Whitni Thomas, Head of Corporate Finance, Triodos Bank UK

How do you land a job at a bank that creates positive social, environmental and cultural change? And how do you get to hear about banks like Triodos in the first place?

Whitni Thomas, the daughter of missionaries (her father is a vicar), says that she never meant to go into banking.

Yet she landed a plum (and highly sought-after) graduate role at JP Morgan, despite telling her careers advisor at university that she did not want a corporate career and she didn't want to work in New York.

But one day, stopping and pausing, she realised her job wasn't fulfilling and Whitni set about finding something that aligned with her values - the values she was brought up with.

She pivoted, thinking her future lay in development work, took on a role in Mexico with two grassroots organisations that provided microcredit to marginalised women and from there went on to work with fair trade organisations.

From there, she went to study for a masters in development studies at London School of Economics and Political Science, gaining a distinction.

So what's different about Triodos and why has Whitni been there for two decades?

At the time, it was a small organisation, based in the Netherlands. Though it's still not a mainstream name in the UK, it is well-known as a 'green' bank there, offering complete transparency so there are no nasty surprises if you're an investor or choose to bank with the organisation. Now there are 100,000 customers who want to put their money into an organisation with values-led guiding principles.

On top of her day job, Whitni believes in putting something back into society, locally and further afield and says she has learned so much from being a trustee at several foundations, including those with Quaker-based principles such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Whitni says it is difficult to give advice to young people who want to find careers with genuine, authentic values, because the job market has changed so much recently. But she says challenging oneself, and challenging organisations from within is key and considers B Corps which don't just pay lip service to 'green' values to be a good place to start.

Triodos Bank UK

Better Society Capital

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Paces Sheffield

London School of Economics and Political Sciences

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About ProGRESS:

Host Sandra Fraser invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.

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Original content © Sandra Fraser

Original music © Lyze Kessell

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Expect revelations, lightbulb moments and an informative listen on ProGRESS, with plenty of insights as guests explain how and why got into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible career or course (the GRESS of ProGRESS) with plenty of tips if you want to do the same.

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