MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT

 CLARE FORTUNE

 Executive Director, Product Solutions

J.P. Morgan

Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.

Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?

Curiosity, desire for diversity of experience, working and learning from others as well as helping others succeed. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a career filled with diverse experiences including roles in Australia, Singapore and the US as well as assignments in London and India. Each opportunity has been a chance to learn, grow, and contribute to something meaningful.

Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?

I think a mix of both. Being in the right place at the right time can open doors. But I think that hard work, dedication and perseverance are the keys to long-term success. My move to Singapore as well as the US was a combination of both, but ultimately, determination and putting in the hard word to succeed is impactful. Sponsorship and support from people who believe in you helps too!

What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?

Curiosity, learning, partnering and delivering. I’ve had quite the career journey from teaching English in Japan before I worked out what I wanted to do professionally to Project Management on large banking transformation projects and now working directly with clients on structures to help them optimise treasury and payment solutions. Each role has helped me develop new skills as well as work with talented people and build strong partnerships. My goal is to continue learning and growing while fostering a culture of collaboration and shared success.

If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?

I’m incredibly grateful for the path my career has taken, but I do wish I had been more willing to take risks at different points in my career. There were opportunities I hesitated on due to fear of the unknown. Looking back, I realize that stepping outside my comfort zone could have led to even greater professional growth.

What was your most favourite job/role and why?

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had a number of great roles and experiences, even my part time job as a server during University taught me a lot about customer relationships and how to create great customer experiences. If I had to pick one role, I’d say my current role, because it allows me to leverage knowledge and skillsets I’ve picked up throughout the different roles in my career, work with talented people and work directly with clients to solve pain points for them.

Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?

Excelling at work and achieving career goals are very important to me and sometimes I find it helpful to remind myself that ‘it’s not always about the destination, it’s about the journey and the people you meet along the way’.