Women in Leadership

​Studies show that it is good business to have top management with diversity and gender balance. Unfortunately, Denmark lags behind when it comes to gender equality in general, and having women in top leadership positions, in particular. According to a World Economic Forum survey from 2019 Denmark ranked only 102 with regard to women in top management.

The financial sector is no exception. In 2010, the share of female leaders in the top management teams was 22 percent, while in 2018 the figure was almost 26 percent. In comparison, women make up almost half of the sector's total staff.

On this background Finansforbundet and FA (the Danish Employers Association for the Financial Sector) decided to explore the pro­gress of gender balance at top manage­ment level in the financial sector. Over the past year, a working group of representatives from Finansforbundet  and FA has worked on the issue and has launched a report with six concrete recommendations to increase the gender balance in the financial sector's top management positions. The recommendations have been prepared on the basis of a survey involving the participation of employees and managers from Nordea, Sydbank, Jyske Bank, DLR Kredit, Nykredit / Totalkredit, Danske Bank and Den Jyske Sparekasse.

The report also maps the type of barriers and opportunities women experience on the way to top management level in the sector. The report and the recommendations were presented at a large conference in the beginning of March with the participation of the Minister of Gender Equality, Mogens Jensen, representatives from several political parties and a number of top executives in the financial sector.

One of the surprising findings indicates that male leaders cannot to the same extent as their female counterparts spot talent among women in companies. 

You can read more about the findings and the recommendations here:

Report