The document discusses promoting opportunities for women in finance. It begins by outlining government initiatives to promote women, including a women's business council and new policies around parental leave and childcare costs. It notes that more needs to be done to get more women into senior roles and boardrooms. Brenda Trenowden, President of the City Women Network, encourages young women to consider careers in finance and banking, noting the industry has become more diverse and there are more senior female role models, though more progress is still needed in achieving gender balance at senior levels.

1. You do need a bank account. You don’t need a bank.
Join the world’s largest building society today
Nationwide Building Society. Head Office: Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, Wiltshire SN38 1NW.
Finding the best route
into the financial
industry
Overcoming the
obstacles and
climbing the ladder
The need for more
senior women in
finance
WOMEN IN
FINANCE
Government initiatives:JoSwinson,MinisterforWomenandEqualities
discussesthestepsbeingtakentopromotewomeninthefinancialindustry
PROMOTING EQUAL
OPPORTUNITIES PHOTO:PRIVATE
Insight from leading
women in the
industry
No. 1 / May 2013
Distributed within The Independent
Begin your career
Growth and
progression
Women on boards
Ask the experts

2. 2 · MAY 2013 A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
Encouraging women
into careers in finance
WHO SAYS,
‘IT’S A MAN’S WORLD’
CityJobs.com stands in proud support of equal employment opportunities in
the workplace, encouraging women in the finance industry to succeed at the
very highest levels.
To find and apply for jobs , please visit www.cityjobs.com
Iamdelightedtointroducethispublication,celebratingtheimportantand
growingcontributionwomenmakewithinthefinancialservicessector.As
theowneroftheWomeninBusinessNetwork(WIBN),Ialwayswanttochampion
theenthusiasmandknowledgethatwomenoffer,saysLindsayLoxley.
‘If you know it’s what
you want to do, try
to start early’
Lisa Doole
Associate, PWC
Page 8
WOMEN IN FINANCE
1ST EDITION, MAY 2013
Managing Director: Chris Emberson
Editorial and Production Manager:
Faye Godfrey
Business Developer: Lee Harrison
Responsible for this issue:
Project Manager:
Charlotte Dingwall-Fordyce
Phone: 07789 953715
E-mail: charlotte.dingwallfordyce@
mediaplanet.com
Distributed with: The Independent
Mediaplanet contact information:
Phone: 020 3642 0737
E-mail: info.uk@mediaplanet.com
With thanks to:
We make our readers succeed!
W
hen I
j o i n e d
the in-
d u s t r y
in the
1 9 8 0 s ,
it was
a different world. I vividly remem-
ber attending a conference with my
newbosswhereheintroducedmeto
his business contacts.At one point
I happened to be standing near the
buffet when a man came up to me
and said: “You girls have worked re-
ally hard today.” It took me a mo-
ment to realise he thought I was a
memberofthecateringstaff.
Fortunately,I no longer meet peo-
plewiththatattitude,butIamoften
stillaloneoroneofjustafewwomen
at conferences and meetings.The fi-
nance sector used to be male domi-
nated and sometimes chauvinistic
towards women.Now it is still male
dominated but there are opportuni-
ties for women to land their dream
job in one of the finance profes-
sions,provided they have the neces-
sary determination to succeed.And
there are times when being a wom-
an can be a significant advantage.
When meeting clients,for example,
I find they seem prepared to discuss
personal matters that they might
not want to reveal to a man, such
as health or money concerns. That
makesiteasierformetotailormyfi-
nancial advice accordinglyand offer
abetterservice.
To reach the top, however, I feel
thatwomenoftenneedtoworkhard-
er,particularlyiftheyarejugglingca-
reer and family.When I began work-
ing as an independent financial ad-
viser I was a divorced single mother
and needed to arrange my working
life around my young family,which
meant working while they were
asleep.And although I now have my
own company, Compass Financial
Management, there is still no such
thingasanine-to-fiveday.
Clearly, running a business isn’t
for everyone but it’s important that
women are given more encourage-
ment to pursue the many different
careers available in the financial
sector, from a greater emphasis on
numeracy skills and understanding
basic finance in schools,to ensuring
they are able to return to work after
havingchildren.
Women themselves must be ready
to reach out for help and guidance.
Networking organisations likeWIBN
are great places to find support and
advice from other professional and
entrepreneurial women, as well as
business leads; while groups such as
Women in Banking and Finance run
mentoringprogrammessothatwom-
en can develop their confidencewith
the encouragement and direction of
experiencedprofessionals.
