People focus

Biddy Wilson

Manager, Cash Settlements

Biddy is the manager of the cash team and oversees tasks related to firm and client funds. Biddy joined Jarden after graduating from university and has previously held other roles in the cash team such as New Zealand dollar payments, term deposit set ups and foreign currency payments.

Biddy is from Hawkes Bay and has Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University of Wellington. Outside of the office you’ll find Biddy staying active by running, surfing or playing social football.

Where did your interest in finance begin?

I’ve always enjoyed numbers, as well as politics and history. When I picked up economics in my final year of school, I realised that finance could involve all those elements. My parents are both bankers, so I also had an awareness of the industry from a young age.

Going on to study political science in an arts degree and finance & economics within commerce, my passions led me to the intrigue of capital markets. To me, it’s the perfect intersection where maths meets social sciences.

Tell us about the path to your current role

My roles at Jarden have involved allocating client funds, processing payments, and liaising with banks to set up term deposits. I eventually rotated across different roles in the cash team and learnt a lot about international payments and foreign exchange, as well as the different parts of our business. It’s fantastic to see how things connect ‘behind-the-scenes’ to enable transactions to take place. This experience was really valuable for me when, after two years, I moved into the manager role.

Stepping up was a new challenge, and I’ve loved the opportunity – working with the team to oversee payments, tasks, and solve problems. It’s also involved learning about the roles within the cash team that I hadn’t done before moving into this position. My attention to detail has refined further, which is crucial when checking payments and working out ways to continually improve our processes.

What are some highlights from your work?

What I love about my job and this sector is that things are constantly changing, and you’ve got to always try and be one step ahead. That can sometimes lead to some pretty unique situations.

For example, I once ended up on a three-hour road trip across different ends of Auckland one day – probably not the first thought that comes to mind when people think ‘Cash Management’! We needed accounts set up for a client as soon as possible, and their bank required wet signatures from multiple stakeholders by the end of the day. It was the only way to get the job done in time - I love how we can just roll up our sleeves to make things work for our clients.

Our expansion to Australia was another highlight for me, as I ended up building and looking after the cash management processes for our Australian clients. This involved learning a whole new set of legislation and rules which was an interesting challenge. Similarly, integrating Jarden Direct and FX, Futures & Derivatives into our business opened opportunities to expand my knowledge base.

How would you describe Jarden?

We are all in it together, with each other and our clients. I consider many of my colleagues as friends, and love that we can work hard while also being social and enjoying the ride. If anything, it must be a good sign that I really missed being in the office over the lockdowns in Auckland. There’s a real team culture and we all take pride in what we do. One of the highlights of my week is playing touch rugby for Jarden in the corporate league down at Vic Park.

As a company, we’re moving so quickly and there’s always something new to learn or a way to develop.

What would you say to someone weighing up career options in finance?

Don’t feel like you need to fit a certain mould, the industry is better for having a range of different people from diverse backgrounds. Everyone brings something new - and while there are clearly technical aspects - skills like research, writing and communications are key. There are so many different avenues to explore and carve out in finance, so go for it.