As Global Head of Migrations, Jennifer Milne has built her career by taking on challenges and turning them into long‑term impact. Her willingness to question, improve, and step into unfamiliar territory has shaped both her expertise and her success.
Reflecting on her personal and professional growth, Jen said:
“When I become too familiar with a process or it becomes uninteresting, I get destructive. And by destructive, I mean critical. I begin to look for problems and when I find them, I fix them. I’ve had this same mentality since I was a child. It brought me into the world of project management and it’s continued to bring me success.”
Watch the video interview below to hear Jennifer share her story and reflect on whether extraordinary growth is still possible at FNZ.
When you started at FNZ, you admit you weren’t the expert you are now. Can you share your extraordinary growth story?
“Before I started at FNZ, my only experience with the company was working as part of a project team for one of FNZ’s major clients. I’d always enjoyed working with the FNZers on the team, and when an opportunity arose to join FNZ to establish a PMO, it was too good to resist."
“After a variety of challenging roles and years of setting myself stretch targets, I was offered the chance to lead FNZ’s global data migration. Being honest, at the time I didn’t feel I had the technical experience. However, what I did know was how to set up processes, how to roll out processes and how to lead. Fast forward ten years and I am so proud of what I have achieved here, and what my team have built together.”
What advice would you give to someone carving a career at FNZ?
“When an extraordinary opportunity comes up, I don’t focus on what I can’t do or don’t know. Instead, I seize that opportunity and use it as a chance to learn. It’s rare that someone stands at the bottom of a mountain and then climbs to the top in one day. They break it down, learning as they go and take the climb in stints. I did this at FNZ – both when I joined and when I stepped into my current role."
“It’s also important to know what makes you feel proud, and to seek it out. What makes me most proud is that our clients have confidence in our migration framework from the offset. When they engage with FNZ on a large transformation program, migration is not at the top of their worry list. My team have built a reputation in the industry that we know what we’re doing, and we do it well. That’s because everyone in my team works so hard, and I am so proud of them. Working with such a talented team is one of the main reasons I’ve stayed with FNZ so long.”
Did you follow the advice of a mentor early in your career?
“I still remember the name of the senior leader who marched me off the call centre floor, straight to the CEO’s office during my first job in a bank. She wasn’t a mentor, as such, but she certainly shaped my career! I’d identified and voiced some issues with a call handling process at the company I worked for and was taken straight to the CEO. I thought I would be fired for being destructive. But instead, I was promoted to a role in the projects team. It was the first time I was rewarded for thinking outside the box and looking to make things better for a business."
What’s the next extraordinary opportunity you want to seize?
“There’s a real opportunity to bring more young people into our business. As a leader myself, I know how important it is to nurture our future leaders."
“We’re already offering speed mentoring, career pathways, coaching, a comprehensive graduate scheme and more roles for people just beginning their careers."
“But with our global presence allowing us to make an impact on young people across the world, I’m excited for what FNZ will do next. It’s something I’m passionate about.”
Ready to embrace the extraordinary?
If you believe you have the makings of an FNZer, we’re eager to meet you.
