Jane Ibbotson

Head of Compliance Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

For Jane Ibbotson, one of the things that stands out in her work at Wells Fargo is the opportunity to design and build out the Compliance function in EMEA. "Together with the international dimension of the job, this was another major attraction for me when I considered joining Wells Fargo in the summer of 2016."

"Our business in EMEA is very much growing and developing. This creates a lot of opportunities to do new things while at the same time leveraging the resources available in a large, multinational organization."

A bank with the right culture

Having spent over 25 years in different regulatory and compliance roles with the Bank of England, Morgan Stanley, Barclays and Lloyds Bank in the United Kingdom, Jane is a seasoned professional with a varied experience in Wholesale and Retail banking both in the public and private sectors. Based in the London offices of Wells Fargo, right in the heart of the city, Jane leads a team of 65 compliance managers and officers who provide advice and oversight to Wells Fargo’s businesses in EMEA, helping them to be compliant with enterprise-wide standards and to abide by applicable laws and guidelines set out by financial regulators in the region.

As her major accomplishment since joining Wells Fargo, Jane sees the growth and development of the EMEA Compliance Team from around 40 to 65 team members in just under a year and a half. In EMEA, Wells Fargo has presence in 15 countries, spanning the region from the United Kingdom to South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

"From my experience, I can say that having the right culture in place is critical in Compliance. The desire must be there to do the right things, especially in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Wells Fargo has that culture and this is why I believe it is a good place to build your career, especially if you work in Compliance. Banks are constantly changing and innovating. As banks evolve, so does your career."

Work at the London office can be fun, too. For instance, on dress-down Fridays team members come to work wearing jeans and in exchange make donations to charitable organizations. They also organize bake sales, quiz nights and "move that pony" races, all for good causes.

Joining a business that is committed to diversity

There is a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion at Wells Fargo with an active women’s team member network in London organizing events open to all team members.

Jane is among a growing number of senior female executives at Wells Fargo in EMEA that include the regional Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and two regional heads of lines of business. The presence of so many women at the top of the regional organization exemplifies Wells Fargo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to promoting female managers to senior positions.

Building partnerships throughout the organization

Jane believes the secrets to succeeding in her work are partnership, the ability to be collaborative, and to work well with people across the organization. Communication is also key and Jane sees herself as an advocate for the region from a regulatory perspective, helping colleagues understand the regulatory environment and priorities in EMEA.

Based on her experience, Jane sees Wells Fargo as an excellent place to start and develop a career, especially for people who want to have exposure to international business and the opportunity to be part of a growing team.