Meet the Team: Kitrina Shanahan
As women around Australia and the world celebrate International Women’s Day, HUB24’s CFO Kitrina Shanahan reflects on her first six months in the gig and why supporting women in leadership is an important focus for her and HUB24.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Kitrina Shanahan joined HUB24 in September last year, just prior to its announcement of three strategic transactions, which now completed, have increased the integrated platforms, data, and technology services businesses FUA from $19 billion to $48 billion.
Add to that the COVID-19 pandemic playing out in the background, and it was both a busy and intense time to start a new job, but something Kitrina takes in her stride.
“I haven’t had an average day at HUB24 yet,” she explains. “The last six months have been busy with the strategic transactions we announced in October and learning the ropes at HUB24. Since Christmas it’s been a combination of completing the transactions and publishing the HUB24 half-year results.”
HUB24 ‘exciting and talented’
Kitrina is a seasoned professional in the financial services industry, with more than 20-years’ experience in finance, governance, and risk.
Prior to joining HUB24, she was Chief Financial Officer of Insurance at Westpac and had also held roles across BT Financial Group as Deputy Chief Financial Officer and as Group Financial Controller at Westpac. With deep experience in platforms, advice, and broader financial services, HUB24 was on Kitrina’s radar.
Recently awarded by Investment Trends Best Platform Overall and for the fifth year in a row, Best Platform Managed Accounts functionality1, HUB24 identifies its commitment to constant innovation and customer service excellence as two key attributes behind its industry recognition.
“HUB24 is a very exciting company with lots of growth opportunities and talented people,” she said. “I’m also impressed by its culture as well as its drive to make a difference.”
Financial context in growing business
Kitrina provides HUB24 with a financial framework from which to make business decisions and said working closely with different business stakeholders to understand their needs is important.
“Past experience is very helpful at the moment given all the activity but listening and understanding requirements are also important as I can then provide financial context and outcomes to the business strategy and decisions.”
The ‘traditional’ pathway to becoming a CFO is an academic qualification in accounting, finance business or economics and a Master’s qualification in business administration, however Kitrina believes these days this is not absolutely necessary and has worked with a number of CFO’s who do not have accounting backgrounds and have business or treasury backgrounds instead.
Opportunities gives rise to flexibility
In this regard, the CFO role is changing, and versatility and experience are just as important.
“I’ve moved around financial services quite a lot and understanding multiple products and business lines has been very helpful,” she said. “But taking opportunities as they arise has allowed me to show flexibility, build on knowledge and you meet great people to work with.”
Kitrina said she knows and has worked with many female CFO’s who are incredibly talented and great supporters and mentors for the next generation of female CFO’s.
Given this, she is optimistic about the future of women in leadership roles in Australia and believes attracting and retaining talent at all levels is good for companies and their culture and lay the foundations for future leaders.
1. Investment Trends Platform Competitive Analysis & Benchmarking Report 2020