Leilani Doyle – A Woman’s Journey Through Financial Services

We’re excited to introduce the next winner of our IWD awards - Leilani Doyle, SVP of Relationship Management, and a 17 year veteran of CheckAlt. Her story is an inspiration to women in the financial services industry. In a recent interview, Leilani shared her experiences before joining CheckAlt and what motivated her to pursue a career in this industry.

Leilani’s first foray into financial services started in college. She was putting herself through school and got a job in check processing and check adjustments, which she found really interesting. "It was like being the Nancy Drew of checks. Who got the money they shouldn’t have gotten? Where did it end up? Where was it supposed to go? Everything was paper. Paper reports, paper checks. All of that. So, it was intriguing," she said. When she got her degree, she got into lending and worked for the large banks. However, being a female in lending at that time in Houston, Leilani felt she was always there to "listen, look good, and bring the coffee.

If I was unavailable to join a meeting, they would invite the secretary instead, so they could have a ‘pretty face’”.

She wasn’t deterred. “My father raised me that way, not to follow stereotypical roles," Leilani said. She went on to build her own company that was internet-enabling financial institutions, government agencies, and Fortune 100 companies. She developed content management systems and tracking for SEO when Google was still nascent. Her business survived the dot-com boom and eventual bust, and continues to be run by her brother today. Eventually, Leilani went back to financial services, bringing her passion for streamlining processing and serving customers to US Dataworks, which was later acquired by CheckAlt. Today, she is much more than a pretty face - she's a face that clients know to trust, and an unparalleled subject matter expert in integrated processing technology.

Leilani's story is a testament to the slow process of change in social norms. She spoke about how all of today’s awareness vectors – social media, TV – have built understanding and compassion, which is critical. She stated,

"Being assertive is always a skill to strive for. Being a woman raised in the 60s, we were raised not to be assertive. We were told to be the neck and let the man be the head. I always worked in that environment, to look for a way to turn the head without direct confrontation. But I think people need to listen better, and women also need to find alternative ways to get their voice heard."

Leilani believes that collaboration is key, and it's not a competition between men and women. "If we have collaboration, we all win. I wouldn’t want to work with everyone who has to act a certain way to be heard or respected, because the world would be a very strange place," she said.

The lesson here – progress is about recognizing the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to the table and create a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Leilani Doyle's story is a powerful reminder that change takes time. The corporate culture of today celebrates equality, but #embracingequity continues to be a battle worth waging.