There have long been concerns about the lack of women at the senior levels in financial services. Many have suggested that the excessive risk taking and mistreatment of customers in the pre-2007 boom were caused by the overwhelming masculinity of the industry.

That’s not the whole story, of course. The crisis had many causes. And a lack of diversity has many consequences. But regardless, it remains clear that the sector is losing out in the ‘war for talent’.

In its report published at the beginnig of December 2014, Women in Financial Services, Oliver Wyman analysed the gender mix of senior staff at over 150 firms internationally and surveyed over 1,000 current and potential financial services employees from five countries. They interviewed many senior women (and a few men!) from across the sector.

Oliver Wyman found some of the results  suprising, and their conviction that financial firms, and they, must do more to support women has only increased.
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