Finally,thecontributionthatwom-
en make within the finance sector
and in business has been underval-
ued in the past. That has to change.
If we want to encourage more wom-
entochoosefinanceasacareer,there
needs to be more women on compa-
ny boards and in senior roles to in-
spire and champion them. Compa-
nieswhichrecognisethishaveevery-
thingtogain.
Lindsay Loxley, Owner, Women in
Business Network (WIBN)
CHALLENGES
With thanks to:
WE RECOMMEND

4. 4 · MAY 2013 A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
Promoting the cause of women in
business is now high up on the gov-
ernment’s agenda.In an attempt to
promote women across all walks of
working life, including such tradi-
tionally male dominated fields as fi-
nance, there is now a series of gov-
ernment initiatives aimed at pro-
motingfemalecorporateinterests.
So what can be done to get women
in to the boardroom? “The Women’s
Business Council was set up a year
agoandischairedbyRubyMcGregor-
Smith,”saysJoSwinson,LiberalDem-
ocratMPforEastDunbartonshireand
Minister for Women and Equalities.
“Itwillbepresentingitsfindingsnext
month,butwealreadyknowthatone
ofthebarrierstofemalesuccessiscar-
ing responsibilities. For this reason,
we are introducing a new system of
shared parental leave and a new tax
break for childcare costs worth up to
£1,200 per child per year from 2015.”
These proposals are very necessary.
InApril,theCranfieldInternational
Centre for Women Leaders report-
ed that in the previous six months
the percentage of female directors
appointed to FTSE 100 and FTSE 250
boards had fallen to 26 per cent and
29 per cent respectively,far short of
the 33 per cent required in order to
reach Lord Davies’s target of a quar-
ter of all board posts being filled
by women by 2015,set out in 2011’s
Women on Boards.
While pointing out that there has
been progress, not least in that one
third of new appointments to the
FTSE 100 over the last year have been
women, Swinson accepts that the
problem still exists.“We need to nur-
ture talent and keep the issue high
on the agenda,” she says.“It’s possi-
ble that there’s a degree of compla-
cencynowthattheissueofwomenon
boards exists, although it’s actually
gonefromnowomentoonewoman.”
This is particularly a challenge for
that formerly male preserve, the fi-
nance industry.“Careers advice and
guidance in schools is crucial,espe-
cially relating to the subjects girls
choose to take as early as 15,” says
Swinson. “This will influence their
choice of job.Then within the indus-
try itself,there must be the option of
more flexible working and job shar-
ing. Financial firms need to recog-
nise that if they don’t address these
issuesthey’llbecuttingofftheirnose
to spite their own face becausewom-
enwilltaketheirtalentselsewhere.”
Indeed, companies that offer
flexible working practices reap the
benefits from male and female em-
ployees alike, experiencing low-
er staff turnover,less absenteeism
and a more motivated and produc-
tive workforce.
As far as addressing the issue of
equal pay is concerned,the govern-
ment is driving greater transpar-
encythough a scheme calledThink,
Act,Report,to which more than 90
companies, with over 1.6 million
employees, have signed up. And
while the government favours a
voluntary approach to tackling the
problem, the Equality Act 2010 has
recentlybeenamendedtogivemin-
isters the power to require employ-
ment tribunals to impose equal pay
audits on employerswhere theyare
found to have broken the law. The
future,clearly,is bright.
The battle for women
in the boardroom
VIRGINIA BLACKBURN
info.uk@mediaplanet.com
■ Question: Have women
made progress in getting to
the top of major corporations
as directors and non-executive
directors in the boardroom?
■ Answer: Yes, but there is still
much work to be done and the
government is launching a raft of
initiatives to help.
NEWS
WOMEN ON BOARDS
“
Christopher Forbes
Vice chairman, Forbes
One always wants to
have the best employee
possible. With 50 per
cent of the workforce
being female, one would
be denying oneself half
of the best candidates
for a post if one didn’t
consider hiring a
woman!
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
■ State Street Corporation
is one of the world’s leading
providers of financial services
to institutional investors and
recently instituted a series
of initiatives to promote the
interests of women in finance.
“We started our Building an Inclusive
Environmentprogrammein2011,”says
PaulineMiller,vicepresident,GlobalIn-
clusion,EMEA.“The first module tar-
getedmiddlemanagersandwestarted
bylookingatallareasofinclusion,ask-
ingwhatthegapwasandwhatwaspre-
ventingusfrommovingforward.”
