Presidents Message – February 2019

WIBF PRESIDENT ATTENDS ROUNDTABLE AT NO. 11 – WIBF AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN

Welcome to freezing February! I hope that you will be warmed however, by the anticipation of the terrific range of events throughout the month of February.

A focus for WIBF in February will be on the 22nd Annual Awards Nominations which close at the end of the month, so I would encourage you to consider nominating one, two or more of you fabulous female colleagues (and male champions!) to recognise and celebrate the amazing work they do, whether in their area of business, or to drive the gender agenda. These opportunities for recognition can be transformative for individuals careers, as we heard at the Awards launch event hosted by Lloyds Banking Group.

WIBF continues to engage closely with HM Treasury and the Government Equalities Office on the terrific work that they do in relation to the Women in Finance Charter and Reducing the Gender Pay Gap and Improving Gender Equality initiatives. I was delighted to participate in a roundtable meeting earlier this week hosted by John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury at 11 Downing Street, and chaired by Jayne-Anne Gadhia DBE FRSE together with chief executives and industry leaders on the topic of Men as Change Agents.

While progress is being made on the gender agenda, it is important for firms to recognise that this is not an issue for women, but for business as a whole, and that men are a key part of the process. Examining the barriers to achieving change so that we can overcome them is our focus. With over 300 firms now signed up to the Women in Finance Charter, and the second year of gender pay gap reporting just around the corner, firms have the tools and data to create a workplace with genuine equality of opportunity for their staff, both men and women.

Finally, if you haven’t seen some of the new materials on the Knowledge Hub, do have a look at https://www.wibf.org.uk/knowledge, where there is plenty of food for thought and action!

Vivienne Artz
WIBF President