Financial News’s editor told senior leaders in finance at an event last night that the publication is “hopelessly optimistic” about diversity, equity and inclusion, despite the current pushback against it.
“I know these are challenging times but FN remains committed to championing the finance sector and celebrating its progress, acknowledging its issues and highlighting them, but not vilifying the sector,” Shruti Tripathi Chopra, editor-in-chief of Financial News and Private Equity News said.
The event, held on 6 November at Financial News’s headquarters at The News Building in London, celebrated FN’s 19th annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance.
Newsletter Sign-up
News Alerts
Breaking news delivered straight to your inbox
The evening was attended by female leaders in financial and professional services including Saba Nazar, chair of global financial sponsors at Bank of America, Simmons & Simmons’ managing partner Emily Monastiriotis and Financial Conduct Authority deputy chief executive Sarah Pritchard.
Members of the FN team, sponsors and their guests also joined the dinner. Wells Fargo was the principal sponsor of the list and the dinner, while Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Datasite were supporting sponsors.
Drawing on her own experience, Tripathi Chopra said: “I am the first woman and the first person of colour to be appointed FN’s editor in its nearly 30-year history and that responsibility is scary at times, but I’ll read the FN100 and I’m like ‘I will dream big, I will balance mum guilt, and when I don’t get a seat at the table I’ll make my own like the rest of you.’”
She also spoke about how inspiring the female leaders on the list are: “Speaking to you and learning about your journeys is like a crash course in leadership, an MBA programme I don’t need to pay for, and sometimes, frankly, even like a much needed therapy session.”
Newsletter Sign-up
Top Stories
The agenda-setting headlines of the day
Guest speakers for the evening were Sophie Hulm, chief executive of diversity organisation Progress Together, and Reggie Nelson, a Blackstone vice-president who got his first job in finance after knocking on doors in Kensington as a teenager.
The panel discussion, titled Cracking the class ceiling: How to break barriers in the City, covered what needs to be done to get more people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds into the sector and promoted into senior positions, as well as what the business leaders in the room could do to make a difference in their teams.
If you want to know what lists FN has coming up and make sure you don’t miss key entry and publication dates, sign up for our lists and awards email here.
