The boss of 海角视频 digital challenger bank Starling says Britain’s financial services sector is “no better now” for women than it was in the 1980s.
Chief executive Anne Boden, who set up the mobile-only bank in 2014, believes more role models are needed at the top.
She says the first step to improving the sector is to “make money equal first”.
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“In finance and tech things have not got better since the 1980s,” she told BusinessLive . "At executive level there are still far too few women.
“I have managed to build a fantastic career in financial tech [but] I am a bit of an outlier. Women are held to a higher bar than men, but it doesn’t mean we should give up. We have fantastic women out there."
The Welsh businesswoman's 30-year career in the banking and tech industry includes stints at big financial institutions including Lloyds, Allied Irish Bank and Standard Chartered.
She said her frustrations came from being in hair salons and reading “patronising” magazines, which still target women and men in different ways.
“For women, all the articles are about not spending on shoes and for men it’s about investing. [These magazines] were making me feel ashamed of investing. For men it’s about power and control, and for women it’s patronising.
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“Only one percent of venture capital money goes to women. It’s tough but we shouldn’t give up. We have got to stop telling women it’s not great at the top - because it is!”
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Ms Boden launched Starling, which was originally named Possible Financial Services before rebranding in 2016, after “coming to the conclusion” the traditional banking model was being left behind.
Her company is currently 42 per cent women and 40 per cent of the board is female.
The bank currently has offices in Southampton, Cardiff and London, but is planning to create jobs in different regions and nations across the 海角视频 in 2021.
“I am passionate about making the job I do something women do and I want to help make sure women are treated fairly in the finance industry," she added.
"Empathy is so important and so is having a heart. I was ashamed of the old financial services industry and wanted to do something different, so I did."