Breaking barriers: celebrating women in asset finance

As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8th, it’s an opportune moment to celebrate the remarkable contributions of women in the asset finance industry. Despite the industry’s historical gender imbalance, women are increasingly stepping into leadership roles, driving innovation, and fostering inclusive cultures within their organisations.

One such organisation exemplifying this positive shift is our very own Asset Finance Connect (AFC), where women not only participate but lead in key positions. The company’s leadership team boasts a majority of female executives, including Eva Lindsay, Chief Operating Officer; Lisa Laverick, Editor; Roseanne King, Event Content Manager; Ariana Pragana, Customer Success Manager; Zoe Godden, Head of Accounts; and Louise Clavey, Office Manager.

This female-driven leadership team has been instrumental in steering Asset Finance Connect towards success, bringing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of inclusivity.

The broader asset finance sector has seen a gradual increase in female representation. Recent data indicates that women now occupy 36.6% of leadership roles in FTSE 100 companies, approaching the 40% target set by the FTSE Women Leaders Review. However, challenges persist, as only 11 out of 43 London-listed banks and asset managers have achieved this target. Notably, Barclays reported that women only accounted for 27.8% of its executive committee, lagging behind peers like NatWest and Lloyds.

Eva Lindsay emphasises the importance of supporting and promoting female talent: “Our commitment to gender diversity is unwavering. By empowering women within our organisation, we not only enhance our corporate culture but also set a standard for the industry. It’s imperative that we continue to support and elevate female talent to drive the sector forward.”

Eva noted that one area which AFC are fully focused on right now is the gender imbalance in our panels and speakers. 

“While there is now no shortage of women who we can approach, the legacy of male dominated panels is still hard to break. Willingness to speak in public to a large audience is a habit industry leaders build over time. We already invite more women than men but find that they decline much more often. This problem has been the subject of a lot of debate at AFC.

“For now, we can lower any worries by preparing panellists much better in advance of each event, by recruiting some female moderators who might encourage more women panellists, and more recently we have started to discuss whether participation in pre-recorded podcasts is a stepping stone. The latter idea came from Sonia Gola, senior policy adviser for asset finance at the FLA who shared this idea with the AFC team at the FLA dinner.”

AFC would love to hear from senior practitioners who are interested in becoming moderators, or getting involved in our podcasts, which are starting very soon.