Along the way, working on risk events has connected him with teams, stakeholders and clients across the business, giving him a much wider perspective than his job title alone might suggest.

In this edition of #InsideFNZ, Rory Maclean shares what he has learned about progression, taking ownership and stepping outside your comfort zone, plus the interests that keep him busy beyond work.

Your career has developed entirely within 1st Line Risk. What has that journey looked like for you?

I started as an Analyst, progressed to Senior and then moved into my current role as a 1st Line Risk Manager. My focus throughout has been risk event management, but the level of responsibility and ownership has grown significantly along the way.

Starting as an Analyst gave me a solid grounding in how operational issues are identified, investigated and managed. Moving into a Senior role brought greater exposure to more complex events, client conversations and projects.

Today, as a Manager, my role involves more oversight, challenge and governance, as well as working closely with stakeholders across FNZ and with clients.

Although I have stayed within the same team, the nature of risk means I have worked with many different areas of FNZ. That has given me a much broader understanding of how the business fits together.

What has helped you grow and take on more responsibility?

A lot of my progression has come through experience and being willing to take on more responsibility when opportunities arise.

Technical knowledge is important, but I have also developed skills in communication, stakeholder management and problem solving. Risk events often involve several areas of the business, so you learn to ask the right questions, listen to different perspectives and challenge when you need to.

I have also been fortunate to work with people who are happy to share their knowledge and experience. Having that support, while still being trusted to take ownership myself, has played an important part in my development.

Working in risk gives you a view across many different parts of FNZ. What has that taught you?

Probably the biggest lesson is just how connected everything is.

Something that initially looks like a straightforward issue can involve several different processes, systems or teams. You need to take the time to understand the full picture rather than looking at an issue in isolation.

I have also learned that the best outcomes generally come from working together. Risk isn't simply about identifying where something went wrong. It's about understanding why it happened, what we can learn from it and what we can do differently going forward.

Working with different areas over the years has really helped broaden my understanding of FNZ.

What would you say to someone who wants to broaden their experience but isn’t necessarily looking to change teams?

You don’t necessarily have to move into a completely different area to broaden your experience. My own career has progressed within the same team, but my responsibilities and the type of work I am involved in have changed considerably.

I would encourage people to get involved in things that take them slightly outside their comfort zone or expose them to different teams and stakeholders.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or put yourself forward simply because you don’t know everything about something yet. A lot of learning comes from getting involved and picking things up through experience.

And make the most of the people around you. There’s a lot of knowledge across FNZ. Simply talking to people in other areas and understanding what they do can broaden your perspective and sometimes lead to opportunities you hadn’t considered.

And when you’re not thinking about risk, what keeps you busy outside FNZ?

Football is a big one. I am a Hibs season ticket holder, which definitely tests my patience at times!

I also enjoy gigs and festivals and I am a keen pool player. My wife and I love travelling too, particularly if we can find somewhere with a little more sunshine.