What is your name and current position?
Tamera Norman, senior manager Third Party Banking Support

How long have you been with Adelaide Bank?
Coming up to 4 years with Third Party Banking (Adelaide Bank custodians) and 18 years in total with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

Did the mortgage industry find you or did you find it?
I stumbled into a branch teller role not expecting to still be working for the Bank 18 years later and have performed across a variety of different functions over that time. From sales and lending, recruitment and generalist human resources, training and coaching and now extending into operations and retention, there’s been plenty of opportunity to branch out into something new which is something quite unique to this industry.

What makes Adelaide Bank different to other banks?

The people. We’re genuinely passionate about what we do and how we go about providing great products, service and expertise for our partners and their clients.

What’s something that might surprise people about Adelaide Bank?
As a national team of only 75, we’ve proven we can deliver a lot, with a little (albeit thankfully with the backing and support of the entire Bendigo and Adelaide Bank group).

What’s something about Adelaide Bank that surprised you?
When I joined the team in 2017 I was genuinely blown away by the depth and breadth of knowledge that exists within the team. Many of my colleagues have been with the Bank for many years, which has a lot to do with the success of our business today. Knowledge acquired over many years of long-service is definitely seen as a valuable asset for us.

How has COVID changed the way the bank does business?
Absolutely. We fast-tracked digital and virtual solutions for brokers and customers and focused our energy on the things we could control; ensuring the safety and welfare of our people, providing financial assistance and support to impacted customers and we continued to supply credit where it was needed to support the economy.

We successfully transitioned our workforce to remote working and replaced face-to-face interactions with virtual connections - with each other and our clients.

We also learnt to appreciate the extra daylight hours without the commute to and from the office.

Looking back on your career, what is your proudest achievement?
I get genuine enjoyment and satisfaction from seeing other people extend themselves and achieve things they hadn’t believed they could. Any opportunity I have to play a part in someone else’s success is a big win for me.

Looking back on your life, what is your proudest achievement?
I would say the decision to marry young and create a family has been the catalyst for who I am today. They make me proud every day.

Finish this sentence - If I wasn’t a banker I’d be a…
House flipper. I’m a huge fan of renovation shows and considered trying out for the Block with my tradie husband a few times. We’ve tended to buy houses with potential and chip away at improvements when we can but sadly, we’ve not been able to make a career of it just yet!

How does Adelaide Bank support diversity and inclusion within the workplace?
Our workforce is as varied as the customers and partners we service. We recognise the importance of maintaining a diverse workforce and have a variety of policies, programs and networks that ensure everyone is valued and able to contribute in their own way.

Does Adelaide Bank support women in leadership?

No question, yes. I could go right back to the beginning of my career and give many examples where the Bank went out of its way to provide me with what I needed to thrive. A mix of the right leaders who at times gave me the push I needed to take a leap and trust my abilities.

An organisation that allowed me flexibility and time to spend with my mother who was battling late-stage cancer, a parental leave policy that meant I could focus on one important job at time, but then also supported my need for flexibility when I was ready to balance both. A leadership program designed specifically to support female leaders, mentoring programs that provide access to male and female leaders across the organisation, and the list goes on!

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day is a reminder of where we’ve been and where we want to be when it comes to enabling women to contribute equally to building a thriving and successful society.

It’s a reminder for all of us to consider innovative approaches that disrupt the ‘business as usual’ structural, cultural, political and social barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential. #ChooseToChallenge