And that’s a wrap! What WIBF achieved in 2024 – Part One
news published date 12 December 2024January
January saw WIBF championing the undeniable business value of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). Whether reflecting on Amanda Blanc’s transformative leadership at Aviva or highlighting McKinsey’s research linking diverse teams to profitability, we reinforced DE&I’s role as a strategic driver of success.
We celebrated the appointment of Lauren Cassells as Co-Chair of our Future Leaders Shadow Board and encouraged participation in the GAIN survey, shaping gender diversity insights in investment management. WIBF also prepared for Race Equality Week and showcased our involvement in global collaboration through Lucy Ellis-Keeler’s One Young World Summit podcast feature.
February
WIBF raised its voice against regulatory changes tightening the criteria for startup investors, a move potentially sidelining female and ethnic minority investors and which could reduce the number of eligible female investors in some UK regions by 90-100%.
WIBF joined forces with its Entrepreneurs Community, led by Beverley Brown, and contributed to an open letter to the Chancellor. Members were encouraged to sign a petition advocating a re-evaluation of these thresholds to support diversity in entrepreneurship.
Seven WIBF volunteers joined the UN Women UK Delegation at CSW68. Their focus included addressing progress and gaps since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and discussing emerging gender equality challenges.
WIBF debuted its Future Leaders Shadow Board newsletter and Trailblazer series, spotlighting Abisola Barber, a Director at Citi and the 2018 WIBF Rising Star award winner. Abisola shared her top five goal-setting strategies, inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Over 30 corporate partners joined WIBF’s first virtual roundtable, hosted by Baljit Kaur, featuring panelists from The Return Hub, NatWest Group and Lloyds Banking Group. The session explored effective strategies to support return-to-work initiatives.
The WIBF Student Engagement Strategy team launched a survey to gather feedback for a trial 1:1 mentoring program for incoming second-year university students. This initiative aims to strengthen WIBF’s commitment to fostering early talent.
WIBF began preparing for a campaign to promote the benefits of mentoring. Members were invited to share their mentoring stories to inspire others and amplify the impact of mentorship within WIBF.
On 15 February we had a great panel discussion at the Will AI Take my job? event. Kindly hosted by Natixis Investment Managers in London, this Future Leaders event explored the impact of AI on financial services and whether we’re still in the early stages of development.
March
In March, WIBF celebrated International Women’s Day (WID) with a focus on the 2024 themes of Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress and Inspire Inclusion. These themes aligned with our ongoing mission to foster a more inclusive financial services industry by empowering women and advancing gender equality.
Principality Building Society and WIBF held a roundtable event on 6 March hosted by the GROW Network, where WIBF volunteers shared the power of women’s networks for IWD 2024. WIBF’s mission aligns seamlessly with Principality’s core values, fostering an environment where women from all backgrounds can thrive.
Our ACT (Accelerating Change Together) programme marked its third anniversary this month. The research programme, central to our work, aims to develop strategies and push for policy changes that enhance women’s roles in finance. We also celebrated the launch of The Inclusive Individual report, authored by Dr. Grace Lordan and Yolanda Blavo Grady, which offers groundbreaking insights into inclusivity in the workplace.
In recognition of the theme Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress, we focused on the importance of mentoring as an actionable step. Gwen Faure, WIBF’s Director of Talent Retention and the lead for the pioneering mentoring programme, shared her reflections on the transformative power of mentorship. Gwen emphasised that mentoring is not just a transactional exchange of knowledge but a dynamic, two-way relationship that fosters trust, growth and empowerment.
As part of our IWD celebrations, we also made a special appeal to expand our mentoring community. The mentoring programme’s impact is clear, and we are committed to continuing its growth in support of the next generation of leaders. Gwen called on members to “pay it forward” by becoming mentors, sharing their experiences and empowering others to reach their full potential.
And we supported the Empowering Women & Girls campaign from Mediaplanet, with Anna Lane writing a thought leadership piece for The Guardian asking people to join us on IWD 2024 to celebrate the power of mentorship in advancing women’s careers in finance. She asked readers to come together, break barriers, foster equity and champion progress for gender equality.
On 26 March, we had a fantastic morning at our WIBF Corporate Partner breakfast, kindly hosted by Moody’s at Canary Wharf in London. Updates were provided on our 2024 Awards, the ACT UK Roadshow and the latest developments in the mentoring programme.
Also in March, Jill Henderson, WIBF’s Scotland Edinburgh Chair met Carol Anderson MBE, Director of Branch Banking at TSB Bank. Carol and Jill discussed some of the changes Carol has seen within financial services throughout her career as she shared her personal story.
Meanwhile, WIBF’s Glasgow branch partnered with Tesco Bank to deliver a session titled What Is Mentoring Anyway?, which saw a fantastic turnout, despite the horrendous Scottish ‘Spring’ weather!