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women in business
Santander walks the talk to boost Thames Valley women
in business It’s official: companies with more women in top management positions tend to exhibit better organisational and financial performance. That’s according to the latest Women Matter report, which has been analysing the role of women in the global workplace since 2007
Cheryl Adams, Santander’s Thames Valley and regional corporate director and the bank’s Women in Business ambassador for the Thames Valley and South West division, is a passionate advocate for enabling women’s career progression. “It’s not about just political correctness,” Adams explained. “On average there’s a 55% gap between the earnings of companies where women are strongly represented in executive roles and those which have no women at the top. The business case couldn’t be more compelling.”
Santander is already ahead of the game on bridging the gender gap – its CEO, Ana Botín, is the only woman running a major British bank. “Ana is a very inspirational figure,” said Adams. “Over half the bank’s employees are female and the entire leadership team is committed to increasing the proportion of women in senior roles. The Women in Business initiative aims to build our talent pipeline by identifying and overcoming the career challenges faced by women. We’re also providing an external support network to our customers as part of Santander’s Breakthrough programme.”
Since October 2013, Adams has been spearheading a variety of Women in Business activities. “We’ve held several events to inspire female colleagues and learn what they feel are the key factors at play. It seems the most important issue to be addressed is confidence.
Many women are unwilling to put themselves forward or pursue opportunities because they lack confidence in their own abilities.
“For example, in my experience a woman reading a job description is more likely to pick out reasons why she’s not qualified, whereas a man will concentrate on his strengths. In reality, the woman may be the better candidate but her mind-set undermines her chances of getting the job and might even stop her applying.”
Overcoming this confidence gap is a priority for women is business. “Mentoring and networking are hugely important,” said Adams. “By bringing women together to share their experiences, and having female and male mentors, which inspires through others’ success and gives the feeling of being supported, we’re helping to create a generation who aren’t afraid to value their own capabilities and pursue success.
“Later this year we’ll undertake our third Breakthrough Women in Business trade mission, taking a group of female customers to New York. In addition to winning international business, one of the most valuable elements of these missions has been the strong support network formed by the participants. We’re also running networking events closer to home, with the next one scheduled for July. We’ll be reaching out to customers across the region and encouraging both male and female employees to attend.”
Recognising the importance of women in business
The drive to encourage more women into senior positions in both large and small businesses, received a boost from home secretary, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, when she was a keynote speaker at a sell-out event in her Maidenhead constituency recently.
Entitled Do We Need More Women Leaders?, the home secretary was joined at the event by fellow speakers Fiona Hathorn, managing director of Women on Boards UK, and IOD ambassador, Ross Wilson.
All three were quick to express the view that whether in politics or in business, there was
www.businessmag.co.uk
a requirement for ever more women leaders and Wilson also took the opportunity to promote the second annual Women in Business Awards, which are now open for entries (for full details see page 22).
As an ambassador for the 2014 awards, he has long championed the cause of women in business and speaking after the event, he said: “The morning was a terrific success and underlines the importance that is now being placed on encouraging more women into the business arena. The audience was enthralled by the presentations and by a lively question and answer session.”
Cheryl Adams
Adams is adamant that companies must invest in the development of female staff. “To address today’s markets and tomorrow’s business challenges, all companies need diversity in the boardroom and that means breaking down the barriers to women’s success. Santander Women in Business is determined to build awareness, build confidence and build business in the Thames Valley.”
Details: Cheryl Adams 0118-9211638
cheryl.adams@
santander.co.uk www.santandercb.co.uk
One of the sponsors of the awards is Barclays, and Jagdeep Rai, who leads its Women in Business initiative, was in the audience to hear the messages being put forward by the keynote speakers.
She said afterwards: “Inspirational events such as this are vital in providing women in business with the confidence that it isn’t just about how to manage the child- rearing years, it is to do with career path, aspirations, mentoring and giving women the belief that they can progress into senior management ranks, because they too have the talent to become great leaders.”
The Women in Business 2014 awards celebrate successful women across both the Thames Valley and South regions.
Details:
www.businessmag.co.uk/women-in-business
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JULY/AUGUST 2014
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