Women in Finance and a female CEO

Only six of 57 Danish banks have a female CEO, and one of them is ours. How do you feel that having a female CEO contributes to BNP Paribas Personal Finance?

I think it is strong, powerful statement.

That said I have no doubt that it takes a courageous and strong woman to be in her seat.

A 2020 survey in the financial sector shows that women at all organisation levels – from managers to new employees – express higher management ambitions than men. What do you think about that?

I dare to challenge the conclusion: Is it the whole true? The response may have been influenced by the debate, across countries, about how women should become top managers and board members. This storytelling may have an impact on how women respond to such surveys.

I can refer to my own experience, prior to working at the bank, where I held several management positions. I became a manager partly because of my own desire, but also because everyone around me expected it and encouraged me. It made me feel powerful, but also somewhat under pressure. Perhaps it is a similar case with this study.

In 2022, 51% of BNP Paribas Personal Finance employees in the Nordics are women. How do you feel that it contributes to BNP Paribas Personal Finance that there is a fairly equal distribution between men and women?

It is beyond any doubt that an equal distribution of men and women provides a better dynamic. Here at the bank, it gives us good internal conditions for collaboration, thanks to the different qualities that women and men respectively possess. We complement each other, and when we join forces, we can achieve even more.