Speaking on the panel ‘Money talks: targets, transparency & opportunity’, she was joined by Sarah Gordon, CEO of the Impact Investing Institute and former Financial Times Business Editor, Katie Horne, Partner at Aston Fisher and Bethanie Castelnuovo, CFO at SCB Group. As part of the discussion they explored the wide-ranging initiatives being implemented in the UK to improve opportunities and access for women at all levels of business and how these can shift the dial when it comes to equality in the workplace.
The discussion provided a useful opportunity for Alexandra to share some of the findings and recommendations of the Rose Review and more specifically discuss the important work she is doing leading the Council for Investing in Female Entrepreneurs, as she and its members put together a framework and guidelines for institutional investors allocating capital.
More widely Alex and her fellow panellists a delved into how women in the private sector can promote parity in terms of VC investment in female-led enterprises, representation on boards and on an individual level in terms of pay.
Alexandra was able to share her personal experiences from her day-to-day work with AA Advisors. She told delegates how she regularly hears from investors, in particular those with an interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, who express that they are looking for companies which practice what they preach in terms of diversity and representation. Despite these shifting demands and public rhetoric, all-male senior management teams are still common, and progress can feel slow.
Nevertheless, for Alexandra and her industry peers, events like the Women in Finance Summit are an excellent opportunity to hear about the innovative initiatives being implemented in both the public and private sectors to bring about real change.
Reflecting on the event Alex said: “It was inspiring to hear from my fellow panellists and wider delegates about the positive action already being taken to tackle funding, representation and gender pay gaps and empower women across business and finance. I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing more about the progress being made.”
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