ACT Research: Fact, fiction and the future of meritocracy in finance

About this Event

This research was commissioned to address the persistent disconnect between the finance industry's claims of operating as a meritocracy and the lived experiences of women working within it. Despite decades of diversity initiatives and public commitments to equality, women continue to face significant barriers to advancement in financial services, with representation at senior levels remaining stubbornly low. The Accelerating Change Together (ACT) programme was designed to move beyond anecdotal evidence and good intentions, providing rigorous, data-driven analysis that could definitively measure whether true meritocracy exists in practice.

By examining the relationship between gender-inclusive cultures and business performance over four years, this research aims to build an irrefutable evidence base that organisations can use to justify meaningful change – transforming the conversation from moral imperatives to clear business necessity and providing actionable insights for creating genuinely equitable workplaces.

Whether you're a financial services professional, DEI leader, or gender equity champion, this is your chance to transform cutting-edge research into actionable change. Don't miss this evidence-driven dialogue on building the inclusive, high-performing organisations our industry desperately needs.

How would I benefit?

Gain exclusive access to groundbreaking research that definitively proves the absence of meritocracy in finance, equipping you with robust evidence to challenge outdated assumptions and drive meaningful conversations within your organisation.
Discover the compelling business case for gender inclusion through data that directly links diverse, inclusive cultures to measurable improvements in productivity, innovation, and overall firm performance – giving you the ammunition needed to secure leadership buy-in.
Learn from industry leaders and critical friends who will share practical insights and real-world strategies during the interactive panel discussion, providing you with actionable approaches you can implement immediately in your workplace.
Network with like-minded professionals from across financial services, DEI leadership, and gender equity advocacy, creating valuable connections that can support your efforts to build more inclusive, high-performing teams and organisations.

Our Panelists

Dr Grace Lordon

Grace Lordan (@profgracelordan) is the author of Think Big, the Director of The Inclusion Initiative and Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her academic writings have been published in top international journals and she has written for the Financial Times, Fortune, Fast Company and Harvard Business Review.

Former Senior Advisor to the Bank of England’s PRA; Tangy Morgan

Tangy Morgan is currently NED at Munich Re Specialty, Deputy Chair of the Lord Mayor’s AI Ethics Initiative, Trustee of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, and investor/advisor in fintech start-ups. Tangy has been a strong advocate for responsible governance, sustainable finance and diversity in financial services, and was shortlisted for WIBF’s Award for Achievement in 2024.

David Germain

David is an awarding winning CIO/CTO , now multi-sector Non-Executive Director who partners with executive leadership and fellow board members to set strategic direction, uphold the highest standards of corporate governance, and ensure sustainable value creation for shareholders, employees, customers, and the wider community.

With over 30 years’ experience in Financial Services, David brings a proven track record of navigating complex regulatory landscapes, championing strategic business transformation enabled by digital, data and AI, and fostering inclusive and high-performing cultures at the most senior levels of multinational organisations. His focus is always on rigorous risk oversight, clear accountability, and building resilient organisations that thrive through change. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders, David also supports innovative approaches to ESG, stakeholder engagement, and executive remuneration.

During his tenure with some of the world’s largest Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 financial institutions, David has delivered revenue growth and cost efficiency, strengthened operational risk management, and transformed both business and consumer experience. His expertise in transformation spans people, processes and technology on a global scale, with a strong focus on optimising technology and operations, product differentiation and customer satisfaction. David draws on deep organisational development, change management, process orchestration and digital expertise to support executive teams in achieving strategic and sustainable success.

Senior Manager for Economic and Social Impact at PwC UK Alia Qamar

Alia Qamar is a Senior Manager for Economic and Social Impact at PwC UK, specialising in maximising social value and fostering sustainable economic growth through data-driven insights. Since 2023, she has led the influential "Women in Work" report, which highlights the UK's progress on gender equality while indicating that it lags behind other OECD countries. Alia collaborates across sectors—including skills, health, and government—to drive strategic insights through economic impact analysis and evaluation. Her work on the "Women in Work" report has received significant media attention, including interviews with the BBC and coverage in the Financial Times and The Guardian.

Katelyn Brown

Katelyn has over 30 years of professional services experience in Financial Services. She is a Certified Public
Accountant with an MBA from London Business School. Her client work has included large-scale
transformations across Financial Institutions' Finance, Risk and Regulatory functions.

Katelyn is the Global Lead Client Service Partner for one of Deloitte’s most important global clients. She
believes it is important to have a 360 degree view of the client – the most critical challenges and
opportunities they face, the services they provide to Deloitte and how they collaborate for societal impact.
She is responsible for ensuring her client is given priority access to Deloitte’s leading expertise, advice and
talent around the world.

Katelyn is also a member of the European/Middle East Consulting Leadership Team, where she leads the FSI
Consulting business. She launched / leads Deloitte’s UK Financial Services Diversity in Leadership
Programme which seeks to collaborate with clients on important topics such as attracting / retaining diverse
talent in middle management, as well as improve diversity in Deloitte UK’s FSI business. This includes
pioneering a Sponsorship Programme for the new FSI female Partners.

Katelyn set up and leads an adolescent mental health initiative in conjunction with an external ecosystem of
providers, who seek to provide quality mental health support to the 6 million adolescents in the UK whilst
they progress their education.

She is a member of the International Womens’ Forums, UK Chapter.