NEW PHYSICAL EVENT: NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIER SUMMIT SUPPORTING GENDER DIVERSITY IN THE MORTGAGE SECTOR

Ahead of the inaugural Women in Mortgage and Finance New Zealand event, NZ Adviser talks to presenters Paulette Trotter and Eugene Bartsaikin.

When New Zealand clinched fourth spot in this year’s UN Global Gender Pay Gap Report, the results may well have left many Kiwis in the mortgage and finance sector puzzled.

As in many other countries around the world, the New Zealand financial services sector is typically stereotyped as pale, male and stale – and there’s a reason for that. In 2019, the NZ Herald reported a pay gap of 23.7% within the sector, and that’s to say nothing of under-representation at senior levels, or across the workforce more broadly.

Policymakers are split on how to address the issue, though Loan Market’s Paulette Trotter says women have an important role to play in changing the industry from the inside. “Women need to have confidence to stand up and expect the same pay as men,” she says. “They need to understand they are just as good as men and should expect to be paid the same.”

Trotter is one of many women who will meet at the inaugural Women in Mortgage and Finance New Zealand event on 29 July to tackle this age-old problem, as well as the broader challenges faced by the industry. And, in her case, she says engagement with her team and clients has ensured her success, despite systemic adversity.

“Work hard, have the right support team behind you, and provide amazing service with the goal of making buying a home as stress-free as possible,” she says.