Proportion of women in senior finance roles rises 

New data shows female representation among CEOs rose to 26%

The charter noted that the increase in female representation was not only confined to the highest echelons of a firm, with those firms who have signed up in 2023 having recorded improvements at junior management level.

The proportion of women working at a senior management level in the financial services sector increased to more than 40% across Ireland's Women in Finance Charter signatory firms, new data from the initiative shows.

Comprising 65,000 employees across 91 firms, the charter found that among original signatories, female representation on boards increased to 39% at the beginning of 2024, up from 33% at the same time in 2022.

On executive committees, the figure increased to 37%, up from a third in 2022. In addition, a quarter of CEOs among these original firms are female, an increase of four percentage points since 2022.

Across charter signatories as a whole, female representation grew at senior management level from 37% to 41%, while on an executive committee level, representation rose from 30% to 35%. 

It also found that female representation among chief executive officers rose from 22% to 26% and grew from 35% to 39% on a board level.

The charter noted that the increase in female representation was not only confined to the highest echelons of a firm, with those firms who have signed up in 2023 having recorded improvements at junior management level, with representation increasing from 43% at the start of 2023 to 52% at the start of 2024.

“We are seeing real progress in the financial service sector becoming more diverse and the latest report on the Women in Finance Charter is a testament to this," said Minister of State for Finance, Neale Richmond. 

“With 91 firms now signatory to the Charter, representing over 65,000, or 50% of all employees in the financial services sector, good progress has been made. However, there is still much more work to be done."

Mr Richmond added that now was the time for remaining firms to sign up to the Charter and build upon existing progress.

“The statistics included in this latest report on the Women in Finance Charter show that tangible progress is being made in making the financial services industry more diverse," said Fiona Gallagher, CEO of Wells Fargo Bank International and Chair of the Women in Finance Charter steering group.

"Increased participation of women at all levels within the industry makes good business sense and the work done by the signatory firms thus far has to be commended."