CBN new deputy Governor

The ‘glass ceiling’ question is primarily asked of many women in
careers perhaps because of the very obvious low levels of female representation in senior positions as well as the barriers that women still struggle with and naturally I must respect that. Having said that in my particular situation I was not conscious of any ceilings per se. My career story has unfolded one opportunity at a time, one job role at a time, one contact at a time and what has worked over the years has been a focus on doing my very best in the current job, working hard to be indispensable to my colleagues and bosses, being open to new opportunities and creating exciting projects within that role, essentially making my current job the best to be in. I am also fortunate to have worked in organisations and with people that have offered me opportunities and challenges, allowing me to bring out the very best of my talents, natural predispositions and skills.
 I must say that the global finance industry is light years ahead of other sectors in terms of representation of females across board. Thus, whilst there are indeed quite a number of men working in the industry there are a significant number of woman as well, both in line positions and core business functions such as credit, compliance, finance and business development. Financial services is also arguably much further along in its own evolution. Largely driven by meritocracy, gender effects are somewhat muted in finance as what is rewarded is achievement and output; and a strong producer, whether male or female usually gets ahead. Naturally, both sexes bring different things to the table and so navigating those differences in my experience has largely been about seeking to understand the unique capabilities within the team and harnessing and channelling these for the benefit of organisational goals. Research has shown that men and women bring complimentary advantages to work contexts. Interestingly, a 2011 Harvard Business Review study revealed that women at all levels were rated higher in 12 out of 16 competencies necessary for outstanding leadership. In the rare moments where sexism has surfaced either in rhetoric or decision making, I make an effort to call it out for what it is and encourage other women to do the same. That way we ensure that we are not unwittingly perpetuating work environments where such limiting mindsets thrive.
Source Guardian Newspaper.