"Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed": WRA26 sponsors on making change today

In recent years, there have been several important milestones for progress, with one of the most notable being the 50th anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act, which allowed women to open their own bank accounts and apply for a mortgage without the need for a male guarantor.

This year, the Women’s Recognition Awards is focusing on 50 years forward, looking at the progress we hope to achieve as an industry in the next half a century.

However, before we look to the future, it’s also important to recognise the change being made right now, which is why we asked the sponsors of #WRA26 about what they are doing to help make financial services more equitable, diverse and inclusive for everyone today.

"We are committed to an inclusive culture, where our people feel they belong and are valued," Jen Curry, national sales manager at Nottingham Building Society, said. "This includes providing an environment where speaking up is encouraged and celebrated.

"In 2026 we’re pleased to have been shortlisted in the 'Employee Voice' category at the FT Adviser awards, a tangible recognition of the work of our colleague-led inclusion networks. We’re also working hard to show more people that a career in financial services could be for them, providing work insights, experiences, and mentoring opportunities to local students who may face additional challenges getting into the workplace," she continued.

Jodie Andrews, head of marketing, sales & partnerships at One Mortgage System, noted the recent appointment of "a dedicated D&I manager, a new hire who combines this with their role as a BDM, giving this work proper ownership alongside their day to day."

"Since then, we've been looking at equal opportunity across the business," she added, "from upskilling employees so progression isn't limited by background or starting point, to supporting charities that employees are passionate about or raising money for themselves, to making sure the support structures we put in place actually reach the people who need them.

"It's still early days in some areas but having someone whose job it is to keep pushing this forward has made a real difference."

For Harpal Singh, CEO of Conveybuddy, a more inclusive financial services "starts with creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background, gender or experience."

"We also believe diversity of thought makes businesses stronger," he continued. "By creating an open and supportive culture where people are encouraged to share ideas, challenge the status quo and bring their authentic selves to work, we can make better decisions and provide a better service to our clients and partners.

"For us, inclusion isn't simply a policy or a tick-box exercise. It's about creating genuine opportunities, removing barriers to progression and making sure everyone has the chance to succeed."

Similarly, Charlotte Rutter, head of partnerships & marketing at Roma Finance, said they were showing their commitment to a more equitable and inclusive industry "by investing in people, championing diverse talent and removing barriers to progression."

"Through flexible working, professional development, wellbeing initiatives and a culture where everyone has a voice, we ensure our colleagues have the opportunity to thrive. We believe that when people feel valued, supported and empowered, they achieve more, and so does our industry," she explained.

"We believe everyone has a voice and should be heard," agreed Paul Hunt, co-founder of Square 1 Media, adding that "our role is to give people that platform."

Nadine Edwards, head of intermediary distribution at NatWest, described a more inclusive industry as "an ongoing journey," stating that "our focus is on ensuring everyone has the opportunity to succeed, whether they're a colleague, adviser or customer."

"Across the business, we invest in initiatives that help attract, develop and retain diverse talent," she said. "This includes employee-led networks, mentoring and leadership programmes, inclusive recruitment practices, and targeted support for underrepresented groups.

"In recent years, we've expanded support for colleagues with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions, strengthened development opportunities for women through our Gender Network, launched initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues, and continued our focus on socio-economic mobility through partnerships such as Progress Together.

"Importantly, we believe progress should be measured as well as discussed. Alongside tracking representation and progression across different levels of the organisation, we monitor recruitment, promotion and retention outcomes, pay gap data, colleague engagement and inclusion scores, and participation in development programmes.

"These measures help ensure our actions lead to meaningful and lasting change. The FTSE Women Leaders Review ranked NatWest Group 9th in the FTSE 100 Rankings 2024 for Women on Boards and in Leadership. We were also once again named in The Times Top 50 employer for Gender Equality."

Finally, Caroline Luxmore, chief commercial officer at Recognise Bank, said that for them, increased inclusion "starts with culture."

"We know better decisions come from diverse thinking and that is reflected in our leadership team, where women make up 50% of our executive committee," she continued. "Representation matters because diverse leadership helps create culture where people can see clear pathways to progress and contribute with confidence.

"While we recognise there is always more to do, we are committed to ensuring talented people can progress and contribute at every level of the organisation. We’re equally passionate about creating opportunities for our customers and broker partners.

"By listening, acting decisively and focusing on relationships, we’re helping more SMEs and property professionals access the funding they need to grow, while creating an environment where colleagues can develop, progress and build rewarding careers.

"Inclusion isn’t a one-off initiative," she concluded. "It’s something we aim to demonstrate every day through the way we lead, recruit, collaborate and support one another."

Want to join us at #WRA26? Head to the 'Attend' page to find out more about table bookings and sponsorship opportunities.