London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

The women inspiring others in a male-dominated industry

The women inspiring others in a male-dominated industry

As the founder of UK challenger bank Starling, Anne Boden wanted to prove people wrong.

"Women have to achieve more, work harder and be much more perfect to get the job compared to a man," she tells the BBC.

Ms Boden is also chief executive at Starling, which has grown rapidly and is now the subject of takeover talk.

"The experience of being treated differently because I am female only inspires me to work harder and prove them wrong, which is in part why I founded Starling," she adds.

The banking and finance industries have traditionally been male-dominated although this is beginning to change.

In September, US banking giant Citigroup named Jane Fraser as its next chief executive, making the Briton the first female boss of a Wall Street bank.

The rise of digital banks and financial technology (fintech) start-ups is also ushering in more opportunities for women to become leaders.

But there are still plenty of challenges in rising to the top in the banking world.

"Seeking funding in Silicon Valley was particularly tough. It felt as though a lot of investors were only interested in backing white men in gilets which fit the start-up stereotype," Ms Boden says.

New breed


The financial sector is working to improve diversity at the leadership level and on boards of directors, but some feel the pace has been too slow.

"There's a long way to go to rectify the gender imbalance, so it's important for women like me in leadership positions to speak up," says Ms Boden.

"I wanted to be the first woman to start a British bank, not only because I could see how much better my bank could be but also to inspire others and lead the way in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry."

She is not alone as a role model to other women joining the industry.

Yoko Makiguchi is now chief executive of the Japanese operations of Revolut, the UK-based online bank.


Revolut's Yoko Makiguchi says digital banks are more open-minded


She previously worked at a handful of investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, UBS, Milhous Securities and the now-defunct Lehman Brothers, but was never given the most senior role.

'Superwoman' syndrome


Having started her career 27 years ago, she finally reached the top at Revolut in Japan. "It was never going to happen at the other banks," she says.

Juggling a career and childcare duties sometimes creates a "superwoman syndrome", Ms Makiguchi says.

"The more senior you get, I think the higher the standards you hold yourself to. You want to be the perfect wife, mum and employee. We have so few role models to help us that we begin to stretch ourselves and enter into survival mode."

Having worked at traditional banks and now at a digital bank, she can see the difference in culture and opportunities available to women.

"[Digital banks] are more open-minded and offer flexible hours and remote working. As a result we have a high number of females in decision-making roles."

'I cannot fail'


Serra Wei is the chief executive of Singapore-based fintech firm Aegis Custody and says she still gets "judged by my gender and age rather than my capabilities and achievements".

"With the public's high standards of evaluating female leaders' performance, it feels like I cannot fail or make any mistake as one misstep may attract endless criticisms," she says.

Ms Wei is a big admirer of Safra Catz, the billionaire and chief executive of US tech giant Oracle, having been taught by her when she studied for her MBA at Stanford Business School.

One lesson she has learned is not to see it as a battle between the sexes.

"In this day and age, collaboration is more important than competition," she says.

Pandemic setback


Last month, the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs 2020 report warned of the disproportionate effect the Covid-19 pandemic would have on women and the drive for more diversity in leadership.

The Fawcett Society has also warned of the pandemic's "devastating" impact on gender equality in the workplace.

While the charity said there were "signs of hope", it highlighted that women are more likely than men to lose work or be burdened with childcare in the crisis.

However, experts point to the female world leaders who have presided over some of the most successful efforts in containing Covid-19 as an inspiration to other women.

These include New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tawian's President Tsai Ing-Wen.


How do we get more female leaders?


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×