Increased adjustments to accommodate neurodivergent people in financial services will “help them flourish”, according to Quilter centralised investment proposition lead, Katja Oakley-Bell.
Oakley-Bell, who has recently been vocal about her autism diagnosis, described how stereotypes around neurodivergence can be damaging both to individuals and for the firms that employ them.
She stated: “A lot of people think, for example, somebody with autism is going to be good at patterns and therefore should be in an analyst role.
“They shouldn’t really be interacting with people, instead just sitting in front of data.
“For me, that couldn’t be further from the truth, either in what I’m interested in and also where I’m most effective.”
She explained that she is able to utilise her pattern skills to work well strategically, being able to see "how projects can flow" and "where there might be hiccups".
“I also look at things holistically rather than focusing on the tiny little details. This means that I’m able to see the whole picture,” she explained.
“That’s a real strength that I can add, but that may be missed if I am just assessed as autistic.”
Oakley-Bell recalled that she was not always as open about her neurodivergence: “Up until the last few months I’ve hidden the fact that I’m autistic.”
She said that she had not spoken about it until then.
She emphasised the importance of representation, stating: “I think it’s really important that I feel comfortable to be able to talk about it and that then shows other people who may be hiding it that they can as well.”
However, Oakley-Bell acknowledged that it is “quite a scary step at the moment” due to the prevalence of “so many old fashioned views”.
She recounted her own experience with these views, stating: “The most common response when I tell people I’m autistic is ‘Oh you don’t look autistic’. So what does that look like?”
She therefore highlighted the importance of creating an inclusive environment: “The more that we can encourage people to be open and to speak while knowing it won’t negatively affect their career or affect how people see them the better.”
Financial literacy
Oakley-Bell outlined another issue close to her heart: “I think, personally, one of the big issues, less in the industry and more in society is financial literacy.
“We all make mistakes, especially when we’re younger, but I don’t think it has ever been easier for someone to make such life changing mistakes than it is at the moment."
She revealed that some of her friends downloaded a cryptocurrency trading app, put all their savings into cryptocurrency without understanding it and this was all within 10 minutes.
