Treasury Today Group’s Women in Treasury EMEA Forum 2023, sponsored by J.P. Morgan, began at midday, as guests arrived at the stunning Plaisterers’ Hall in the city of London for a vibrant pre-lunch reception and a chance to network with their industry peers.
Meg Coates, Joint Publisher & Head of Operations, Treasury Today Group opened the event with a welcome speech, that emphasised the importance of our ever-growing Women in Treasury community.
Following this, guests were welcomed into the Grand Hall where the presentation of our Woman of the Year EMEA Awards were held. We were thrilled to present the awards to our Overall Winner – Kemi Bolarin, Head of Treasury – Europe at GXO Logistics and our Highly Commended Winner – Brigitta Kocherhans, Head of Treasury at Siemens Healthineers AG.
After the awards presentation, guests were invited to enjoy their appetisers, followed by an insightful panel discussion featuring four panellist experts:
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Kemi Bolarin – Head of Treasury – Europe, GXO Logistics
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Brigitta Kocherhans – Head of Treasury, Siemens Healthineers AG
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Adesola Orimalade – C-Suite Level Treasury Professional, Writer, Business Consultant and Public Speaker
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Karen Wall – Vice President, Head of Open Banking & Value-Added Services Product Management, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), J.P. Morgan
Moderated by Sophie Jackson, Joint Publisher & Head of Strategic Content, they discussed some of the key issues surrounding gender equity in the industry and career progression. As the panellists shared their career experiences and challenges, some key topics included why DEI progress is important to each of the panellists and how to be leaders in this field. As well as, how to encourage the next generation of treasurers and raise awareness of treasury as a profession, starting as early as primary education.
Within the discussion, a poll around the room showed that nearly three-quarters of attendees have found their age to be an issue in the workplace, whether too young or too old, highlighting it to be a key issue of workplace discrimination.
This was followed by a lively Q&A session, giving guests the chance to share their own experiences, with challenging questions – such as one centring around how to make DEI change when senior management is opposed – presented to the panel.
After the panel discussion, guests enjoyed their entrées, desserts and coffees, with animated conversation continuing throughout the hall late into the afternoon. At their tables, guests were also presented with copies of the Women in Treasury Global Equity Study 2023, proudly supported by Standard Chartered, to discuss findings and share with their colleagues.
The day’s event was proudly supported by Absa, Bank of America, Barclays, BNY Mellon, Citi, HSBC Asset Management, Invesco, Standard Chartered and TreasurySpring.
We look forward to sharing post-event coverage including article content, video interviews and a podcast episode, and attending our third and final Women in Treasury Forum of the year in New York on Thursday 12th October.
