Services/Finance/News/ Monzo snags Deloitte consultant to shape recruitment and company culture Sheree Atcheson is leaving Deloitte to oversee Monzo's diversity and inclusion practices, as the challenger bank solidifies its hyper-growth. By Isabel Woodford 22 October 2019 \Fintech “Everyone’s a fintech now”… or are they? Why embedded finance is harder than it looks By Tom Ritchie 14 September 2021 Services/Finance/News/ Monzo snags Deloitte consultant to shape recruitment and company culture Sheree Atcheson is leaving Deloitte to oversee Monzo's diversity and inclusion practices, as the challenger bank solidifies its hyper-growth. By Isabel Woodford 22 October 2019 Monzo has hired Deloitte consultant Sheree Atcheson as head of diversity and inclusion, Sifted has learned, as Europe’s fintechs continue to lure top city-talent. The Northern Irish consultant is set to start full-time at Monzo’s London headquarters on November 4 after publicly announcing her departure from Deloitte on Monday. Atcheson spent over three years at Deloitte and most recently served as its UK inclusion lead. She was named a Rising Star in Diversity earlier this year by WeAreTheCity and is also the global ambassador of non-governmenal organisation Women Who Code. Atcheson is hardly the first figure from a big corporate to join a UK fintech startup. Earlier this month UK banking platform Curve appointed Nathalie Oestmann, formally of American Express, as chief operating officer. A 2018 recruitment study also revealed that fintech businesses have overtaken traditional banks in candidates’ list of preferences, with major consultancies facing similar competition. Diversifying Monzo Monzo’s latest hire also speaks to its ongoing efforts to diversify its workforce, which already scores better than most banks. As of late-2018, 40% of Monzo’s staff were women (who make up just 29% of the fintech employee base generally) and 80% of its staff were white (which is proportionate to the UK population). Yet the challenger bank still faces criticism with a male-heavy, largely-white leadership team, and a BBC Watchdog investigation recently questioned how Monzo communicates with users who have had their accounts frozen or closed and are unable to withdraw funds. Now Monzo seems to be upping its diversity efforts, bringing on a specialist to shape recruitment practices and design training and culture guidelines for its 1300+ employees. Crucially, a more diverse workforce will carry through to the services and communication Monzo offers, Atcheson has hinted. “It’s not about making a small change in the numbers here [at Monzo] but working to make a big impact that influences the greater business community,” she told Sifted. “My career has been dedicated to creating truly inclusive work environments because I care about ensuring everyone in every workplace can take advantage of the opportunities on offer. Being a leader in this space is a privilege.” Read more on how to hire for diversity and inclusion. Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Atcheson worked with Girls Who Code, rather than Women Who Code. Related Articles European fintech weekly: Monzo under the spotlight By Isabel Woodford Click here to read more There’s something about Monzo By Amy Lewin Click here to read more How startups can attract great talent By Maud Camus Click here to read more Most Read 1 \Fintech What goes up must come down: A journey through Klarna’s valuation history 2 Member \Venture Capital Are we in a downturn? What the data tells us about European tech in 2022 3 \Public & Academic Europe’s top 10 ‘unicorn universities’ 2022 4 Member \Venture Capital Web3 investors: The most active seed-stage VCs in Europe 5 \Startup Life Should startup employees set their own salaries? Join the conversation Subscribe Notify of new follow-up comments new replies to my comments