Leaders in Investment Management, Hannah Pietsch – Head of Communications, Bennelong Funds Management

Brief overview of your career to date.

I started out as a market analyst at a not-for-profit organisation after an executive noticed my spreadsheet skills. That led to a position as a research and evaluation manager, but I knew a life of statistics wasn’t for me and had a minor quarter-life crisis. I took a job in a funds management business, which was entirely by accident, and then started to get interested in the industry. I also realised that my love of words eclipsed my love of numbers, so I moved back into marketing – this time in PR – and from there it’s been a clear pathway of communications roles in funds management and superannuation. I am fiercely passionate about communications, and these days it feels funny to think there was ever a time when I was unsure about it.

How did you get your first position in the industry?

I had a somewhat unorthodox resume at that time. I had come from analytics roles in NFPs, wanted a job as an executive assistant because I was well-organised and was entirely industry agnostic. However, I found a brilliant recruiter who supported and advocated for me, and she found a role that happened to be in funds management. After I got the job, my boss told me she had been wary, but the recruiter had said, ‘I know she looks unusual on paper, but just meet her. You won’t regret it.’ I’m eternally grateful.

Can you provide an overview of your role at Bennelong Funds Management? What do you do on a daily basis?

I’m sure every person responds to that with ‘no two days are the same!’ but it’s never been truer for me than at Bennelong. Broadly, I oversee content, corporate affairs, media, social media, brand, and marketing communications. About 50% of my time is spent on Bennelong, and the other 50% on our boutique asset management partners. We’re not a large organisation, so it’s a very hands-on role. One of Bennelong’s core values is ‘continuous curiosity’, and we often say how well this describes the people who work there. Most of us don’t have narrow job parameters, instead running end-to-end projects, collaborating across teams and constantly asking questions about how things work. I have my finger in a lot of pies – there’s certainly no chance of ever being bored.

What is unique about Bennelong Funds Management’s business and investment approach?

Bennelong partners with a number of high performing asset management boutiques across the globe. In a nutshell: people invest in our funds, our boutiques manage the money, and we at Bennelong manage the business to deliver the best possible outcome for our clients. So while we don’t manage money inhouse, we’ve been very clear on the kind of business we want to partner with, and we don’t deviate from that. We’re a people business at heart, and our values of mutual respect, open communication and continuous curiosity are front and centre when it comes to decision-making. A lot of businesses promote their culture, but I’ve never worked anywhere that lived and breathed it as much as Bennelong.

What do you believe are the attributes that make a successful communications professional?

Hands down, the most important thing is balancing the customer’s wants or needs with the demands of the business. Every job has some form of commercial objective, whatever it may be, but if that’s your primary focus then you’ll never truly connect with your clients. Why have they come to you? What can you give them that will genuinely add value to their life, even in a very small way? The business’s needs must be met, but never lose the customer’s voice in your head. That goes hand in hand with critical attributes like the ability to listen, empathise, influence, and present a strong case.

What drives you? What’s your passion?

Grammar. Learning new stuff. Encouraging people. Simple, smart, engaging communications. My family. Singing. Advocating for the customer. Community. Knowing a little bit about a lot. Knowing a lot about a few things. Laughing loudly and often. Deleting excess words and unnecessary industry jargon. The beach.

Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life either in business or your personal life, and why?

In my career, I have been lucky enough to have a series of extraordinary line managers who gently challenged and guided me. They also all happen to be female, which isn’t so common in financial services. I came into the industry in a fairly aimless fashion, and they were all instrumental in putting me on the path to a career I love. They also made me appreciate the power of mentoring and being mentored, given what a difference it has made in my own life. In addition, many of the best pieces of business advice I’ve been given came from my dad, who had a long and successful corporate career while remaining compassionate and generous.

What has been your greatest achievement/challenge?

One of my greatest achievements is the job I’m doing now. Heading up a communications team had been a long-term goal of mine. I have a lot of other dreams and ambitions – my husband once said I could fill seven lifetimes with all the things I want to do – but it was pretty amazing to open up my five-year plan and think, ‘Tick’. It’s fair to say not all my goals work out that way …

How much time/effort do you put into networking and how do you cultivate your contacts?

Like so many people, for the past two years I’ve done very little proactive networking and it’s now my primary focus to change that. As a rule, though, whenever I meet someone who is brilliant at their job, I make a point of telling them how impressed I am by their work (why don’t we all do that more often?), connecting with them on LinkedIn, and making sure they know who I am. You never know when that will come in handy, and it frequently does – at work I’ve brought on all sorts of wonderful consultants and suppliers with whom I’ve connected over the years. I also love to collaborate and share ideas with other marketers. We don’t have to be in competition, and inevitably we’re facing the same challenges and opportunities.

When thinking of career progression, what tips do you have for women trying to take the next step in their career?

Spend time asking yourself what you really want, then identify what you need to get there and keep your eyes on your goals. However, don’t beat yourself up if you’re not really sure what you want – just enjoy the ride. Be curious and open to opportunities. Identify who you admire or aspire to be like, and learn from them. Improve your public speaking – it’s a corporate superpower and a critical life skill in general. Stand your ground and look people in the eye. Be kind to everyone, not just those you think might help you along the way. We’re all equally valuable.

Kaizen Recruitment specialises financial services recruitment across funds management, wealth management, superannuation, investment consulting and insurance. We are based in Melbourne and Sydney. For assistance or further information please telephone our office at +61 3 9095 7157 or submit an online form.

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