Thecompanyinstitutedaliveinter-
activewebinar,whichcomprisedavir-
tual training programme over the in-
ternet,focusing on raising awareness
and understanding of unconscious
bias,and providing tools for individu-
alstoaddressthatbias.“Ithelpsman-
agers to understand how their own
behavioursandthequalityoftheirde-
cision making can be impacted bybi-
as,” says Miller.“We also trained sen-
ior managers to show that commit-
ment and conviction come from the
topdown.”
The second programme,for all em-
ployees, is a self-paced e-learning
module connecting inclusion,diver-
sityand bias to the business benefits.
It is designed to help employees un-
derstand the role they play in foster-
ing inclusion. To ensure long-term
change the modules have been em-
bedded into recruitment, develop-
ment and promotion processes.With
over 7,500 participating globally the
results are already coming through.
“We have seen an increase in the
number of senior women in the or-
ganisation,so much so that in EMEA
last year 60 per cent of our senior ex-
ecutive hires were women,” com-
mentedMiller.
Withsuchcommitment,womenare
makinggiantstepsforward,although
of course they also have to adjust
their own mindset.“When making a
choice,let go of the guilt of not mak-
ing other choices, and that goes for
the work/life balance too,” says Ka-
ren Keenan,executive vice president
ofStateStreetGlobalMarkets,EMEA.
Pauline Miller
Vice president,
Global Inclusion,
EMEA, State Street
Corporation
NEW PROGRAMMES SHOW FIRM’S
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
VIRGINIA BLACKBURN
info.uk@mediaplanet.com
As of 1 March 2013, the figures
show that within the FTSE 100:
■ Women now account for 17.3 per
cent of all directorships, up from
10.5 per cent in 2010.
■ Women account for 34 per cent
of all board appointments (45 out of
134 appointments).
■ There are currently 94 boards
with female representation.
■ There are now 192 women
directors on FTSE 100 boards out
of a total of 1,110.
SOURCE: WOMEN ON BOARDS 2ND ANNUAL PROGRESS
REPORT, LORD DAVIES OF ABERSOCH
Jo Swinson
Minister for Women and Equalities

5. hello@freshminds.co.uk
020 7692 4300

6. 6 · MAY 2013 A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
Young women graduating
today should consider a
career in finance
Looking back on my career, 24
years later,it is interesting to note
that the bulk of my work has been
in international financial mar-
kets. While I did do my fair share
of number crunching when I was
an analyst and when I did my CFA,
my success has relied upon my
ability to build and maintain rela-
tionships with clients and to build,
develop and lead high-performing
teams.My career has taken me to a
lot of interesting places around the
world, and given me the opportu-
nity to meet and work with some
fantastic people, many of whom
have become good friends. And I
have seen and experienced some
amazing events. This is the result
of working in financial markets.
Changes in the industry
When I moved to London in 1991
to take up a job as a technical an-
alyst in a City firm it was a very
macho, male-dominated industry
and there weren’t many senior fe-
male role models. However, if you
were able to put up with the chau-
vinistic trading floor banter and
get on with the job, it was possi-
ble to develop a career. A trading
floor wasn’t the easiest environ-
ment for a woman, but I enjoyed
the work and thrived on the ex-
citement of the markets.
Today there is much greater rec-
ognition of the need for more di-
verse teams and for more balanced
styles. While the financial indus-
try has not yet achieved gender
balance at the more senior lev-
els, we have definitely smashed
through the glass ceiling and have
created some crawl space. There
are many more senior female role
models in universal banks,invest-
ment banks, fund managers, in-
surers and private equity houses,
and there is also much better fe-
male representation in industry
groups and networks.There are al-
so a number of dedicated women’s
networks such as the City Wom-
en Network, Women in Banking
and Finance,100 Women in Hedge
Funds, Women in Listed Deriva-
tives, etc. As a result, it’s much
easier foryoungwomen to envisage
a career in finance and banking.
My advice to young women
graduating today would be to
look at finance and banking with
a much more open mind than I
did. While I don’t like to general-
ise, women tend to be natural re-
lationship builders and are there-
fore well suited to client-facing
roles. Many have argued that part
of the blame for the financial cri-
sis was the aggressive,risk-loving,
male-dominated trading desks —
therefore, better gender balance
on the trading floor should result
in a more balanced risk approach.
