When i started in Private Equity there were hardly any females. The sector has come a long way in a short time, but I truly believe that it will function better and more successfully with a broader mix of people.
Only when this diversity is represented across the very senior people who make the decisions will everyone reap the maximum benefits from all the talent we have in the UK. Otherwise these talented individuals will find roles in other industries and we will continue to miss out. So on that front we still have a long way to go.
A key aspect of making this happen is to create a safe place for junior and senior people to have open conversations about their genuine concerns, fears, hopes and ambitions and to get great advice back. Everyone has a unique story to share and the more variety we can we can represent the more people will be influenced.
As a next step, we are arranging an event to include more of our male counterparts – they are vital for us to achieve these goals and, as I have seen from my colleagues at Frog, equally passionate about addressing this issue. They understand that diversity leads to better decision-making and financial performance, but also feel there doesn’t need to be a reason, it’s the right thing to do and makes for a far better culture at work.
