Following a long career in financial services distribution including Barclays Capital and Metro Bank, Sam Mackenzie-Carmichael joined Insignis in June 2020 to head up the newly formed Institutional Cash division, focussing on our large corporate clients.
Gender diversity in the UK financial sector has certainly seen improvements in recent years, with women now making up 43% of the workforce*. However, when we look closer at the roles women hold within the industry, there are significantly fewer women who reach leadership, executive, or board positions.
The UK financial services industry serves a population which is made up of individuals from a range cultures, genders, age groups and backgrounds, so it makes sense for the people working in these industries to reflect our diverse society. Countless studies and research have identified diversity as a key driver of innovation, productivity, and creativity, with a 2017 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study finding that diverse teams produce 19% more revenue.
Achieving gender equality within the industry should be a mission for the companies within the sector. There is onus on companies to provide transparent career paths and advocate mentorship and empowerment for women, in order to work towards a more gender-balanced future.
At Insignis, we recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
From putting more women into senior positions in our workplace and encouraging transparent dialogues on career development, we are committed to helping more women join a wave of change.
Internally, we are building a more diverse company and our plans are to continue to increase the proportion of women in our business and in senior executive positions.
We are pleased with the progress we are making within the FinTech diversity sphere, but we understand that there is scope to do more. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation and we recognise that this is a continual process. We will continue to be transparent about our progress as we strive to increase the representation and advancement of minorities.
Naturally, we are very proud to see Sam recognised in the Distribution Woman of the Year for the Investment Week awards. The awards not only honour the inspiring achievements of women across all parts of the investment industry, but they also help shape the discussion around how we can improve diversity & inclusion within the sector and make a real impact.
To find out more about the Investment week awards you can visit their site here.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in November, good luck to all the nominees!
Source: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-financial-services/*