Lisseth Burgos, Business Readiness Lead for Finance Transformation with Bank of Ireland, recently won the Culture Champion Award at the IOB Future of Finance Awards 2025 in recognition of her impactful work building a positive and inclusive culture.
In her role, Lisseth addresses the human aspects of transformation – helping teams to navigate uncertainty with resilience, ensuring they feel valued and equipped for the future. She spearheaded the development of the “Our values in action” initiative, that focuses on encouraging teams within finance to reflect on how their everyday roles connect to the bank’s values and commitments, creating a sense of shared purpose and strengthening engagement across teams.
Beyond the workplace, Lisseth is an active volunteer for community organisations and participates in career talks and workshops to support underrepresented students.
We speak with Lisseth about purpose, her passion for mentorship and the power of a positive culture.
Thank you so much, I’m very happy! My path into financial services wasn’t a straight line. I trained as a lawyer, transitioned into accountancy later in life, and became a Chartered Certified Accountant. My early background in human sciences gives me a lens to zoom in and out of data, always curious about the bigger picture and ripple effects beyond the numbers.
I joined Bank of Ireland through the graduate programme and have worked across several finance roles. More recently, I moved into finance transformation and I love it! Change unlocks creativity, innovation, and the incredible potential we hold within.
Culture is the invisible thread that holds everything together — our values, our decisions, and the way people feel when they show up to work. I’m very positive by nature and probably one of the most un-stereotypical accountants you’ll ever meet, and I don’t feel like I need to hide it. That’s the power of a positive culture: it lets people bring their whole selves, their ideas, their potential… creating just the right conditions for real magic to happen: innovation, progress and resilience.
This initiative almost created itself! My team had been invited to introduce ourselves at a finance town hall. As anyone working in financial services will know, things can get tough during reporting periods, so I put together an honest slide deck showing what we do, how our work relies on tight deadlines, and how all of that connects to the bigger picture and to our group values.
I also highlighted the humans behind the work — coffees, cakes between meetings, and the little joyful moments celebrating small victories.
My manager was fantastic during the presentation, and to my surprise, it resonated deeply with other teams. The response was really warm. Soon after, colleagues from our culture team asked if I’d consider turning it into something bigger — and so Our Values in Action was born.
It became a platform for teams to reflect on how they live our shared values in real life.
At its core, Our Values in Action is exactly that, a reminder that our values aren’t just words on a page or corporate jargon — it’s how we show up for each other and for ourselves, every day.
I’m proud that something that began so organically has made a positive impact. Each team co-creates a short piece that gets shared through our internal newsletter, and the reflections are as diverse and insightful as the people writing them. Teams are using the language of our values more naturally in meetings and decisions. It’s sparked honest conversations, pride, and a sense of shared purpose.
Mentorship is VERY close to my heart. I’ve been lucky to have incredible mentors who believed in me, sometimes before I fully believed in myself, and that made all the difference. I try to offer that same gift to others. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about listening, holding space, and reminding people of their own strength.
Some of the mentoring initiatives I’ve been working on recently include supporting graduates at the bank with career guidance and accounting profession pathways, and offering one-to-one sessions for colleagues who are looking for direction, often connecting them with someone in the business who can help them see their next step more clearly. I also contribute in Business in the Community’s literacy programme, helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the ACCA Schools Initiative, which aims to reshape how secondary school students perceive the accountancy and banking professions; both initiatives supported by Bank of Ireland.
Outside of work, I participate in the Maynooth University Mentoring Programme, where I support final-year students from underrepresented backgrounds as they transition into employment. I also run career guidance talks and mock interviews for local transition year students — and most recently, I’ve joined the Youth Mentoring Programme ‘Big Sister’ with Foróige, which is all about inspiring young people toward brighter futures.
As humans we tend to find change a bit unsettling, even when it’s positive. I try to meet people where they are — acknowledging the uncertainty while holding space for possibility. I focus on listening first, sharing clear and honest updates.
I also try to anchor people in their own strengths, reminding them of what they’ve already overcome and what they bring to the table. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing the path, but having the resilience and adaptability to overcome whatever the path brings, trusting your own feet even as the ground beneath them shifts.
I love the human side of my role, it gives me a sense of purpose. In a large corporate setting where some tasks can be repetitive by nature, there’s something almost spiritual when someone calls you by your name and sees you beyond your staff number.
I love seeing someone light up when they start trusting themselves — the way that shift reflects in the quality of their work, not just reaching goals but surpassing them, delivering better products and better outcomes. Being part of that unfolding, that transformation, is deeply fulfilling.
I also love the fact that no two days are ever the same, it keeps me on my toes and always ready for new challenges.
It was overwhelming! in the most wonderful way. I’m very grateful.
This recognition doesn’t feel like mine alone, I’m lucky enough to contribute to many positive culture initiatives but I’m not a catalyst, I’m the result! I walk through doors others had to fight to open.
I’m deeply grateful to my people in Bank of Ireland — those who bravely advocate for a working culture that reflects the society we serve. And to everyone across financial services who fought the battles and paved the way before me — showing that empathy, emotional intelligence, and integrity have a place in finance.
That we harness the transformative power of AI while holding true to our human values. That we continue to extend financial resilience to those who need it the most, being mindful of and actively addressing the wealth gap, building a future that’s fairer and more inclusive.
Lisseth Burgos won the Culture Champion Award at the IOB Future of Finance Awards. Learn more about the IOB Future of Finance Awards 2025 winners here.