While the financial crisis has
resulted in a lot of regulation to
wade through and a more restric-
tive environment for this indus-
try, it remains a fast-paced and
interesting sector where no two
days are the same.We need to en-
courage more young women to
join the industry and to stick with
it and help develop the executive
pipeline. We are seeing real pro-
gress in the number of female
non-exec directors, but we need
more female executive directors
to really have an impact.
‘We are seeing real
progress in the number
of female non-exec
directors, but we need
more female executive
directors to really have
an impact’
Brenda Trenowden
President, City Women Network
BRENDA TRENOWDEN
President, City Women Network
■ When I graduated with
my business degree in 1989
I had no compulsion to go
into finance or banking.
Although I had done the
requisite economics,
finance and accounting
classes, I was far more
interested in international
business and general
management. I didn’t really
understand what was
involved in financial markets
and I assumed that a
finance-related career was
limited to number crunching
and analysis. It also seemed
to appeal much more to the
guys in my class than the
girls. As it turns out, my
first job was an internship
at IBM in Hong Kong as a
marketing analyst.
HAVE AN OPEN MIND
Brenda Trenowden offers
her advice to young women
entering the financial industry
today
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
SHOWCASE
NEWS
The beauty of being in
business is that every day
offers a new challenge.
Every day you get the
chance to meet people who
are looking for solutions
— and when you have the
opportunity to not only find
the answer they are looking
for, but also add value and
develop relationships that
go beyond that one job,
then there is nothing
more satisfying.
I started myown business 12years
ago.Ineverintendedtostartabusi-
ness. Isawanopportunity,agapin
themarket,andForensicPathways
was born.Since thenwe have gone
on to develop unique software for
the criminal and business intel-
ligence focusing on due diligence
and fraud investigation through
ourClarityIntelbrand.
Lessonnumberoneisabouttak-
ing the opportunity and under-
standing that you don’t need to
know everything. If you are your
authentic self,people seeyour pas-
sion and see that you have done
your research and that you are
committed and realistic.Theywill
followandtheywillbelieve.
It’s about taking action. Many
timesthingshavenotgonetheway
IhaveexpectedandIhavefeltchal-
lenged,butthisisoftenmoreabout
the way I perceive myself rather
than how others perceive me. Be-
ingawomanisarealadvantage. In
myindustryI’musuallyoneonmy
own.How great it is to walk into a
roomandpeoplerememberyoube-
cause immediately you stand out.
That’sanadvantage!
Whenever things have been
challenging I have conditioned
myself to face them and knowthat
there is a solution.The rewards for
taking action,for believing in your
ability, for accepting that you’re
not perfect but thatyou are always
striving to be the best and to grow
and learn, far outweigh any risk.
Thegreatestriskofallisnottaking
action, not being the person you
havethepotentialtobe.
Deborah Leary OBE
President, British Association of Women
Entrepreneurs

7. MAY 2013 · 7A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Nationwide, the world’s largest
building society, is a strong ad-
vocate for equality and diversity,
and was most recently listed in
The Times’ Top 50 Employers for
Women 2013.This is of particular
importance for Nationwide, as 67
per cent of employees are women.
Alison Robb, Group Director at
Nationwide, who chairs the Soci-
ety’s Women’s Network,is instru-
mental in the society’s efforts of
identifying and progressing tal-
ented women. She said: “Com-
panies need to think beyond a
box-ticking approach and really
start looking at the net benefits
of a diverse and balanced work-
force.At Nationwide,we have long
recognised the positives of hiring
the right people for the right job,
regardless of race, religion, sex or
sexuality. As a mutual organisa-
tion,with a relationship with 1 in
4 UK households,we are commit-
ted to serving our members,as we
don’t have shareholders.Diversity
in our workforce is one of the best
ways to achieve that.
“Many women choose to work
for Nationwide because they can
balance a rewarding and progres-
sive career alongside responsibili-
ties at home — evidenced through
eight out of ten employees return-
ing to work after maternity leave.”
Alongside the Times Top 50,Na-
tionwide was last year awarded
Gold status and a top ten place
in both the Opportunity Now
and Race for Opportunity bench-
marks — the gender and race
campaigns run by Business in
the Community. It was one of on-
ly two financial organisations to
appear in both of the top ten lists.
