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Future Leaders: An Interview with Jennifer Spilling

An interview with Jennifer Spilling, Senior Recruiter at Moody's


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career so far?

I’m Manchester born and bred but have also lived and worked in London and Melbourne. I started my career in recruitment in 2012 in Manchester followed by 2 years in London and then left the UK to travel to Asia and Australia in 2017. I worked my first internal recruitment role in Melbourne for 9 months for Melbourne Water and it was working there that really started to ignite my interest in D&I. When I arrived in Australia, gay marriage wasn’t legal but whilst working for Melbourne Water the law was passed and as a company, they were really forward-thinking with a huge focus on diversity. I travelled for 4 months after Australia and settled back with my partner in the UK, securing my role at Moody’s as a Senior Recruiter in 2018. I cover roles throughout EMEA for Moody’s Analytics and I also Co-Chair our LGBTA Business Resource Group (BRG) for EMEA.



 

Congratulation on being Shortlisted for The Future Leaders LGBT British award, what does this nomination mean to you?

It means so much. I’ve worked really hard the past 18 months with my participation and input into the work that our BRG does and it’s nice to see that being recognised. I felt like I was doing a good job, so to see that someone agrees is a nice feeling and motives you to do more.

 

What have been the reactions of your colleagues around your nomination?

The reaction has been incredible and has been emotional for me. Having that recognition and for my colleagues to say that I am doing Moody’s proud is fantastic. I posted the news of my award shortlisting on my LinkedIn profile expecting a few likes but there were so many likes and comments from colleagues from throughout my career, even our CEO Rob Fauber made a comment which was very special.

 

Do you think inclusion at Moody’s impacted your journey to this point?

Most definitely. DE&I is a hot topic in general but it’s something Moody’s has had a huge focus on for the past 2 years. I got involved in the BRG through our reverse mentorship scheme which looked at connecting employees in the LGBTQ+ community with senior allies in the business. It was through that scheme and the encouragement of my mentor, a managing director within the business, that I developed to where I am today.

 

Have you always been comfortable being ‘out’?

I came out at what some consider late at 26. I’d come out to some close friends a couple of years before, but I didn’t come “out out” until I met my partner in 2016. Since then I’ve been very out and proud, I sure did come skipping out of that closet at full speed. 5 years later we are engaged with our first child on the way. I understand the importance of being visible and try and ensure that I am with friends, family, new people I meet and through social media.

 

What would you say is the biggest obstacle you've faced in your journey?

Career-wise I would say having direction. I started my career in agency recruitment and whilst I had success and a great time, I never considered it a long-term career. My work at Melbourne Water inspired me to create my development plan to support me in achieving my goals and get to where I wanted to be. I believe so far at Moody’s I have done that and I’m excited to see what the future holds.


From a personal perspective, it was creating a family. It’s a long tiresome process that takes you on a roller coaster of emotions and costs a lot of money. I’m privileged to have been able to have that opportunity and thankful for it to have been successful.

 

You are also co-chair of the LGBT & Allies Business Resource Group; can you tell us more about your role within the network and why this is important to you?

I joined the BRG in 2019 as the co-lead for our communications subcommittee and spent 2020 writing publications that were aimed to educate and create awareness of LGBTQ+ topics to our wider company. I was appointed co-chair of the BRG in January 2021, a huge achievement and one I have enjoyed very much so far. It’s my job to strategise for the year which includes supporting members, increasing inclusion, encouraging visibility, educating the wider business via communications and events, collaborating with external partners and contributing to overall business impact. It’s important to me that someone within the community is a visible role model within the company and to senior leaders. The work the BRG does has an impact throughout the business and it’s great to be a part of that and continue to create change.

 

Is there any advice you would give to your younger self?

Be more woke (I think that’s what the kids say?!). I wish I had got involved in activism when I was younger. Reading more and being more interested in the world around me and fighting to support others, LGBTQ+ or not. I wish I had started my fight for equality in my teens.

 

What would you like to say to the people that have helped you achieve this recognition?

Thank you! Thank you for listening to my ideas and helping to get them implemented. Thank you for the encouragement to continually develop. There were certain people that believed in me somewhat more than I did myself and it was that encouragement that made me have confidence in my own abilities.

 

What do you hope to see next in the journey for LGBTQ+ equality?

I’d like to see the shift continue with how we as a society make assumptions. We all know that when your LGBTQ+ you don’t only come out once.  We are constantly coming out, to all the new people you meet, the cold caller that knocks on your door, the new doctors that you’ve registered or every time you start a new job. I want people to really think about the language they use and assumptions they make and the impact that can have on someone if they are LGBTQ+. At 31, I really don’t mind making other people feel embarrassed somewhat if they use the incorrect language around me, I’ll always correct them. But I know that I’m a small proportion of the LGBTQ+ community that feels comfortable doing so.


You can vote in the British LGBT+ Awards here.

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