Esther Dijkstra is a role model to many young women, showing a drive and determination to be the best, and becoming an outstanding manager and leader of people.From her early life growing up in a small rural village in the Netherlands and wanting to be a Prima Ballerina, Esther has worked her way up, traveling from Amsterdam to London, dealing with a different culture, and changing and learning along the way.Esther began her career in management consultancy with IBM in the Netherlands and moved to the UK in 2000.   She previously worked for Legal & General where she was the Commercial and Marketing Director of the L&G Network and UK Mortgage Club. She has been at Lloyds Banking Group for almost a decade now, formally Director of Strategic Partnerships and now the Managing Director, Intermediaries.She is passionate about helping people and inspiring a new generation and has been described as “one of the best managers I have worked for in my 25-year career” by a previous employee. There are so many nuggets in this episode and Esther really is a delight to talk to in this very open and revealing chat.In this episode, we chat about many things, including:• Growing up in a small rural town in The Netherlands which was too small to hold the adventurous Esther• Wanting to become a Prima Ballerina• Taking opportunities and changing your mindset• The nickname that made Esther change • Travelling to London and working as a foreign female in FS – dealing with cultural differences • Advice for a new generation • Management styles and changing attitudes – what makes a good manager? • The importance of empathy and connection • The key to leadership• Esther's definition of success and connecting to the deeper why• The best piece of advice Esther ever had• The one person you would want to meet in history and what would you ask themI am sure her story will be of interest to you.This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.Esther on Linked In -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherdijkstraukYou can contact and follow Monty:TwitterLinkedInInstagramYouTubeTikTok

From his early life growing up in a Council Estate in Southend, Richard Rowntree has worked his way up in a wide range of jobs, reinventing himself along the way and hungry to learn and help change the Financial world by encouraging and assisting more new talent from different socio-economic backgrounds to progress to top positions.

Sarah Tucker is so much more than just “The Voice”. Some may see her as something of an overnight sensation, such has been the meteoric rise of her company, The Mortgage Mum, in such a relatively short space of time, but as ever, the truth is always different. Her path has shown her that life is not always a little bit Disney, from trying to fit in, the elation and devastation of The Voice that led to The Mortgage Mum, through to getting validation, equity, overexposure, and dealing with critics, her path is both interesting and inspirational.

Ying Tan is a self-made Entrepreneur who has worked hard to build and sell a successful business. After his father hitchhiked his way from Malaysia over to the UK in search of a better life, his path has taken him from humble beginnings through to Investment Banking and Accounting, building a buy-to-let portfolio that led him to starting his own business, and is a forward thinking, innovative and dynamic entrepreneur with a proven track record, who thrives in founding, scaling, and exiting businesses.

The Pathfinder Podcast is about the journeys we take in business and in our life. It’s about the fact that the destination is not the be-all and end-all, it’s the paths we take along the way that is the real journey. It is this that defines us and makes us who we are today. We all have a story to tell, and perhaps their story will resonate with yours and make you realise that you are never alone. We are all pathfinders finding our way in the world. This is the Pathfinder Podcast, may the path you take be the right one for you.