ESCP Business School Launches Women in Finance Chair

ESCP Business School is pleased to announce the launch of its first chair entirely dedicated to women in finance. The school is proud to be working with renowned partners representing the great diversity of the sector:      

• AMALA Partners      
• ARDIAN                    
• EIGHT ADVISORY      
• LOMBARD ODIER      
• ONDRA      
• VAUBAN INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS

The Women in Finance Chair will be co-directed by Almudena Canibano, professor of human resources, and Marion Festing, professor of human resources and intercultural leadership.

Based on the fact that women are still under-represented in key positions in the finance sector, the Women in Finance Chair has set itself the task, in collaboration with six partner companies, of analysing the causes of this deficit.

The distinctive feature of this five-year Chair is its human resources-based approach. Its objective is to identify the reasons behind this state of affairs, as well as the best practices and pitfalls to attract, retain and promote women in finance.

The Chair is committed to highlighting ‘gender advantage’ and examining the ethical underpinnings, performance, innovation and talent associated with it. It will explore the obstacles and advantages inherent in working in finance. The aim is to highlight the benefits of diversity, promote female leadership and provide information about the strengths of the financial sector. Far from being limited to mathematical and analytical knowledge, finance requires an understanding of the major issues facing society and excellent management skills.

The scientific directors emphasise:

Almudena Canibano, Co-Director of the Women in Finance Chair

“The Women in Finance Chair is much more than academic research. It is a catalyst for transformation in finance. By understanding the obstacles and highlighting the strengths of diversity, we aim to bring about tangible change. In this way, this chair becomes a driving force for equal opportunities, innovation and sustainable prosperity in the financial sector, demonstrating that a diversity of perspectives is imperative to the success and sustainability of our industry.”

Marion Festing, Co-Director of the Women in Finance Chair

“The Women in Finance Chair embodies our deep commitment to equity and inclusion in the financial sector. By investigating the underlying reasons for the lack of female representation, we seek to open doors, inspire and catalyse concrete change. This initiative is not simply a study, but a call to action to transform the trend and create an equitable and diverse financial future.”

The opening ceremony for the Chair took place on Friday 15th December, under the chairmanship of the Dean of Faculty, Professor Pramuan Bunkanwanicha, and Véronique de la Bachelerie, member of the Board of Directors of the ESCP Foundation.

To celebrate the launch of the Chair, a morning of discussion and debate was organised, including round tables followed by workshops to facilitate exchanges between academics, professionals and students on the following topics:

• “Why is the representation of women important in finance?” With a keynote speech by Alberta Di Giuli, professor of finance and dean of the ESCP campus in Turin.
• “Opportunities and barriers for careers in Finance – the challenge of gender equity”: With a debate led by representatives of the Chair’s partner companies.

A choice of four workshops was offered to over 100 participants:

• Should I look for a job in Finance?
• Engaging men in gender diversity programmes?
• Building a career in Finance: the importance of ESG in career choices
• Work-life balance and well-being in the finance industry

To learn more about the Women in Finance Chair, visit escp.eu.