On the shortlist: Diya Patel

Diya has been shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year following her recognition as WIBF’s Volunteer of the Month in January 2025, in celebration of her outstanding leadership as CFO and Executive Board member.

Since stepping into the role in 2023, she has transformed WIBF’s financial function — introducing transparency, governance and rigour, while ensuring the organisation’s long-term sustainability. By professionalising the team, implementing robust financial controls and introducing clearer reporting, she has given WIBF a new level of confidence and stability that will serve the organisation well into the future.

Steering a not-for-profit through economic challenges is no easy task, yet Diya has done so with skill, diplomacy, and an unwavering focus on sustainability. Thanks to her leadership, WIBF entered 2025 in a strong financial position, laying the foundation for greater impact in the years ahead.

Her contribution has been praised across the organisation, with WIBF President and CEO Anna Lane describing her as a source of “dedication, expertise, and calm, steady guidance.”

Find out more…

You were recognised earlier this year as WIBF’s Volunteer of the Month and now shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year. How does it feel to see your contribution celebrated in this way?

I am truly humbled to have been recognised earlier this year and now being shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year. It feels rewarding to have my contributions acknowledged.

As CFO and an Executive Board member, you’ve transformed WIBF’s financial function. What has been the most rewarding part of strengthening the organisation’s financial resilience?

I couldn’t have done this without Kathy Lee and Emma Ryan who have really supported my ideas and helped bring them to life. Their openness has been key in building WIBF’s financial resilience.

The most rewarding part is being able to present to my peers on the Executive Team in a way that is clear, relevant & engaging – not just through the technical lens of an Income Statement & Balance Sheet.  Making the numbers more relatable we have been able to work through challenges together more effectively and celebrate wins that might otherwise get lost in the detail.

We are also able to contribute to the strategic initiatives and provide financially viable alternatives.

Alongside your WIBF work, you’ve built a successful career in financial services. Could you share a little about your professional journey and what drew you to this sector?

From a very young age I knew I wanted to work in a business, either in the form of owning one or to be very central to it.  I was drawn to Accountancy as I felt I had the ability from that lens to see the entirety of a business. I stumbled upon financial services as a junior Auditor and was opened to a myriad of complexities that FS face.  I realised this is what I enjoyed, the challenges of knitting all the various elements together – regulation, accounting standards, regulatory capital making the income statement and balance sheet a multi-dimensional statement.

So after spending a few years in Audit after I had gained my professional qualification, I moved into a start up Financial Services business where I could be in that central role and it was right at the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis. The weeks and months that followed ensured I got up to speed very quickly with regulations due to the increased scrutiny at the same time as building a business. & a finance function.  I guess from there as they say the rest is history! I grew with that company and eventually got my first Board appointment as CFO and from then on have held that position at different companies both in the UK & abroad.

Volunteering your professional expertise is a big commitment. What have you personally gained from volunteering with WIBF?

I applied to volunteer at WIBF because I would have loved to have had this community when I was starting out my career.  When I came across the role, I knew this was my chance to be able to give back.  In addition to my CFO role with WIBF, it has also given me the opportunity to mentor, which has been a lovely way to give back.

WIBF’s achievements rely on the dedication of volunteers. From your perspective, why is volunteering so powerful in helping WIBF thrive and create impact for women in financial services?

The community we have at WIBF through the volunteers  its remarkable.  To be a volunteer led organisation comes with its challenges, but the fact that everyone that is involved wants to give selflessly helps WIBF thrive and create the impact of women in financial services.

Finally, what would you say to someone in financial services who is thinking about volunteering their time or skills with WIBF but isn’t sure if they can make a difference?

Do it! There is always a way you can make a difference, if you are unsure our volunteer community will definitely help you find a way to make a difference.