Breaking barriers and leading with confidence – Insights from Anna Przewoznik, Head of Legal

Welcome back to a new chapter of “My Seat At The Table”, our exclusive blog series launched to honor International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month –  and that is now extending beyond March because we believe that celebrating remarkable women should happen everyday, not just once a year. 

If you’re not familiar with this format yet, in this blog series we hear from incredible Enfucers from diverse backgrounds and roles who share what it truly means to them to have a seat at the table.

At Enfuce, we’re all about setting the highest standards when it comes to regulation, compliance and also to our relationships with partners and clients as well as to our own business operations. In this interview, we’re excited to speak with Anna Przewoznik, Head of Legal, who takes care of all things legal here at Enfuce, making sure everything runs smoothly. 

Have a read and join us in our mission to raise awareness, advocate and celebrate women in business.

Hi Anna, what’s your day to day work look like at Enfuce?

I normally start my day with a cup of coffee and a 10 000 step walk on my walking pad, whilst catching up with my emails, slack messages and checking in with my team. By the time I log in, the Finnish part of the business would have been working for at least two hours, so I always try to respond to any support requests as a matter of priority, as I see my role as facilitating and enabling a smooth business process. My mornings are normally filled with meetings, answering various questions, solving tricky problems with our Solution Consultants, and juggling multiple projects.

I try and find some focus time in the afternoons, when I tackle more complex projects, for example drafting documents, reviewing contracts, or carrying out legal research. However, our working environment is very dynamic and fast-paced, so I need to adapt and shift my attention if my support is required somewhere else. I normally end the day with planning for what is to come the day after, and catching up with a colleague for a wind-down chat or to discuss specific ongoing projects (often both).

All this turns upside down when I’m in the office, when I allow more time for spontaneous chats and exchanging ideas and opinions with colleagues. All Enfucers are very passionate about what we do, so we love having geeky debates about how can we do things better, faster, more efficiently, and constantly testing our boundaries.

What did you want to be when you were little?

When I was between about 4 to 7, I wanted to work in a stationery shop. I loved stationery and the smell and feel of new notebooks. I believe it was about the promise of what great things could come from using all those wonderful things, like drawings, ideas, and expressions of thoughts.

We are not yet at a stage when we would not need to remind the world about how great we (women) are.

I also loved how clean, structured and well-organised everything was and I believe this was an early indication of my professional destiny: becoming a lawyer. I’ve been fully paperless for over a decade, but I still pop into a stationery shop from time to time. 

What do you think of International Women Day?

I believe that women who make it to the top have an important role to play by sharing their stories and experiences.

I’m still on the fence about it. On the one hand, it is great to celebrate women, but on the other, we should not have to have a day to remind us about it. We are not yet at a stage when we would not need to remind the world about how great we are, so I would not be voting to abandon it. I would just encourage celebration and appreciation on a more frequent basis, regardless of gender, age, or any other characteristic.

What does it mean to you to have a Seat at The Table?

It means that if I’m there, the purpose is not to fill an empty space (i.e improve gender ratio), but to add value by sharing my expertise, my skills and my unique perspective. It also means being heard, which I see not as an opportunity to speak, but as a moral and professional obligation on the other people at the table to hear me out.

Can you share a personal or professional experience where you felt the impact of having, or not having, your Seat At The Table?

In my career, I experienced bias based not only on my gender, but also age and nationality (I am originally from Poland, but had to break a few brick walls to become a successful lawyer in a competitive London legal market). The impact on me was crushing, but I always dusted myself off and kept going.

If you have the skills and experience to bring to the table, then you are entitled to it. Focus on recognising your strengths and building on them.

Situations like this tend to plant a seed of doubt in your head, and create questions whether you are really good enough to be asking for or taking that seat. It takes a lot of effort to not let those seeds sprout and erode your confidence and career. As to those who didn’t give me the seat? A huge loss for them.

Who are the women who influenced your career the most and you feel helped you get #MySeatAtTheTable?

My friend Victoria had a colossal impact on the trajectory of my career. In the early days, when we were training to become lawyers, whenever I had moments of doubt, she was unapologetic in challenging my imposter syndrome.

As to those who didn’t give me the seat? A huge loss for them.

She would sit me down and say: “Anna Maria, you have gumption. You can and you will.” There was never any doubt in her mind that I would make it. That statement is forever ringing in my mind and instilled a sense of entitlement to a Seat at the Table.

How do you empower other women at work or in your day to day life?

I don’t think it is limited only to women, but extends to how I interact with colleagues generally (especially those in the early stages of their careers or on a learning journey). I try to build them up, appreciate their strengths, highlight them daily, and make them feel valued. I do this by noticing and expressing my gratitude for the contributions they make to my daily work life. A mere “thank you, this was super helpful and made my life so much easier” can make a huge difference.

What’s the advice you would give to other women who might want to have a Seat At The Table and are currently facing challenges?

I believe that getting your Seat at the Table is about merits, i.e. if you have the skills and experience to bring to the table, then you are entitled to it. Focus on recognising your strengths and building on them, as well as being honest about your weaknesses.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to encourage girls to pursue STEM subject matter topics at school and university.

Regarding weaknesses and development areas, do not try to meet someone else’s expectations and what they believe you should address and how. You would be fighting a losing battle because standards and expectations are highly subjective, and nobody is perfect. You need to be honest with yourself and identify development areas that can help to strengthen your unique set of skills.  Focus on building your USP and this is what will get you there.

In your opinion, what can the fintech industry as a whole do to promote gender equality and ensure that women not only have a seat at the table but also feel heard and valued?

Fintech is a merger of two very male-dominated industries: tech and financial services. The latter in particular is still perceived as an “old boys club”. There are only a few seats at the top table so the statistics are not in our favour. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to encourage girls to pursue STEM subject matter topics at school and university.

I can see an increased effort being made in this space in the UK, but it will take a long time to improve the overall statistics. In the meantime, I believe that we need to be more proactive in encouraging women to join fintech and creating opportunities for growth and career progression. I think that professional networks and events are key to creating such opportunities, as well as women supporting and encouraging each other. I also believe that women who make it to the top have an important role to play by sharing their stories and experiences.

Thank you for sharing, Anna!

And that’s all for this week’s interview. Interested to hear more from incredible Enfucers? Check out our blog with Sailaja Sinnathurai, Customer Success Manager here at Enfuce, all about embracing resilience to overcome challenges.