IWD: Breaking the Bias in Structured Finance

International Women’s Day, on 8 March, is an opportunity both to celebrate women across the globe from all walks of life and to strive further for their equality. This year, the IWD campaign is #BreakTheBias and we at SCI have compiled a series of interviews and insights with the aim of helping to do just that within the securitisation industry.

Efforts to embrace diversity may sadly still only be window- dressing in the case of the structured credit market. As Reed Smith EME managing partner and structured finance head Tamara Box argues in the first article in our IWD series, the problem is not a lack of qualification; it is a lack of recognition.

In the second of our IWD pieces, DBRS Morningstar structured finance research svp Stephanie Mah underlines how diversity can boost a business’ bottom line. “Racial and gender diversity – especially across a multitude of cultures – ushers in different and more comprehensive skills, viewpoints and strengths,” she explains. Pay equity is paramount in retaining this diversity.

For the third article in the series, SCI deputy editor Angela Sharda sat down with Alston & Bird’s structured finance practice leaders to discuss how recruitment and retention policies, as well as mentoring programmes, can cultivate diverse talent and provide meaningful opportunities. The practice is notable in the industry for being led by female partners and for women making up the majority of the overall team.

In the final article of SCI’s series celebrating International Women’s Day, Allen & Overy securitisation partner Lucy Oddy cites a winning combination of supportive male colleagues and senior female role models – rather than luck– as the reason she works in a team full of female talent. Her message to junior women working their way up the ladder is a quote from fictional teddy bear Winnie the Pooh: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you feel and smarter than you think.”

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