Wealth Management Association welcomes Lady Barbara Judge to their Women in Wealth Forum – 7th October 2016

Perception, tackling unconscious bias and creating a flexible culture discussed as key issues for Women in Wealth Management

The Wealth Management Association (WMA) hosted their Women in Wealth Forum at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) headquarters in London, with delegates from across the industry. The WMA is the leading industry body for the private client investment community whose members manage in excess of £734 billion of the country’s wealth and are the face of the financial services industry to private investors.

The event commenced with an overview about women in the financial services industry by Peter Ryan-Bell, Managing Director, Head of Large Corporate sectors, UK & Western Europe, Commercial and Private Banking of RBS who commented:
“We need to set ourselves the task of mirroring an industry which is diverse in order to push ourselves forward. At RBS we have made a conscious effort to ensure 30 per cent of senior leadership roles are filled by women by 2020. We are on track in achieving this as it is important to leverage a diverse workforce to support the business.”

WMA welcomed Lady Barbara Judge, CBE, Chairman of the Institute of Directors as the keynote speaker. She talked about her own career journey and the experiences, hurdles and challenges she faced as a working woman.

Lady Barbara Judge commented: “70 per cent of first perceptions is based on how you look, 20 per cent is how you sound and only 10 per cent is based on what you say. When you walk into a room, you can’t make a second first impression and so you want to take charge of other people’s impressions.  For both men and women it’s about defining yourself and not letting others define you.

“To progress for men or women you need to make people aware of your career path. Everyone needs their own personal board of directors, who have their best interest at heart. If you want to get promoted, you have to voice it and make people aware of your ambitions and goals.”

A panel discussion with Peter Moores, CEO of Raymond James, and Mark Taylor, Managing Director of Investment Services, Equiniti, also discussed key issues around unequal pay and tackling unconscious bias to create a business culture which is more welcoming for women in traditionally male dominated environments.

Practical hints and tips were also given to individuals at the event around how individuals can utilise LinkedIn to build industry relationships and as an extension of their personal brand.

The day finished with a demonstration on developing physical intelligence to redefine how you view yourself, and the use of various techniques and exercises to enhance confidence and performance.

WMA Chief Executive, Liz Field commented:
“We are delighted to be hosting our third Women in Wealth forum and would like to thank RBS for their support. This forum provides the opportunity to hone in on the issues the industry is facing and how we can address them. From practical hints and tips to discussion around the challenges of ensuring a culture, flexibility and leadership that will support and advance our industry for both women and men.  It has been an honour to have Lady Barbara Judge share with us some truly inspirational insights”.