There is continued focus on
progressing female talent as Na-
tionwide pursues its ambition to
further increase the percentage
of women at senior levels, an as-
piration fully backed at board and
union level.
In terms of career progression,
high-potential female employ-
ees are selected, supported and
tracked. Results show that since
the introduction of Nationwide’s
Senior Executive Development
Programme in 2010, more than 35
per cent of participants have been
women. Additionally, 40 per cent
of its Next Generation Leader Pro-
gramme and over half of the or-
ganisation’s Future Leader Pro-
gramme were female.
Robb added: “We are never com-
placent and there is work under-
way to develop opportunities to
ensure women can achieve their
full potential at Nationwide.”
The business benefits of a
diverse and equal workforce
■ Employing more women
shouldn’t be about box-ticking
but recognising that they are the
best people for the job, maintains
Nationwide Building Society’s
most senior female, Alison Robb.
Alison Robb
Group Director, Nationwide
“Companies
need to think
beyond a box-
ticking approach
and really start
looking at the
net benefits
of a diverse
and balanced
workforce”
■ Nationwide Building Society
runs an award-winning graduate
programme and is encouraging
aspiring women leaving university
this summer to apply.
University leavers face a host of
options when it comes to starting
work, with one of the most pop-
ular options being graduate pro-
grammes, which can provide the
perfect combination of develop-
ment and hands-on experience.
Nationwide offers two types
of programme — a General Lead-
ership programme providing
four different placements across
two years, and a specialist pro-
gramme focussing on specific ar-
eas of the business. However, Na-
tionwide doesn’t insist on grad-
uates with finance degrees; it is
open to many disciplines, partic-
ularly for the General Leadership
programme.
Participants of the graduate
programme rated it 4.34/5, the
highest score in the Banking & Fi-
nance sector for ‘The Job Crowd’
Top Companies survey 2012/2013.
Graduate Ellie Kruszelnicka, 27,
is in her second placement on the
General Leadership programme
after graduating in Internation-
al Business from the University of
the West of England.
Kruszelnicka believes Nation-
wide, the world’s largest building
society, presents a fantastic en-
vironment for women looking to
step foot on the career ladder.She
said: “I chose Nationwide because
of its unique,diverse culture,and
also for its strong mutual values
and commitment to developing
staff.”
Currently working in the Chan-
nel Development team, Kruszel-
nicka works on the analysis and
stakeholder management of new
products and services. This fol-
lows an initial placement within
Nationwide’s Treasury team as a
Liquidity Risk Analyst.
She added: “I was looking for
a company that believed in cor-
porate responsibility and cared
about its employees at the same
time as being a great financial op-
erator. I would definitely recom-
mend working for Nationwide as
a female graduate. The work en-
vironment is great and the com-
pany is committed to growing its
talent.We are immersed into real
roles, given challenging respon-
sibilities and projects matched
with clear managerial direction,
and as such feel a valued part of
the team.”
Applications for Nationwide’s
2014 Graduate programmes open
in September 2013 and close in
December. Graduates are expect-
ed to have achieved a 2:1 at Un-
dergraduate degree level with
260 UCAS points or above. Gradu-
ate programme participants earn
between £25,500— £28,000 whilst
on the programme and are mostly
basedinSwindonwithsomefurther
rolesbeingbasedinNorthampton.
■ For more information
please visit http://www.
nationwide-jobs.co.uk/
business-areas/graduate-
entry-talent.aspx.
FROM THE CLASSROOM TO BOARDROOM:
Top female students sought for Nationwide’s
leading graduate programme
“We are immersed
into real roles,
given challenging
responsibilities
and projects
matched with clear
managerial direction”
Ellie Kruszelnicka
Graduate on Nationwide’s General
Leadership programme

8. 8 · MAY 2013 A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
When Lisa Doole was growing up
her ambition was to be a dancer.
Her career has taken a very differ-
ent turn,however: she is nowa sec-
ond year associate working in the
audit department at accountancy
giant PwC.“My ballet was not good
enough,so after taking some time
out to travel,I decided at the age of
19 that I wanted something that
would enable me to stand on my
own two feet,” says Doole, now 24,
from Reading. “I decided to study
economics and accountancy, a
joint degree at City University and
Cass Business School.”
To a certain extent, her back-
ground had prepared her for it:
Doole’s father is a maths teacher,
and so clearly had passed on an ap-
titude for numbers,while her moth-
erwasahairdresser.Asachild,Doole
had helped her with receipts and
billing, a valuable experience for
later life. She had also always en-
joyedeconomicsatschoolandsothe
choicewasanaturalonetomake.
