Rise of an apprentice rewarded as former trainee scoops award

A career in finance was not something Shannon Macnamara dreamed of as a youngster.

A talented footballer, she had considered pursuing a career in sports, and admitted that an office job was “the last thing” she could see herself doing.

After an apprenticeship scheme changed her life however, the 28-year old is now taking her career in investments to new heights, trading football boots for financial models and playing a role in a different kind of team.

Her impressive career at Aberdeen has now seen her pick up this year's Rising Star award at the Scottish Financial Services Awards run by Scottish Financial Enterprise.

Breaking a long-standing graduate-only route, Shannon became Aberdeen's first apprentice to rotate into the front office and has since progressed to investment analyst.

“I’m the first of my family that’s ever gone into financial services,” she said. “I was focussed on going to university, I’d applied and received offers. Aberdeen, who at the time were called Aberdeen Asset Management, came into my school for a careers fair and were putting the word out about their apprenticeship programme. I heard about it and thought it sounded very interesting, and it opened my eyes to a completely different route into the industry.

“As part of the interview process, I went into the private equity team for two weeks of paid work experience - I had very little idea what they did and had never really seen myself working in an office, but I really enjoyed the experience and it made me think twice about Uni, so I was thrilled when I got accepted to the apprenticeship.”

Shannon's performance quickly distinguished her as a high-potential colleague, and the value she brought to the business resulted in the creation of a Research Assistant role, enabling her to further develop her expertise within investments.

She has since progressed into an Investment Analyst role covering a wide variety of companies, across different sectors and regions of the market across both public and private credit.

“It was a very steep learning curve for me going into the fixed income team, and a lot of fund managers were only used to having graduates in there, so there was a lot of thinking on my feet,” she said.

“Working in a high-performing environment from such a young age and presenting regularly to senior professionals could be daunting. Looking back, being challenged and pushed outside my comfort zone was incredibly valuable. It helped me build confidence in my own judgement and develop the ability to articulate my views, skills I now use every day to provide investment recommendations.”

Alongside her professional responsibilities, Shannon has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to personal development. While working full-time, she achieved a First Class BA (Hons) degree and is now looking to continue her professional development through further industry qualifications.

“Aberdeen invested in me and I’ll always be grateful for that although it was a lot of work balancing study and work,” she said. “Almost everything I have learned about credit research I learned on the job, but in an industry where a degree qualification means so much I never wanted to get to a level where not having it held me back. It was a really worthwhile thing to do.”

Shannon's impact extends beyond her individual achievements. As the first apprentice to successfully progress into a front-office investment role, she has become a visible example of how broadening entry routes can strengthen both organisations and the wider industry.

She now actively supports apprentices, interns and graduates, sharing her experiences and helping others build confidence in pursuing careers in financial services.

“Encouraging greater diversity in finance is something I care strongly about,” she said. “I try to support this in practical ways, whether that is mentoring and giving advice to trainees and graduates rotating through our area, or speaking at events about the different routes into the industry.

“I’m particularly passionate about encouraging more women into finance and showing people early in their careers that there isn’t one set route they have to follow to succeed.

“I’ve been championed by a senior leader. While you have to put the work in, having that support, someone willing to encourage and mentor you, that removed a lot of the barriers that I felt, and I want to make sure I help others coming through that route.

“If I can encourage younger people to challenge themselves and go into environments that seem a little bit daunting then great.”

She has also begun training to become a volunteer mentor through Working Rite’s Connections programme, supporting local young people aged 15–25 who may have faced challenges or barriers in education and their transition into employment, providing guidance as they take their first steps into working life and consider their future career opportunities.

Through these activities, she is helping to develop future talent and create opportunities for others.

And Shannon, who has also been nominated for the Rising Star award at the Women in Investment Awards in London on 25 November, admitted the award still felt “slightly surreal” but paid tribute to the support she had received since starting with Aberdeen.

“I just want to thank Aberdeen for investing in me, investing in my development from such a young age and my fixed income colleagues for giving such a great opportunity to a teenager,” she said.

“Winning still feels slightly surreal. I’m incredibly humbled and grateful, and it is difficult to put into words how much the recognition means to both me and my family.

“I’ve worked extremely hard to prove myself throughout my career, and I feel as though I’ve grown up at Aberdeen, not just professionally but personally too. That makes this recognition particularly special.

“I’m enormously proud, but it has also given me something perhaps even more valuable: greater belief in myself and confidence in how far I’ve come.”

Sandy Begbie CBE, CEO of Scottish Financial Enterprise, said: “Shannon is a thoroughly deserving winner of the Rising Star Award. What particularly impressed the judges was not only her exceptional professional progression but the way she has challenged traditional routes into the industry and demonstrated what can be achieved through talent, ambition and determination.

“Her commitment to developing her own career, while actively supporting and creating opportunities for others, is equally impressive. Shannon is a fantastic example of the next generation of financial services talent and a worthy winner of this year's award.”