-old self better

We empower people to act quickly on their ideas, and this flexible and innovative mindset is what ensures that our growth never slows.

I’m a strong believer that as long as a risk is understood and calculated, it is acceptable.

We’re careful to recruit people with this mindset. Being part of a FinTech that is disrupting the market and providing services to thousands of complex clients across the world, you can’t escape risk. We need individuals who understand that and rise to it.

On reflection, I’d tell my 21-year-old-self to create a wider network outside of my organisation. At Total Processing, it’s great bringing new talent into the business, bringing the diversity of thought that delivers new ideas and fuels innovation.

I’d also encourage myself to listen intently to the advice of others .. but not to be afraid to make my own decisions. It may sound cliché, but it’s so important to be the master of your own destiny and do what you want to do, not what someone tells you that you should do.

I don’t regret my time at RBS at all, it was a great learning experience, but I think I become risk-averse quite quickly and lost sight of the world outside that big corporate.

By opening my mind to new opportunities later in life, I was able to take calculated risks that allowed me to experience, learn and achieve so much more in a short period of time