Following Mandy Kirby's appointment to the Taskforce, we are delighted to announce that Bev Shah has joined its Advisory Board.
The independent Taskforce has been commissioned by the City of London Corporation. The group’s mission is to challenge the lack of career progression for those coming from non-professional backgrounds and to explore the intersections with other protected characteristics, including gender and race.
Research from the Bridge Group recently showed that 89% of senior roles in financial services were occupied by people from professional backgrounds (defined by parental occupation at 14) – nearly three times the UK working population, with those from lower socio-economic backgrounds taking 25% longer to progress. This gap could not be explained by performance and increased to 32% for people from those backgrounds who also identified as black.
Full list of Advisory Board Members (in alphabetical order)
• Zaheer Ahmad, Global Head of Inclusion of Diversity for the consumer HealthCare Business at GSK
• Robert Bartlett, Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure and Housing Finance, Global Corporate and Investment Banking (“GCIB”) at Mitsubishi Financial Group
• Olly Benzecry, Chairman & Managing Director at Accenture
• Shalin Bhagwan, Managing Director: Head of Pensions Advisory and EMEA Consultants, DWS Group (the investment management arm of Deutsche Bank)
• Mark Bishop, Partner (Audit) at Grant Thornton LLP
• Noel Butwell, CEO Standard Life and Member of Executive Leadership Team at Standard Life Aberdeen
• Julie Carruthers, Managing Director at UK Finance
• Jilly Cross, CEO and Founder at Bravand
• Mikael Down, Executive Director, Assessment and Insights at Banking Standards Board
• Symon Drake-Brockman, Managing Partner at Pemberton Capital Advisors LLP
• Andrea Eccles, Chief Executive at City HR
• Shazia Ejaz, Director of Comms at Recruitment & Employment Confederation
• Steve Ellis, Global Chief Investment Officer at Fidelity International
• Nigel Emson, Head of Strategy at Zurich
• Peter Frost, Chief Customer Officer and Main Board member at Coventry Building Society
• Sarah Hillary, Partner at BDO
• Emma Holden, Global Head of HR at Schroders
• Mitra Janes, Group Head of Diversity & Inclusion at RSA
• Dipen Jobanputra, Independent
• Richard Kaye MD, Head of International Public Affairs at JPMorgan
• Rachel Kent, Partner & Head of Financial Services Regulation at Hogan Lovells LLP
• Nosheen Malik, Independent
• Samir Manek, Associate at Mischcon de Reya
• Cristina Nestares, CEO at Admiral Group
• Luba Nikulina, MD Global Head of Research at Willis Towers Watson (Diversity Group nominee)
• Susi Pitru, COO for the EMEA region at Cambridge Associates
• Gareth Price, Global Managing Partner at Allen & Overy LLP
• Richard Rowntree, Managing Director at Paragon Bank
• Joanna Shackleton, Head of HR, partner and member of #included at LGT Vestra LLP
• Bev Shah, CEO at City Hive
• Brigit Simler, Managing Director, Head of Human Capital Management Europe, Middle East, Africa and India at Goldman Sachs
• James Sullivan, CEO at Divento Financials