The inaugural Women In Financial Advice Awards took place last month and Progeny were proud to have a presence at the event. The awards have been established to celebrate the achievements of women working within the financial advice community and financial services sector.
Held in the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square in London the awards are, in their own words:
… not about men versus women or whether a particular gender is more suited to a career or role in financial services – they are simply about celebrating and recognising the achievements of women in a sector where they continue to be under-represented.
Progeny team members and financial planners Nicola Tait and Linda Van Meurs were both nominated for awards and, while we didn’t pick up any silverware this time, we will return next year for another attempt. Progeny should have fielded more individuals, so next year we will aim to build on the foundation set this year and increase our nominees up to at least four, to include Financial Planners Emily Marland and Anna Jones.
The Financial Conduct Authority recently spoke about the importance of keeping up the pressure for the financial services industry to have more female representation in key positions and in senior roles. They cited the continued success of the Women in Finance Charter as a cause for optimism and a driver of progress while the publication of gender pay gap data has highlighted an area where work still needs to be done.
The regulator plays an important part in helping to achieve equality but it’s also down to every one of us working in the financial services industry on a daily basis to make sure we strive for increased female representation in senior roles
At Progeny, two of the five directors on our executive board are women: Charlotte Willis (our Compliance Director) and Caroline Hawkesley (our Operations Director). They are two of the most talented and skilled individuals in their respective positions in the financial planning world. We have created a board based on talent and nothing else. This philosophy extends throughout the business as we are committed to building a firm where gender parity, diversity and equality are a given. By tapping into the full potential of men and women, Progeny is stronger, more innovative and positioned well to serve its clients. Perhaps it’s a standard for other businesses and sectors to aspire to.
