Our CIO Alexandra Morris has long been an advocate of more women in leadership positions in the finance industry. In 2021, she took it one step further and, together with Turid Solvang in Futureboards, founded the Women in Finance Charter in Norway, based on the similar UK initiative from 2016.
The aim of the charter is to increase the number of women in specialist and managerial positions in the finance industry. Despite there having been much talk of wishing to improve the industry, very little has changed in recent years.
Backed by the Norwegian Finance department, financial institutions are encouraged to formally commit to increasing the number of women in leadership positions.
”The time for talking is over – we now need radical steps to pursue what we all agree is strategically important. The research clearly shows the advantages of diverse management teams, so there is no reason to wait," says Alexandra.
The charter is based on four principles:
- A member of the executive committee to have dedicated
responsibility for gender balance and inclusion.- Ensure commitment from the organisation’s leadership, either
the CEO or a person reporting to them
- Ensure commitment from the organisation’s leadership, either
- Set internal targets for gender balance in leadership and
senior positions.- Set concrete and realistic goals, reflecting the size, situation
and needs of the organisation, as well as initiatives to follow
them up
- Set concrete and realistic goals, reflecting the size, situation
- Have an ambition to reflect the achievement of targets in
leadership remuneration.- Establish a plan for linking the realisation of targets to executive
compensation
- Establish a plan for linking the realisation of targets to executive
- Publish the status of and progress towards targets on own
website- Support transparency and commitment by publishing targets,
status and annual progress on own website together with
the Women in Finance logo
- Support transparency and commitment by publishing targets,
Please visit the Women in Finance Charter website for more information.