"Different perspectives can bring fresh, new and exciting ways of doing things"
Why are the Financial Reporter Women’s Awards important?
For a long time, financial services has had a reputation for being dominated by older white men. However this is changing rapidly, and it’s important that the achievements of women from across the sector are celebrated and really highlighted until women are properly represented and lauded as a normal part of everyday business.
What is the most frustrating stereotype that you have encountered in financial services?
That men are always in charge or the manager. I cannot tell you how many times people direct management queries to my male direct report rather than to myself. If you aren’t sure, then ask, but don’t assume.
What positives do you believe that greater diversity would bring to the industry?
Greater diversity is always a positive in any situation, because diverse people provide diverse viewpoints, opinions, worldviews and topics of importance. Different perspectives can bring fresh, new and exciting ways of doing things, and also encourage us to focus on issues that nobody was aware of before, which ultimately improves businesses and society as a whole.
What do you think financial services companies could do to better engage with women as customers and employees?
Employing more women at board level, in senior positions, senior customer service roles and in any role in general will bring opportunities for the specific financial issues that affect women to be discussed and catered for properly. In later life lending, we know that older women are almost twice as likely to take out equity release as older men and act accordingly.
However, we need to bear in mind that the female gender is not one homogenous group. What might be of interest to a single female executive is less likely to be relevant to a new mother or someone who has recently graduated from university. We need to recognise how to better communicate with women – particularly on topics of financial abuse and other sensitive issues – as this will help to better engage with women as customers and employees.
What headline on diversity would you most like to see in Financial Reporter?
“Financial services targets better representation of society in advertising”.
Diversity of gender, but also of race and nationality, means bringing a greater range of viewpoints to the table, which can only lead to greater things and better business. It’s also reflective of reality – the people we are, know and love being reflected back at us in our own industry and our media.