It was at a business fair at
university that Doole discov-
ered the Talent Academy at
PwC, a programme designed
to assist university students
starting out in a career in ac-
countancy. She decided that this
was going to be the career for her.
“After my first year I did a one-
week summer internship to get
an insight into what it was like,”
Doole, who is now based in Lon-
don, says. “I then did an 11-week
work placement between my sec-
ond and third year of university.
I was treated as a first-year asso-
ciate. After I finished my degree
I rejoined in September 2012 on
the graduate scheme, and I am
now training for the ACA (char-
tered accountancy qualification).
I have so far sat 12 of the 15 exams.
The next three will be in June,Ju-
ly and November this year, after
which I will be fully qualified.”
Exciting opportunities
A company like PwC,of course,pro-
vides huge opportunities globally.
“I’m having talks with my people
manager about the future,” Doole
says. She is currently working in
banking and capital markets in the
audit practice, which she says is a
great place to start to learn about
business. In the longer term, she
hopestoworkforotherdepartments
including advisory and business re-
coveryandintheverylongtermpos-
sibly practice finance in the retail
sector.“I’d like to work with a tangi-
bleproduct,”shesays.
Do your homework
What advicewould she give to other
women wishing to work in finance?
“If you know it’s what you want to
do, try to start early,” she says. “Ap-
plyfor internships and dayschemes
andmeetasmanypeopleasyoucan.
Be aware that it’s a big investment:
it takes three years.Accountancy is
such a wide sphere that there are
many different sectors to work in,
so do your homework.Oh — and it’s
agreatcareerifyouwanttotravel.”
Developing a facility for figures
VIGINIA BLACKBURN
info.uk@mediaplanet.com
Question: Whatisthebestwayforawomantogoaboutcreatingacareerinfinance?
Answer:Startasearlyasyoucan.Thinkabouttherelevantsubjectatschool,talktopeopleintheindustryand
aimforaprofessionalqualification.
INSIGHT
The right business culture
will do far more to improve
the female talent pipeline
than quotas ever will.
Tackling male-dominated
culture is not only the
best way of making sure
organisations secure more
women in senior positions; it
is also key to keeping women
in corporate life at all levels.
Ensuring a balance between pro-
fessional and personal life is also
central — 60 per cent of all senior
executives (male and female) be-
lieve their productivity would in-
crease10-25percentiftheirorgani-
sationsplayedamoreactiverolein
helping them balance their work
andnon-worklives.Doingsowould
not only benefit senior women
(and men) but would also impact
onthebottomline.
The advantages of developing
therightculturearetoobigtobeig-
nored.Cultural change should be a
top priority for employers seeking
tosecuremorewomeninseniorpo-
sitions as well as ensuring a more
balancedandproductiveworkforce.
ALEXA BAILEY, Harvey Nash
A WORLD LEADER OF THE ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE PROFESSION
THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT.
NO ONE’S BETTER QUALIFIED.
I AM THE
FUTURE CEO OF…
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and skills the business world demands. Becoming ‘chartered’ is your ticket to
a successful and rewarding career.
Find out more. Visit icaew.com/careers
Lisa Doole
Associate, PwC
“Accountancy
is such a
wide sphere
that there are
many different
sectors to work
in, so do your
homework

9. MAY 2013 · 9A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
AIG SHOWCASE TOP WOMEN
LEADING THE WAY IN FINANCE
Netsai Mangwende,
Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis
■ What or who inspired / attracted you to a
career in insurance?
From the beginning I wanted a career in fi-
nancialservices.Iwasdrawntoinsurancebe-
cause I was intrigued by the complex dynam-
ics associated with assessing risk and price
setting.I sawthis as a great opportunityand a
personalchallenge.
■ Have you experienced any barriers /
negativity towards you as a woman working
in insurance?
Some of my female colleagues feel they have
to work harder than their male counterparts
to access the same opportunities. However
I’venotexperiencedthisandhavemanagedto
findtherightbalancethroughoutmycareer.
■ What has AIG done, if anything to support
your progression?
My managers have taken an active interest
in my development and have championed
my career withinAIG.For example I’m now
part of a programme to develop future lead-
ers. This programme will support my ca-
reer,my personal development and give me
exposure to exciting opportunities within
the company.
