Retaining Authenticity While Overcoming Unconscious Bias Is Key To Future Success

Working in financial services, which is still a predominately male dominated industry that has historically seen operational roles as more business critical and marketing as a “support function” – being a woman, and in marketing, means you feel like you have a lot to prove. Career progress is against a backdrop of unconscious bias and pre-conceived ideas about ability, and how a female professional or female senior leaders should speak, act, and even look. Working for nearly a decade in a global company which has grown exponentially from 300 people when I joined to 12,000 employees today, servicing $3 trillion in client assets, I’m keen to share my experience to help others navigate and overcome these biases in their own way.

As I’ve progressed throughout my career to more senior and visible roles, I initially tried to temper my personality thinking I would be taken more seriously if I was less gregarious or fitted in more to the stereotype of what a senior woman ‘should’ be. However, I quickly realised that it was impossible to maintain this while also remaining authentic and building relationships, which incidentally has been absolutely critical to my long-term success. As a result, I’ve learned to embrace my own individual style, and this is ultimately what has underpinned my ability to be successful.  

As a result of my own journey, I feel really strongly that women shouldn’t have to compromise their values, try to change who they are, or fight as hard as they do to progress – and when I joined the Executive Committee in 2020, I saw an opportunity to be able to do something to ease that path for other women in our business. 

It was with this aim that we launched the Women’s Accelerator Program in January 2022 to address the ‘broken rungs’ for women on the ladder to progression. When it comes to gender diversity, people tend to look at the C-suite as it’s the most visible – but that’s the end result and not the issue – the problem starts much earlier, and we need to be supporting more women through middle-management to have a lasting impact on equity at the top. 

The program is a development initiative designed to drive equity for female progression and diversity at all levels within the Group. Women make up around 52% of the workforce across the financial services industry, but that percentage declines at each rung of the career ladder resulting in representation of 37% at middle-management, and just 16% in the C-Suite – a trend we were also seeing across our own business.

Programme members are provided with the tools and skills to advance professionally and reach their full potential – accelerating the progress of high-performing female talent through the business, eroding gender disparity at mid- and senior-management levels to provide a clear path for career progression. Importantly the programme forms a community, which has had a notable impact on its members who acknowledge that the shared experience  has both empowered and built their confidence – 87% of the 2022 member base stated that they felt able to have a conversation with their manager about their career and progression as a direct result of the programme. 

It is not about quotas, or promoting women over men, it’s about nurturing our existing female talent and driving equity in progression. Diverse teams perform better, and we have an excellent pool of female talent across the Group who are passionate about accelerating their progression to erode gender disparity across more senior levels of our business.

Driving future change

We’ve been extremely proud of the success and impact the programme delivered in its first year alone – not least in the measurable impact on promotions and progressions for the members of the 2022 cohort, but also by the strength in the community that has developed as a result. It’s been such a privilege to watch so many women across our business grow in confidence, take control of their progression and flourish in their careers.

Over half of the 51 participants in the 2022 programme progressed in their careers through promotion to a new role or corporate title level. 

My colleague Alice Read, is a key example of this, she was promoted into a leadership role to become Country Head of our Jersey office, leading a team of over 400 people. Alice noted that her confidence to apply for the role was a direct result of the lessons learned and confidence built through participating in the Accelerator program.

When we first launched the initiative, there was some scepticism around what it would deliver, but now having seen the difference the 2022 programme had for its members – the visibility it has given women across our business has sparked a confidence in others and a hunger to be part of it. This success is evident in the fact that we have had over 300 applications for this year’s intake, 14 of which are from our South African office. 

What does it reveal about the state of gender equity in the industry? That it’s not because women are less ambitious, less capable or are leaving the workplace permanently for family. It’s because there are deep seated systemic issues in the way the industry operates when it comes to gender equality and equity, but a program like this shows that with the right support and the right focus from a company that wants to make long term sustainable change, we can change the shape of the industry for a more inclusive future.