Women’s business group Network Ireland has expressed disappointment that there has been no improvement to the numbers of females in the top roles in the financial services sector.
A new report ‘Skills of the Future’ by Financial Services Ireland (FSI ) through IFS Skillnet shows that although progress has been made, gender gaps remain.
President of Network Ireland Noreen McKenzie said they want to see increased participation of women at all levels within the sector.
“The IFS Skillnet report shows that significant differences emerge in the progression to more senior levels. In particular, there has been no change in the level of females in revenue generating roles such as CEO or head of business lines with 84% of these roles held by men at the end of last year. This is disappointing and we have to ask why aren’t there more women achieving these roles?
Noreen McKenzie added that aaving workforces that accurately reflect the society of Ireland today benefits everyone.
“It leads to a wider talent pool, better decision making and greater diversity of thought, creativity and innovation. It’s encouraging to see some of Ireland’s largest financial companies committing to addressing the issue of gender imbalance.
“A total of 45 of Ireland’s largest firms have now signed up to the Women in Finance Charter since it was launched in April of this year. I hope that more companies will follow suit,” she said.
Established in 1983, Network Ireland now has almost 1,200 members across fourteen branches around Ireland. Each year they organise up to 200 events for members. They also run a number of flagship national events, including an International Women’s Day Celebration and the Annual Conference and Business Awards
Noreen McKenzie is Associate Director with Sherry Fitzgerald Financial Services and has worked in the broker market for over 20 years in sales and management roles.
