The Intermediary – September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 95
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Beyond
representation
W
e talk a
lot about
representation
in financial
services. Seeing
more women
enter the industry, progress through
the ranks and reach senior roles
maers. I was recently part of a panel
at the FIS Intelligence Forum, which
discussed everything from imposter
syndrome and progression, to finding
your voice when you’re the only
woman in the room.
HM Treasury’s Women in Finance
Charter figures show women now
hold 37% of senior management roles
across participating firms, up from
32% in 2021. Progress is clear, but the
picture becomes more uneven the
closer you look at the very top. Women
now occupy 43% of FTSE 350 board
positions, yet they account for just 21%
of Finance Directors and 8% of CEOs.
At MSP Capital, women make up
almost half of our workforce, and 35%
of our managers. The next challenge
is making sure women continue to
progress into senior leadership.
Geing women into the room is
only the starting point. The bigger
question is: what happens when they
get there? Do they feel confident
enough to have a voice? Is their
contribution valued? Are they given
opportunities to stretch and progress?
Can they see a route to leadership?
When you don’t see many women in
senior positions, it can also be harder
to imagine yourself occupying one of
those roles.
Inclusion must mean more than
having a diverse group of people
around the table. It’s about creating
an environment where everyone feels
able to contribute.
Mentors and sponsorship
Mentoring is important. Sponsorship
can be transformational. Mentoring
has been pivotal in my own career.
The advice and encouragement I’ve
received have shaped the leader I am
today. But I’ve also come to appreciate
something different: sponsorship.
To me, the distinction is simple.
A mentor talks to you. A sponsor
talks about you when you’re not in
the room.
They put your name forward,
suggest you lead a project or invite
you into conversations you may not
otherwise have been part of.
All of us in leadership positions
should occasionally ask ourselves
‘Who am I opening doors for?’
Sometimes one opportunity can
change the direction of a career.
Well done
Something else I’ve become
increasingly conscious of is how
powerful feedback can be. We oen
assume people know when they’re
doing a good job. But sometimes
simple acknowledgement can make all
the difference.
Someone might have just delivered
their first major presentation, led an
important client meeting or spoken
up in a room where they previously
wouldn’t have felt confident enough
to contribute. To everyone else, that
moment might pass unnoticed. For
them, it could have taken a huge
amount of courage.
A simple “You handled that really
well,” with specific feedback on
what they did well, can make more
difference than we realise.
Confidence is oen built through
moments like these: someone steps
outside their comfort zone, succeeds,
receives recognition and finds the
next step slightly easier. For someone
already questioning whether they
belong in the room, that recognition
can be particularly powerful.
Imposter syndrome can affect
anyone, but I’ve seen how common it
can be among women at certain stages
of their careers. Recognition can help
build confidence and reinforce the
belief that you belong in the room.
CHARLOTTE DOWNING
is head of commercial
performance at MSP Capital
Aer the panel, I was asked whether
telling someone they’ve done well can
be perceived as patronising. It comes
down to delivery. When feedback is
genuine, specific and consistent, it
builds trust. Make it genuine. Make
it specific.
Who comes next
Real cultural change oen happens
in smaller moments. It’s inviting
someone into a meeting because
they’ll benefit from the experience.
Encouraging them to put themselves
forward. Giving honest feedback aer
they’ve stepped outside their comfort
zone. Inviting them to an industry
event. Or mentioning their name
when an opportunity comes up and
they’re not in the room to advocate
for themselves.
I’ve come to believe that one of the
responsibilities of leadership isn’t
simply to perform well in your own
role. It’s to help create the people who
will eventually step into leadership
roles themselves. That’s something
I try to do in my day-to-day role too,
whether that’s creating opportunities
for people to build confidence and
progress, or making sure their
contributions are recognised.
It’s also something I do outside of
MSP Capital. As a board member
of The Leasing Foundation and
co-runner of The Network, I’m
able to help create opportunities for
networking, development and career
progression, particularly for women
in alternative lending.
The question we should be asking
isn’t whether there are enough
women in the room today. It’s
whether we’re doing enough to
make sure they have the confidence,
support and opportunities to lead the
room tomorrow. ●
September 2026 | The Intermediary
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