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Lisa Williams, UK Casualty Director
■ What attracted you to a career in
insurance?
I had wanted to join the police but at the
time I was too short so my parents suggest-
ed banking or insurance.At my interview I
was so enthused by my interviewer about
the scope of insurance that I decided it was
for me.
■ How can young people be encouraged into
insurance?
We need to raise awareness about what we
do. For example, we enable industry, tech-
nology and science to innovate and develop
new products by covering some of the risks
that might prevent or at least slow down
innovation.We need to do more to get that
message across.
■ What would you say to your daughter
perhaps, who may be contemplating a career
in Insurance?
Absolutely, I would encourage her. It’s a
fantastic industry to work in particularly
if you like learning new things in an ever
changing environment.
Kate Roy, UK Operations Director
■ Are school age girls put off by a career
in insurance?
In my experience they are not.There is a
higherproportionofwomentomenaten-
trylevelpositionswithintheindustry.The
challenge is ensuring we retain more of
ourfemaletalentastheircareersprogress.
■ Is the image of the pinstripe suited
insurance man appropriate in 2013?
It is neither accurate nor appropriate,
however those perceptions still exist. So
the continued investment in diversity in
our senior teams will ultimately remove
thoseperceptions.
■ What has AIG done, if anything to
support your progression?
At AIG we have a particular focus on
Workplace Diversity led by our MD Nico-
lasAubertwith a emphasis on improving
gender balance in our leadership teams.I
am delighted to say that I have just been
promotedtotheUKExecutiveBoard.
I’ve had the opportunity to make a
personal contribution to develop our fe-
male talent through women’s network-
ing groups, dedicated mentoring pro-
grammesandencouragingopendialogue
aboutwork/lifebalancechallenges.
Ingrid Woodward,
European head of specialty claims
■ What or who inspired / attracted you
to a career in insurance?
I grew up in a family of girls.All pursued
careers in the finance industry. My fa-
ther taught me I could do whatever I
wanted to do as a career regardless of
mygender.
■ How can graduates and school
leavers be encouraged to consider a
career in insurance?
By working with schools and offering
work experience during summer breaks.
Thisalsoaddstotheirlifeexperience.In-
suranceissuchadiverseindustrybutthe
old stereotype of it being a man’s world
stillexists. Ihavebeenprivilegedtowork
with some great women and I think we
needtoexposemorepupils/graduatesto
womenliketheseforinspiration.
■ Have you experienced any
barriers/negativity towards you as a
woman whilst working in insurance –
example?
On the contrary! I was promoted when
I returned from maternity leave.If you
start looking for barriers you impose
your own limitations.If you are deter-
mined and have goals you will succeed.
“Inaglobalmarketplaceweknowthatdiversity—ofpeople,ideas,andskills—isessentialforustocontinue
buildingourcompetitiveadvantage,”statesNicolasAubert,UKManagingDirectorofAIG.
“Diversityandinclusionisnotonlytherightthingtodo,butalsoformstheheartofourviabilityasagreatcompanythatattractsand
retainsthebestpeople.ForAIG,diversityisthepowerofourdifferencesandinclusionmeansusingthatpowertoachieveacompetitive
advantage.Wearedevelopingamindsetofinclusioninwhichdifferencesareconsideredassetsratherthanobstacles”explainsAubert.

10. 10 · MAY 2013 A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
PANEL OF EXPERTS
I learned early from my family that,al-
though men might earn money, it was a
woman’s job to look after it.Mygreat aunt
was particularly influential — probably
because she ran a sweet shop! So it isn’t
surprising that I’ve gravitated to working
with finance in all my career roles.
It was an accident. I was planning
on becoming a history professor and my
sister told me finance was the better op-
tion, so I decided to go for that instead.
I’ve certainly never regretted it. It was
the right choice to make and I have had
a very interesting career.
It was varied and exciting.
The industry plays a critical role
in the economy.I had different roles
in treasury and equity markets, as well
as international opportunities. I en-
joyed the challenge,the in-depth analy-
sis, the buzz of beating the market and
making money for our investors. It also
paid well.
My initial 20 years in financial infor-
mation technology were a rather circu-
itous route to my most recent role. But
I’ve never found it a problem being a
woman in finance — many of the most
influential leaders in sustainable fi-
nance around the world are female.
