International Women’s Day
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we have compiled a list of some of our go-to female financial gurus in the UK. From veteran industry experts to relatable youtubers, this list offers something for everyone. With more ways than ever to access your information, women everywhere are creating platforms to share knowledge, support each other and navigate a world where women have more financial freedom. We know that this is by no means an extensive list but these are some of the people who inspire and educate us here at Channel Finance Group. If you are interested in seeing more from any of these women, just click on their image and you will be taken to their social media directly.
Influential Women Who Continue to Pave the Way:
Dame Inga Beale
Dame Inga Beale is the former CEO of Lloyd’s of London where she led the global insurance market for 5 years. After leaving Lloyd’s in 2018, Inga now uses her platform to share business management advice and motivation. Having worked in the industry since 1982, Inga has an undisputed reputation and highly praised knowledge of the insurance world. In 2013, Inga became the first female CEO of Lloyd’s in the company’s 328 years of existence. This appointment was a milestone in gender equality in financial services and she used this platform to set up the ‘International Insurance Supper Club’ for female executives to support each other. Beale has also been a hugely positive advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within finance. In 2012 she launched the Pride@Lloyds network with the aim of encouraging a more inclusive and diverse working environment within insurance companies and was the first woman and openly bisexual person to be named the top of the OUTstanding & FT Leading LGBT executive power list.
Alison Rose
In 2019, Alison Rose was appointed as the CEO of Natwest Group plc and the first woman to lead one of the UK’s big four banks. Some of her many accolades include being shortlisted for the ‘Most Influential Woman in Investment Banking’ and included in the Fintech Powerlist and Vogue’s Top 25 Most Influential Women. In an attempt to remove the barriers faced by women starting their own business, Alison began the Rose Review. This is government funded research into what women in business face on a daily basis and what can be done to improve this. As a proud working mother, Alison also works closely with charities such as the Prince’s Trust to support youth development across the UK and has also recently been steering Natwest to a more sustainable future. Alison uses her platform to have positive and constructive conversations to help create a more inclusive and sustainable banking industry.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
In March 2021, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela made history as the first woman and first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The uncertainty that the Coronavirus Pandemic has unleashed on the global markets, the WTO was in need of strong leadership to guide them through the next few years. With 40 years experience working as a global economist and Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Ngozi has a reputation for implementing effective change rapidly and using her masterful negotiating skills to reform global trade strategies. Ngozi has been a pioneer of economic reform across multiple African countries and aims to use her position in the WTO to make trading more inclusive and diverse.
Journalists with Top Tips for Protecting your Finances:
Claer Barrett
Claer Barrett is the Consumer Editor at the Financial Times where she writes a weekly Serious Money Column which shares her expert opinion on all the top current financial news. She also offers tips and tricks for better control over your personal finances such as How to get a pay rise and most recently, 7 things women need to know about money. As a regular on LBC Radio and the host of the FT podcast Money Clinic, Claer has become a standout voice to both industry experts and people looking to improve their personal finances.
Hilary Osborne
Hilary Osborne has been at the Guardian for over 17 years and is currently the Money Editor working as an investigative journalist with focus on money, property and consumer issues. She offers insight into how current affairs may affect everyday life for your average citizen. Most recently Hilary has been shedding light on why there have been increases in energy bills, rent prices and how the recent storms in the UK are affecting our insurance. Hilary’s advice in the Guardian has been educational, understandable and beneficial for helping people navigate the uncertainty of the Coronavirus Pandemic and Brexit and is a must-read for simplification of the UK’s current financial woes.
Jasmine Birtles
Jamine Birtles can be regularly seen as a Money Expert on TV and Radio or speaking at conferences and awards ceremonies around the world. Jasmine is known for making complicated financial topics simplified and light hearted. Her comic approach to explaining finances does not take away from her expertise. Having written 38 books and established the UK’s leading money expert website, moneymagpie.com, there is no disputing Jasmine is a respected voice in the industry.
Zanny Minton Beddoes
The Economist has a readership of 1.5 million and Zanny Minton Beddoes at the helm as editor-in-chief. Zanny has held the position since 2015 and has emphasised increasing the publications presence on social media, increasing digital subscriptions and broadening the reach to a wider audience. Zanny started with the magazine in 1994 as a correspondent covering emerging markets before being promoted to economics editor covering global economics. Her experience of economic journalism brought her to her current role but she has brought one of the oldest financial publications in the UK into the 21st Century by making financial knowledge more accessible to all.
Must-See Social Media Accounts and the Women Behind Them:
Patricia Bright - ‘The Break’
Patricia Bright has 1.2 million Instagram followers and over 2.8 million subscribers on YouTube. Patricia has been sharing content on YouTube for over 10 years and uses her experience working in investment banking to offer her followers unique money advice. While much of her real-life examples of how she manages her finances are not relevant to the average person, she highlights that even if the amount of money changes, the basic rules and practices stay the same.
Money Nuggets
Esther launched Money Nuggets in 2015 in order to coach and mentor women in taking control of their money and create a more structured financial future. This blog covers a range of topics including budgeting, pensions, career advice and getting out of debt. If you are looking for in depth articles to give you knowledge to create a money management strategy suited to your needs, then this is the place for you. Or, head over to their Instagram for feel-good money affirmations and regular tips for smart money saving.
Investing for Girls
Investing for Girls was set up by Natasha after she read that 1 in 4 of her micro-investing provider investors were women. She noticed a distinct lack of information on investing for women and wanted to create a platform which educates women who have an interest in growing their wealth portfolio. This blog has all the tools you need to start your investment journey while the Instagram provides more short snippets of wisdom while busting some finance myths.
Fempire Finance
Fempire Finance are out to break the mould of what is considered to be the norm in the personal finance world. By making content understandable and practical, this blog is the perfect place for people looking to start saving without cutting out their morning coffee or limiting their social life. These ‘sassy’ articles not only provide advice for those looking to do more with their money but they also highlight the many inequalities currently impeding the financial services industry. Whether you like to read blogs, scroll social media or listen to a podcast, Fempire Finance has it all.
Go fund yourself
Alice Tapper wrote the book Go Fund Yourself to put all the things we should have been taught at school in one place. As a certified debt adviser with CMA and a regular columnist for the BBC, The Times and The Daily Telegraph, It’s no surprise that the book was a success and the Go Fund Yourself community is 50,000 people and growing. Alice also launched the successful campaign which saw the FCA regulate Buy Now Pay Later products. This blog/ book/ Instagram has something for everyone and offers financial support and advice from a true industry expert.
Vestpod
Vestpod was established to help women create a healthy relationship with their money. They understand that in order for women to be more financially secure, independent and rising up the career ladder, we have to have more open conversations about money. With a best-selling book You’re Not Broke, You’re Pre-Rich, The Wallet podcast, and a range of workshops, Vestpod founder, Emilie Bellet, has everything you need to take the plunge into the world of investment.
This list of talented women does not even begin to scratch the surface of the growing community of women in finance. There have been many positive steps forward for women in this male-dominated industry in recent years, but there are still significant improvements to be made. By sharing this list, we hope to shed some light on just a few of the woman who continue to make finance more accessible to all.
As we cheer our fellow women on today, lets continue this support tomorrow, the next day and beyond.
If you would like to find out more about what we are doing here at Channel Finance Group to support the growing number of women in our company, contact us today.