Meet the Maker: Lisa Durnford, Sr. Manager, Regulatory R&D
For Lisa, it took years to feel comfortable enough to bring her whole self to work. Now, there’s no holding back as she advocates for queer and trans inclusion in tech. Here’s how she thinks everyone’s unique voice can make the workplace better.
Our team of Wealthsimplers work collaboratively to build the best possible experience for our clients and then make it even better. Everyone is a maker and an owner. What does that mean? We take ownership of our own work. No one here is a manager that doesn’t contribute to any hands-on work. We question the status quo and when we want to update, change or fix something — we take initiative, involve others and #shipit, then improve it. Get to know the team with our Meet the Maker series.
Why did you join Wealthsimple?
I was hooked from the moment I read the job description. It sounded like an exciting and challenging opportunity that combined my favourite aspects of prior roles. I got to meet quite a few people throughout the interview process and I loved every conversation. So, by the end of it I knew I really wanted to solve problems and build things with this team. And through every person’s career there are certain people that you feel lucky to work with and learn from — for me that person is Hanna Zaidi, now our Chief Compliance Officer. I was excited at the prospect of joining her team.
What has your career journey been like?
I joined Wealthsimple one year ago and initially supported the Regulatory Research & Development (R&D) team where I worked on regulatory initiatives and compliance programs for our newer products (Cash and Crypto). Within a few months we started dedicating support to each product, so I moved into Crypto Reg R&D full-time. I have absolutely loved getting to work with this curious, ambitious, and brilliant team as we build out Wealthsimple Crypto.
At Wealthsimple, we want folx to be able to bring their whole selves to work. What does that mean to you? How do you do that?
Well, it starts at the top so I think I’d ask the same question to any organization or company. What does it look like when employees meaningfully bring their whole selves to work? Is it at a cost? How do we evaluate success? I think it’s a necessary and crucial goal for any workplace but one that’s tricky to break down into steps. Every employee contributes to whether or not this feels true, but especially senior managers and leaders. It means respect, empathy, and an investment from managers to do the work on their own to understand what their employees need from them to feel empowered, heard, and supported. And then put it into action as role models. Every manager needs to earn this trust; it can’t just be written into a policy.
In terms of how I try to bring my whole self to work, well, I took the leap years ago to become an advocate for my community — the queer community — in professional settings. I met with companies on behalf of a non-profit advocating for queer and trans inclusion in tech, spoke at events, wrote about it, told everyone I know about it — including colleagues. I’m no longer subtle or hide, but that took work, the benefit of many privileges, and the support of my teams. And even with all of that, it’s still not always easy.
How do you define allyship? What has “good” allyship looked like for you?
I imagine that it looks different to different people. For me, I think it centres around trust, but as a frame of mind rather than a goal. Allyship isn’t a checkbox exercise but instead a commitment to do the work that’s required to earn the trust to be a safe space for communities of which you’re not a part of, and to speak up competently and respectfully when needed. It requires always learning about and listening to other people’s perspectives and figuring out how to use whatever platform you have to amplify the voices who might not be in the room.
Good allyship is tough to describe, but it requires self-awareness, vulnerability, and a genuine openness to feedback without any expectation of receiving it. Think about your conversations with friends and colleagues, do people talk openly to you about experiences of oppression, racism, sexism, ableism? If that rarely ever comes up, perhaps reflect on why not and if there are actions you can take to build trust and foster a safe space for those around you.
Earlier this month we celebrated International Women’s Day and the theme was #BreakTheBias. As a woman in tech, what biases are you personally looking to break?
All of them, but this is a short interview. Here’s one random, easy ask since this audience is likely heavy on remote tech teams: go through your Slack messages and see which comments you’ve reacted to and whose got a +1. Are they all comments from men? Are any of the men racialized? Admittedly, this is a very narrow view of a much bigger problem, but noticing, and changing, even small biased behaviours can have an impact. If we were to confront some bigger biases, let’s challenge how we define “women’s spaces” and initiatives (even in queer spaces) to not centre them around a single group — white, cisgender women. Wealthsimple has intentionally made efforts to change the narrative this month by highlighting diverse experiences and I’m excited to see this continue.
What’s your advice for women and genderfluid individuals seeking a safe and inclusive space in the workplace?
Be yourself when you can, but trust yourself when you feel you can’t. You don’t owe anyone anything, your workplace owes you this safe space. Don’t feel like you need to fit into any mold or identity that has been assigned to or expected of you. You might read a blog about women in tech, like this one, and think: “I don’t feel like this at all.” That’s fine, everyone’s experience is unique. So, don’t underestimate the value and power your unique voice has to make a workplace better.
Are you looking to challenge narratives and break biases? Visit our “Work With Us” page to learn more and view open roles.
Wealthsimple is a new kind of financial company. Invest, trade, save, spend, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way. “Maker Stories” is an inside look at how we get things done.