When you begin in finance and ac-
counting it’s simple as there are rules
you have to follow. But as you move up
the career ladder it becomes more com-
plex.You develop from a ‘doer’ to a man-
ager and then a leader and in transition
no one tells you what to do. You find one
day you’re in a senior role and you real-
ise no one told you how to do this.
Not mastering the internal
politics, since I didn’t participate
in the social activities of my male
colleagues. As the first female funds
manager I set up a lunch with women
when they joined the team.I was hauled
into HR and told to desist as the men
might find it divisive!
Strong skills in a numerate profes-
sional role will stand you in good stead
whatever you choose to do as your career
develops.You can take them into any in-
dustry or anywhere around the world —
and they are still the fastest route into
the boardroom.
You have to learn how to move on
and adapt. You also have to be open to
new experiences and try new things.
Your career doesn’t have to be linear. It
is important to learn to move on when
you’ve made a decision about what to do
next and not feel guilty.
Ask questions, be bold, and learn
how others have succeeded. Invest
time to create a strategy for your pro-
gression. Seek out endorsers and share
your ambitions with your bosses. Get
their advice and commitment to assist
you. Raise your visibility by getting in-
volved in working groups, internal and
external networks.
Question 1:
Whydidyouchoosefinanceas
aprofessionalcareer?
Penny Shepherd
MBE
Adviser and former
chief executive,
UK Sustainable
Investment
and Finance
Association
Ask the
experts!
Karen Keenan
Executive vice
president, State
Street Global
Markets, EMEA
Sylvana Caloni
President, Women
in Banking and
Finance
Question 2:
What,ifany,difficultiesdid
youfacealongthewaytoyour
currentposition?
Question 3:
Whatadvicewouldyougive
otherwomenstartingout
withintheindustry?
Having studied engineering at univer-
sity I wanted to broaden my experience
in a strong technical field. When I left
university Chubb offered me an oppor-
tunity within the business world that
fitted my background of versatile prob-
lem-solving skills and my aspirations.
I can honestly say that rather than dif-
ficulties I’ve always had support from
colleagues and managers, which has
helped me a lot. They have taught me
valuable lessons and given me insights
and guidance throughout my career.
Consequently I believe it is important
and beneficial to help others pursuing
similar paths.
Set goals and make them known —
how can colleagues help if they don’t
know what you want to achieve? Person-
al development is essential — qualifica-
tions; broadening your experience, net-
working, ongoing training and devel-
opment. Choose mentors/sponsors who
can help you develop and achieve your
goals.Be confident in your own abilities
and aspirations.
Jacqueline
McNamee
Executive director,
AIG

11. MAY 2013 · 11A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
Understanding the Female Econo-
my, a report by Barclays Wealth &
Investment Management, shows
that when it comes to entrepre-
neurs, the gender pay gap is not
just diminished but reversed al-
together. Amongst high net worth
female entrepreneurs,the average
annual income stands at £382,000
— whilst male entrepreneurs
earn 14 per cent less, with an an-
nual income of £327,000. In con-
trast,the average income of a high
net worth woman who does not
own her own business is £217,000
— 21 per cent lower than the
corresponding average male in-
come of £273,000.
Claire Packham Certified Book-
keeper, who runs Team 4 Solu-
tions,anaccountancy&bookkeep-
ing business in Sussex, suggests
that running your own busi-
ness can provide the opportunity
to use a fuller range of skills.
“I always say that people buy
from people, not businesses. As
well as having great technical
skills as a bookkeeper,I need to be
an excellent communicator and be
prepared for total flexibility in my
approach. As professional service
providers, myself and my staff
workverycloselywith our clients.”
Whilst Claire did not set up her
own business with the direct in-
tention of earning more than
men,she does credit her entrepre-
neurialism for helping her take
more control over her lifestyle.
“I became a self-employed book-
keeper when my son was young.I
needed a job that I could do from
home with flexible hours to fit in
around my family. As my son got
older, I had more time to expand
the business. I now have over
200 clients and often find myself
working evenings, weekends and
right through the night; I think
that’s a product of running a busi-
ness you’re passionate about.
“Although I’ve been in this busi-
ness for over 25 years I can still
learn something new almost eve-
ry day,it’s what keeps me jumping
out of bed every morning!”
Women entrepreneurs are
reversing the gender pay-gap
■ The highest-paid female
entrepreneurs are earning up to
£55,000 a year more than men
at the same level according to a
recent report.
■ To find out how you can
start a business as a Certified
Bookkeeper visit www.
bookkeepers.org.uk/startup

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