CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF THE WIBF AWARDS ON 9 JUNE | JUST ONE MONTH LEFT TO NOMINATE FOR 2017 WIBF AWARDS | WOMEN IN FINANCE CHARTER

2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the WIBF Awards for Achievement. We want this year`s Awards to be our best and biggest celebration yet.

“TWENTY YEARS OF WIBF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 

We want you to join us at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Friday 9th June for an afternoon of inspiring winners and valuable networking.

Tickets for this year`s Awards for Achievement Luncheon are now on sale. Members booking individual tickets during March will be rewarded with a special early bird price of £90. Tickets will be £150 from 1st April.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON 31ST MARCH 

There is just one month left to nominate colleagues for the 2017 WIBF Awards for Achievement. The closing date for nominations is Friday 31st March 2017. 

If you haven’t done so already, do take a look at the nomination form and think about which of your colleagues deserves to be a 2017 WIBF Award for Achievement Winner. We all know somebody we work with who goes a little bit further and reaches a little bit higher than every one else. Who do you know?

Do disseminate among your colleagues and networks.

WOMEN IN FINANCE CHARTER – JAYNE-ANNE GADHIA, CEO VIRGIN MONEY

WIBF is a firm supporter of the Women in Finance charter; I took part in January’s Women in Finance Conference in January and last month Sally McFall, WIBF Head of Membership Relations, interviewed Jayne-Anne Gadhia, who produced the report for the Government recommending the Women in Finance Charter.

The Women in Finance Charter enables the finance industry to strive for gender balance at all levels across financial services firms. A balanced workforce is good for business – its good for customers, for profitability and workplace culture. There are 93 firms signed up to the Women in Finance Charter covering nearly 500,000 people in the U.K. HM Treasury will update the next wave of signatories later this month.

Jayne-Anne gave a fascinating insight into her career journey, illustrating the importance of the Women in Finance Charter for the industry. When asked about her own career success she was clear about seizing opportunity, ‘Don’t lock yourself into a career path too early – don’t define yourself as an actuary or accountant as you may be missing out on something new.’ She also emphasised that everybody is responsible for their own career and shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. A good mentor and sponsor were invaluable and to connect with them through your network or organisation. Mentors can be from all walks of life including sport where the experiences of hard work and dedication can cross over into finance. Her key message from the session was do not be afraid to stand up for what is right and have the confidence to do so.

Thank you to Standard Life – one of the first organisations to sign up to the Women in Finance Charter – for hosting the event. Our members enjoyed the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the financial services industry in Scotland.

NOMINATE, NOMINATE, NOMINATE!

I hope that Jayne-Anne’s words have inspired you to look at the people in your organisation and think about how their inspiring work, practice, behaviour should be celebrated within the industry. That is what the WIBF Awards for Achievement are all about.

Janet Thomas

WIBF President”