Jamie Kopsachilis, Managing Director, HR COO and Head of HR Services for Societe Generale, won the Ambassador Award at Markets Media Group’s 2024 Women in Finance Awards.

What does winning the Ambassador award mean to you personally and professionally?

It was a genuine honor and very fulfilling, both personally and professionally, to be recognized for doing what I am super passionate about – promoting, developing, recognizing, and mentoring  well-deserving women. The congratulatory sentiments shared by family, friends, and colleagues and the sharing of examples of how I have helped shape the careers and personal growth of others was truly heartwarming to experience. Personally, I find it extremely rewarding to have made an impact on the careers and professional/personal growth of others. The external recognition I received has also been a very nice complement to the recognition SG already provides to me for greatly contributing to a diverse and inclusive culture, efforts and initiatives that extend well beyond the scope of my day-to-day responsibilities. The internal and external relationships resulting from working with, and getting to know, so many amazing women has been very impactful to my career as banking is a very relationship-focused field. Leveraging these strong relationships has been critical to navigating a path to success and leadership. My hope is that my efforts and the wonderful recognition I received with this award will serve as an inspiration for others to act as ambassadors. I hope that those that I have been able to impact will carry the torch forward and help others. This is where the real value lies.

What do you think has been the biggest change in the financial industry during your career?

There have been so many very impactful changes in the financial services industry since I began my career over 35 years ago. Technological advances, including AI and the internet, have improved our access to data and the speed and efficiency in which we perform tasks. These technological advances have been, and will continue to be, true disruptors. The focus has now appropriately turned to how to best leverage these technologies in a safe and controlled manner.

While there still remains a great deal to be done, there has also been much greater attention paid to diversity and inclusion efforts and a better appreciation of the benefits diverse populations and perspectives bring to the effectiveness of an organization. I have happily seen a greater emphasis on early talent as a critical pipeline to an organization’s talent strategy roadmap and success. There has also been greater recognition by leadership of the importance of financial, physical, and emotional wellness, as well as an increased responsibility to be actors in the improvement of employee wellness to yield happier and healthier staff thereby driving improved results. Lastly, I would be remiss to not note the vast increase and evolution of regulation in our field which continues to challenge us all in the HOW of what we do.

 What’s your advice to the next generation of women in finance?

As part of my role as Head of Talent Acquisition for the Americas, I often speak with early talent starting their careers in finance. My biggest advice to all early career staff, and particularly women, is to not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Apply for roles even if you do not check all the boxes. Rely on your grit and resourcefulness to help you succeed.  If you believe in yourself, you can be very successful getting out of your comfort zone. The times in which you do so will be some of the most rewarding experiences of your career. Seek out mentors and sponsors. Network, build, and maintain relationships. Continue to challenge yourself. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself. This is critical. Be confident in your strengths but remain genuine. Make your career intentions known and be intentional in selecting a path to get there. Lastly, in your pursuit of success, help others along the way.

 What have been the main drivers of your success?

The main drivers of my success have been developing and maintaining strong relationships, self-advocating, working hard, and going above and beyond when asked to do something. As I progressed in my career, being strategic and innovative increased in importance, as did fostering external relationships to be able to leverage best practices and benchmark services. Additionally, being an active listener and being genuine and empathetic proved very important when leading others. Throughout my career leveraging my consulting skills and seeking to always remain challenged while being true to myself and getting comfortable being uncomfortable is what always provided me with the impetus and drive to advance. Sponsors and mentors also contributed greatly to my success.

What keeps you motivated?

I am a lifelong learner and am motivated by being challenged and learning new things and actively seek out opportunities to do so.  I am also extremely motivated when I can impact the personal and professional lives of others.  There is no better feeling than when you lift others up!