WIBF prides itself on its forward-thinking and emphatic thought leadership. With contributions from members who lead the industry, we aim to provoke discussion, debate and new ideas, all with the goal of making the industry better and brighter. If you would like to write for Thoughts & Opinions please email digital@wibf.org.uk

Lisa Cowan
Gender Balanced Business Diversity

Lisa Cowan

Lisa Cowan

Learning To Celebrate Our Differences. Lisa Cowan, award-winning Director at EQGlobal, says it’s time to renew our focus on Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace; here’s why and how.
Alumni Team 2020
Alumni

Alumni Team 2020

Alumni Insights - Men As Allies

On January 16th 2020, the WIBF Alumni hosted a fireside chat with Shriti Vadera, Chairman of Santander UK and Michael Cole-Fontayn, Chairman of AFME and Chairman elect for The Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) - both Patrons of WIBF - discussing the important topic of ‘Men As Allies’.
Alumni Team 2019
Alumni

Alumni Team 2019

Alumni Insights White Paper - Create A Gender-Balanced Workplace

In October 2019 WIBF held our annual Alumni Dinner at The Allbright Members Club, Mayfair and were delighted to welcome Ann Francke, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute and author of the insightful and inspiring “Create a Gender-balanced Workplace” as our guest speaker.
Helena Thernstrom
Personal Development

Helena Thernstrom

On Networks, Connections and Communities

Are networks and networking really worthwhile or are they in actual fact a poor return on investment in terms of our time and money?
Alumni Team
Alumni

Alumni Team

Alumni Insights - White Paper 2018

The WIBF Awards Alumni Network consists of women from all aspects of banking and financial services who have been bestowed awards by WIBF since 1998. The network encourages strong collaboration relationships between alumni in order to build and leverage best practice across the industry.
Lisa Unwin

Lisa Unwin

Women, Play the Long Game

In recent years, there has been much discussion about the outrageous cost of child care and the role it plays in mothers’ decisions to leave their full-time jobs. (Yes, we know it isn’t always mothers, but let's face it: In the vast majority of cases, fathers keep working while mothers take time off).
WERKIN

WERKIN

Q+A: WERKIN with Elizabeth Martine

Elizabeth Martine, now a Senior Operational Risk Manager at Barclays, has spent much of her career reflecting on what the stubbornly male-dominated finance industry can do to become more inclusive, particularly of women. In addition to her focus on operational risk, she also co-leads the Women on Boards, Boards Placement Programme within Win, the Barclays gender agenda initiative, and is a mentor at Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), a UK-based professional organisation.
Liz Hughes

Liz Hughes

Glass ceilings were meant to be broken

In the mid-1970s a question on the entrance exam paper for a well-known investment firm’s trainee programme read: "When you meet a woman, what interests you most about her?” The correct answer was beauty. Those who answered intelligence, one of the other options available, were penalised .
Alexis Faber
Personal Development

Alexis Faber

Body Language for Successful Women: Do you have to behave like “one of the boys” to be successful?

We are drawn to follow those who are confident and likable. Your body language influences how you are perceived; as a leader or a follower. Could a better understanding of your body language help you advance in an environment where ever finer margins separate who advances who does not?
Jemma Waters, Lloyds Banking Group and Graciella Martin Rijo, University of Warwick

Jemma Waters, Lloyds Banking Group and Graciella Martin Rijo, University of Warwick

Is the gender agenda enough? How can we ensure diversity of culture, background and thinking?

Earlier this summer, Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) and Lloyds Banking Group hosted a hackathon to mobilise change for women in the workplace. Over 300 women and manbassadors from across the tech, finance, banking and charity sectors joined forces to hack key issues hampering gender equality and fairness of opportunity. This second paper focuses on Inclusion and Diversity.