The latest episode of FS Inside Track in the E2F podcast series is a conversation that lingers. Speaking with Shalaka Laxman, Sustainable Finance Director at Standard Chartered, you’re reminded that careers in financial services are no longer defined by narrow pathways or rigid expectations. They are shaped by curiosity, by values, and by the willingness to step away from convention long enough to understand what truly matters.

Shalaka’s journey spans continents, disciplines, and identities. Born in Dubai, educated in the United States, now building a career in London, she has moved through traditional banking roles, entrepreneurial ventures, creative projects, and the emerging world of sustainable finance. What ties it all together is a consistent thread: a desire to work on problems that feel meaningful.

Early Influences, Emerging Interests

Finance was the language spoken at home. “More like the only career that was really talked about was finance,” she recalls. With both parents starting out in the sector, it felt like the obvious path. She chose the University of Virginia for its strong finance programme and stepped into the corporate world through roles at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank.

But even in those early years, her interests stretched beyond balance sheets. She cared deeply about environmental issues, animal rights, and impact - going vegetarian at 13 and immersing herself in environmental studies. The idea that these passions could intersect with finance simply didn’t exist yet. ESG was not a mainstream acronym; sustainable finance was not a recognised discipline.

Still, she gravitated toward anything that allowed her to work on purposeful problems: employee resource groups, innovation competitions, impact-focused initiatives. By the time she reached Deutsche Bank, she had her first opportunity to explore sustainable finance - and everything clicked.

Building Sustainable Finance Before It Was Fashionable

Today, Shalaka’s role at Standard Chartered sits at the centre of one of the most urgent global challenges: how to move capital towards a low‑carbon economy, particularly in emerging markets where the climate need is greatest but capital is hardest to deploy.

Her work spans product development, client advisory, and industry-wide standard setting. She helps design sustainable variants of traditional financial products, supports high‑emitting clients as they transition their businesses, and contributes to frameworks that define what “credible transition” really means.

It is technical work, but also creative. It requires imagination, discipline, and the ability to translate complex ideas into practical solutions. And it is work that didn’t exist when she first entered the industry - a reminder to young people that the most meaningful roles of tomorrow may not yet have names.

Stepping Off the Ladder: A Sabbatical That Redefined Identity

One of the most striking parts of Shalaka’s story is her decision to take a sabbatical - not to travel aimlessly, but to test whether the linear corporate path she was on was truly hers.

“It was definitely scary,” she says. “I wanted to stress test whether that was actually what I wanted or just what I’d ended up defaulting to.”

The pandemic created space to think. She planned carefully, setting up freelancing work and building a small sustainable design brand, By Shax, which went on to be featured in John Lewis pop‑ups. The experience taught her that identity is not a job title, and that she thrives when she has multiple projects on the go - a portfolio career long before the term became mainstream.

It also gave her a new lens on the clients she now supports. Running a one‑woman business made her acutely aware of cash flow realities, bureaucracy, and the pressures small businesses face. Returning to a collaborative team environment felt energising, and she values it more deeply because she has experienced the opposite.

What Young People Need Most

Shalaka’s advice to students and early‑career professionals is refreshingly grounded. She emphasises three things:

• Stay open‑minded. Careers move quickly, and the most valuable experiences often come from roles that don’t look glamorous at first.

• Develop your own point of view. In a world shaped by AI, clarity of thought and originality matter more than ever.

• Follow genuine interest - and communicate it well. Passion makes learning easier; communication makes expertise visible.

It is advice rooted in lived experience, not theory.

What Educators and Institutions Must Do Differently

For those shaping the next generation’s view of finance, Shalaka’s message is equally clear: connect curriculum to real-world impact earlier. Young people want purpose, not just technical content. They want to understand how finance shapes society, not just how it prices risk.

She argues for more practitioners in the classroom - not only as guest speakers, but involved in curriculum design. And she encourages financial institutions to be honest about their culture when recruiting. “If you recruit people with a certain banner and they leave at year three, it’s often because the environment wasn’t set up for them to thrive,” she notes.

Authenticity builds trust. Trust builds talent.

Why Shalaka’s Story Matters

Shalaka’s journey embodies the purpose of E2F: to show that financial services is not a closed world, nor a monolithic one. It is a sector where creativity, purpose, and diverse perspectives are increasingly essential. It is a place where emerging fields like sustainable finance are reshaping what careers can look like. And it is an industry that needs people who think differently, care deeply, and are willing to build something meaningful.

Her story is a reminder that the next generation will not be drawn to finance by prestige or tradition. They will be drawn by purpose - and by the possibility of shaping a better future.

 To find out more about the E2F video podcast and get involved contact: oliharrison@financialmarketinginsights.com