The humble fish and chip shop may be miles away from the fast-paced world of global FinTech, but for Erin Burke, Head of Procurement and Support at Pepperstone, it was her foundations in the former that led to her success in the latter. Growing up in a small coastal town in New Zealand, surrounded by battered scallops and sizzling potatoes, Erin learned early on the value of hard work, resilience, and financial literacy – skills that would serve her well as she carved out her career. Gemma Acton sat down with Erin to discover what makes her a true game changer.
Firm family foundations
Reflecting on her childhood, Erin shares find memories. “I grew up in a small beach town, which I loved. It meant I grew up in a very close-knit family, and that’s flowed through into my adulthood. I’m still very close with my parents and my sisters. We talk all the time.
Financial literacy was also a cornerstone in her upbringing. “My parents didn’t grow up with a lot, so they were keen that we were educated and had strong financial literacy skills. That’s helped me a lot in my job. I deal with budgets, and I maintain: if you can run a household budget, you can run a company budget to a certain degree,” she explains.
Early jobs – starting at a fish and chip shop – fostered a no-nonsense work ethic. “Just getting in and getting stuff done. Even that fish and chip shop job – you had to work the cash register, the fryer, wrap orders, take phone calls. At uni, during summer jobs, you worked as much as possible to avoid working during the academic year,” she recalls. “It taught me: doesn’t matter if it’s not your job – just get it done if it needs doing.”
The fast and the financial at Pepperstone
Today, Erin leads at Pepperstone, a global FinTech company known for its rapid growth and client-first mindset. “Pepperstone is a global company with offices all over the world. We move at pace – both in terms of technology and client experience. Our goal is always to provide a premium client experience. There’s no slowing down,” she says.
And it’s exactly the kind of environment that has nurtured her continued success. “I thrive in that environment. I love a bit of chaos. But you need resilience and an ability to take care of yourself. If you run a million miles an hour constantly, you’ll burn out.”
Resilience is particularly crucial in her demanding role. “It requires negotiation, standing your ground, knowing your value. I learned a lot of that from my parents – both worked in banking. My mother was a mortgage broker, my dad in business banking. I saw a lot of relationship-building growing up,” she shares.
Managing supplier relationships with care and strength is a cornerstone of her approach. “That’s how I manage contracts and supplier relationships now. I can have hard conversations because there’s trust. I can say, ‘You’re not performing,’ or ‘We need a better deal,’ but we all walk away knowing it was respectful. That’s key. It’s about partnership.”
Culture and collaboration
One of Erin’s trusted partners over the years has been Logicalis. “I worked with them five or six years ago, back when they were called Thomas Dureya, if I remember correctly. There wasn’t the same level of partnership then, but even at that point, they were responsive – which I respect. I move fast, and I need suppliers who do, too,” she recalls.
She appreciates Logicalis’ consistent commitment to collaboration. “I value my account exec highly. We’ve worked together for years. But, he’s brought in different team members over time, and they all show up with the same energy: ‘How can we help?'” Erin says. “No one says, ‘This is what we do – take it or leave it.’ It’s always collaborative. That’s the consistent culture I see from Logicalis.”
One standout project together was a smooth and speedy Microsoft suite transition. “Recently we transitioned from one productivity suite to Microsoft. Those projects can drag on and be very disruptive without the right partner,” Erin says. “But with Logicalis, we did it in four months – which is almost unheard of. It went really well because they helped us buy only what we needed and made sure we were set up for success moving forward.”
Making moves in a male dominated industry
Navigating finance and tech hasn’t always been smooth sailing. “A bit of both. I’m not going to pretend there haven’t been times where I was selected over a male candidate to hit diversity targets. But, I firmly believe I still had the right skills and experience,” Erin says.
Sometimes, old stereotypes still rear their heads. “There have been times where people assumed I was the team administrator or asked me to get coffee – even though I was one of the most senior people in the room,” she shares. “Over time, I’ve learned to take up space. I’m not going to apologise for being there. If someone speaks over me, I’ll say, ‘Can you please let me finish?'”
Confidence wasn’t always second nature. “Definitely. When I was younger, I didn’t think it was okay to ask questions. I didn’t think my opinions were as valuable. But I’ve got two very successful sisters, and we hype each other up. We remind each other: you were hired for a reason. You’re good at what you do. You have every right to be heard,” Erin says.
“It’s like building a muscle. You have to be brave. Sometimes you feel sick after, but it gets easier. And I’ve never been accused of being unprofessional. When I stand my ground, people usually don’t do it again.”
Role modelling and resilience
A fierce advocate for lifting others as she climbs, Erin is determined to pave the way for future leaders. “A lot of what I do is about role-modelling. When younger women ask questions after meetings, I encourage them to speak up during the meeting instead,” she says.
“Same with my friends. I tell them, ‘Ask for what you deserve. We deserve to be here. We deserve to be paid fairly.’ I’ll help in any way I can, but we all have to be a bit brave.”
Maintaining mental and physical balance is non-negotiable for Erin. “I move my body. that’s key. Whether it’s Pilates or weight training, it gets me out of my head. I focus on the numbers: ‘Only eight reps left, that’s a small number.’ That mental shift gives my brain a break from work,” she explains.
The future of Fin Tech
In today’s fast-evolving tech landscape, Erin is both realistic and forward-thinking. “AI is huge. It’s in every product in my ecosystem right now. But you really need to ask: what’s the actual value?” she says.
“There’s a mad rush to market, but a lot of the tooling isn’t great, and it’s expensive. So my role is to ask: how are we going to use it? How do we enable our teams to get value from it? Because turning it on isn’t enough – people need to know how to use it.”
In procurement, too, she’s seeing a shift. “In procurement, there’s a real shift away from transactional relationships with suppliers,” she notes.
And her advice for anyone struggling to find their voice? “First, ask questions. A lot of people don’t speak up because they’re not confident about the content. So get clear first,” Erin says. “Second, be brave. It feels scary, but nothing bad is going to happen if you’re respectful and polite. You were hired for a reason. You are skilled and experienced. It’s okay to show that off. Back yourself.”
Watch Erin Burke share more about her journey as a Game Changer, here.
