etika is a privately owned purpose-driven fintech lender with operations in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. It has a unique position in the market as both an ethical lender and provider of an in house developed platform across global regions. etika’s mission has been to invest in positive impact, by bringing financial inclusion to more people and businesses with fair and transparent finance. In this role, I am a c-suite report to the Global CEO and Executive Director of the Australian and New Zealand entities of the business. My remit in this role has been to build a global strategic HR function and a high-performance, ethics-based culture.

I'm delighted to share my 2024 TEDx Talk - "Above the Line: The Secret to Transforming Workplace Culture" - Watch Below!!About the TalkIn today's fast-paced, high-pressure work environments, cultivating a thriving company culture can feel like an elusive goal. But what if the secret to unlocking a positive, productive workplace lies not in the day-to-day operations, but in the mindsets and behaviours of the people leading the charge? In this eye-opening talk, leadership expert Lara Stalquist reveals the transformative power of an "above the line" mentality. By shifting our focus from blame, excuses and reactivity to ownership, accountability and proactivity, we unlock the keys to building a workplace culture defined by trust, collaboration and a relentless commitment to results.Drawing on decades of experience working with top organisations, Lara shares practical strategies for modelling the mindset and habits that inspire teams to new heights of innovation and achievement. Audiences will leave empowered to break free from limiting beliefs, foster an empowered, solution-oriented workforce, and create a competitive advantage through the transformative power of conscious leadership.Whether you're a CEO charting the course for your company or a frontline employee seeking to catalyse positive change, this talk offers a roadmap for taking your workplace "above the line" and ushering in a new era of excellence, fulfilment and success.

Volt Bank was a unique combination of a Fintech and regulated Australian neo-bank that built a world class, Banking As a Service (BaaS) technology platform that allows any business to embed seamless banking products and services integrated into their customer experience, through modular APIs.In this role, I was charged with interpreting business priorities into a people strategy that cultivated a values-based culture of innovation and ethics for all Volters. In this high growth environment, I was constantly shifting from tactical to strategic input across the full range of people and culture activities, while maintaining ADI regulatory requirements in highly dynamic and agile context.

Chapman Eastway is a prestigious family and business advisory professional services firm, offering tax, accounting, corporate advisory and family office advisory services to its clients. This was a newly created standalone role, which formed part of the leadership team and was introduced to establish the HR function for the firm, while also serving as principal advisor on all people and culture related initiatives with a specific focus on engagement, retention, coaching and facilitation.

ASX is one of the world’s leading financial market exchanges, offering a full suite of services, including listings, trading, clearing and settlement, across a comprehensive range of asset classes. This role was a key HR leadership position, 2ic to the Group Executive HR and charged with the design and delivery of a people strategy that enables business strategy, company culture and the commerciality of the organisation.

In this role, I was responsible for the design and execution of the learning and development strategy, organisational development and corporate culture program of work for the ASX business.

In this role, I partnered with Group Executive leaders on the execution of divisional people strategies and the full range of generalist HR management services. Areas of responsibility included:- Generalist HR services- Business partnering- Recruitment and on boarding- Learning and development- Succession and talent management- Employee relations- Policy development- WHS

Ernst & Young is one of the largest multinational professional services firms with 150 000 employees and a presence in 150 countries - providing assurance, tax, consulting and advisory services to its clients. In this role I was responsible for the HR generalist and resource management services to the New York Advisory and Assurance Business Services (AABS) division.

This role was responsible for the project management of the Public Company Independence Procedures (PCIP) program, ensuring that Ernst & Young LLP was compliant with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) independence regulations for publicly listed clients.

In this role I provided HR administrative support across the entire ASX HR team, including business partnering, learning and development, remuneration and rewards and payroll.