Today 45 high profile women working in the UK Financial Services Sector took part in a unique ‘career speed networking’ event with 120 girls aged 14 – 17 from six London state secondary schools at the iconic Bank of England headquarters on Threadneedle Street.
The aim of this event is to showcase the wide range of roles in the financial sector to which young girls can aspire, and in which many talented women already excel.
The Inspiring Women campaign hopes to encourage thousands of other women to join and volunteer to pledge ‘one hour a year to talk to girls’ in a state school near home or work about their life experience, job and career route. The campaign is open to all women, whatever their job, including those who work full or part-time, retired workers and volunteers. They can register online in 2 minutes: http://www.inspiringthefuture.org/about/inspiring-women-campaign.aspx
Campaign champion, Miriam González Durántez, Partner at Dechert LLP and wife of Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, said; “It is fantastic that the Bank of England and the Financial Times are supporting the Inspiring Women Campaign. Many women already work in this sector. While many – some of whom will be at the Inspiring Women in Finance event – have already reached the top of the financial world, there are still many more to come. Finance is not just for ‘alpha males’ – it is one of the leading sectors of the British economy and it offers plenty of diverse and fulfilling roles and opportunities for the new generation, whether they are boys or girls.”
Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, says: “The Bank of England is committed to promoting and improving diversity in all forms – gender, race, background, belief and orientation. As an organisation, we have set clear targets to ensure we reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom as we seek to attract the best people to public service, and we are making good progress towards them. The Inspiring Women campaign plays a crucial role in showcasing the wealth of opportunities that are available to young women across a broad range of sectors, and the Bank is very pleased to support it.”
FT editor, Lionel Barber, said: “The Financial Times is delighted to participate in the Inspiring Women in Finance event with six female FT journalists attending to meet with students. The FT is a strong supporter of diversity in business and we benefit greatly from the wisdom and experience of accomplished female leaders across the company, including nearly half of our executive board and many senior editors. You can follow FT news, comment, and analysis on women and the workplace at ft.com/women”.
Jennifer Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, EMEA at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said, “As Inspiring the Future’s lead corporate supporter, we believe that educating the next generation is crucial for a strong economy and for successful communities. We are particularly encouraged by the launch of Inspiring Women in Finance, which will help broaden young girls’ horizons and awareness of the many types of careers available to them in financial services. Our aim is that through our collaborative efforts with partners, we can educate, inspire and motivate more young women to consider a career in finance.”
Media coverage
The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-business/11296919/Miriam-Clegg-British-women-must-avoid-creating-a-glass-floor.html
The Financial Times: http://on.ft.com/1zlEyYy
See our Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/edu_employers/sets/72157647463521473/
The following women in the UK Financial Services Sector took part in ‘career speed network’ with 120 girls:
Charlotte Hogg, Chief Operating Officer, Bank of England
Joanna Place, Executive Director, Human Resources, Bank of England
Rosaleen Blair, CEO, Alexander Mann Solutions
Sarah Blomfield, Managing Director, Rothschild
Clare Barrett, FT Senior Live News Reporter
Sarah Gordon, FT Europe Business Editor
Lisa Pollack, FT Head of Special Projects, FT.com
Gay Collins, Executive Chairman, MHP Communications
Caroline Daniel, FT Weekend Editor
Sarah O’Connor, FT Employment Correspondent
Melanie Richards, Partner and Vice Chairman, KPMG
Sandie Okoro, General Counsel, HSBC
Bina Mehta, Chairman’s Office & Associate Partner, KPMG
Mary Dolson, Partner, Global Accounting Consulting Services Group, PWC
Sue Fox, CEO, M&S Bank
Julia Prescott, Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam Infrastructure
Isabella de Costa Mendes, Managing Director, Head of London and Africa Solutions, Renaissance Capital
Kathleen Hughes, Global Head of Liquidity Sales and European head of Institutional Sales, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Jagdeep Rai, Corporate Director, Heathrow, Slough & Surrey, Barclays
Tracey McDermott, Director of Enforcement and Financial Crime, FCA
Katharine Braddick, Director of Financial Services, HM Treasury
Indra Morris, Director General, Tax and Welfare, HM Treasury
Lynne Chambers, Head of Group Talent, London Stock Exchange
Catharine French, Group Corporate Affairs Director, Barclays
Jennifer Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, EMEA, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Sanaz Zaimi, Co-head, Global Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities (FICC) Sales, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Gillian Lancaster, EMEA Chief Operating Officer, Global Technology & Operations, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Joan D’Amico, Head of Global Loan Products EMEA and Asia, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Christine Spolar, FT Investigations Editor
Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO, Virgin Money
Megan Butler, Executive Director, International Banks Supervision, Bank of England
Victoria Cleland, Chief Cashier, Bank of England
Jo Paisley, Director, Supervisory Risk Specialist, Bank of England
Lea Paterson, Director, Independent Evaluation Office, Bank of England
Jumana Saleheen, Chief Operating Officer, Financial Stability, Bank of England
Jenny Scott, Executive Director, Communications, Bank of England
Angela Wakelin, Managing Director, UKB Operations & Control, Santander UK
Mangala Ananthanarayanan, Head of Enterprise Risk for EMEA, Pimco
Ghazala Syed, Vice President and Group Head-Loans Administration, Commerzbanz
Carola Hoyos, Recruitment, Executive Appointment and Non Executive Director Club Editor, FT
Helen Mason, Managing Director of Bank Partnerships for Global Transaction Services, RBS
Liesbeth Baudewyn, Quant Analyst, Credit Suisse
Diane Wailes, Diversity Senior Manager, HMRC
Melissa Phoo Par, HMRC