[ I N - D E P T H
in films like Oliver Stone’s ‘Wall
Street’. With this in mind, it’s easy
to see how female professionals
could opt for a different industry
when embarking on their career
path. This culture has not quite
been eliminated from the financial
sector, according to some female
buy-siders, but it is clear firms are
trying to stamp this out.
Alpha male culture
“Having worked on the sell-side in
the 90s I’ve experienced the alpha
male culture at its worst. It was
definitely a lot more challenging
for women back then… There is
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W O M E N
still an alpha male culture in some
parts of the industry and whilst
they shouldn’t try to mimic those
behaviours, it is really important
that women are confident in their
ability and views,” Drummond
explains.
Despite the challenges, women
on the buy-side are optimistic for
the future and see initiatives asset
management firms are putting into
place as being able to lure more
women into the industry.
Victoria Kelly, head of European
trading at Fidelity Investments,
explains “as females and minori-
ties move up in organisations, we
I N
T R A D I N G ]
have seen recruitment diversify
outside of traditional avenues
and stereotypes, allowing for new
hirers to come from a variety of
backgrounds and experiences.
“As the workplace becomes more
flexible and barriers are broken
down, I think that anyone can find
a role within the industry that suits
their ambitions throughout the
lifecycle of their career.”
At Aberdeen Asset Management,
a support programme was estab-
lished to help employees who have
taken career breaks of two or more
years. It aims to mentor, coach
and support those coming back to
Issue 51
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