International Women’s Day 2023: Embracing Equity

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International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8^th March, is a day to celebrate the achievements made by women across all fields. To recognise the day, we’ve been sharing the best advice from the female leaders across our portfolio for the next generation. Rounding off our activity, India Kendrick, Portfolio Executive, reflects on what the day means to her.

It’s no secret that there is an imbalance in gender representation in corporate finance, where just 6% of roles are held by women. The lack of female representation can deter women from pursuing careers in the industry, but when I was first exposed to the sector as a PA, it had the opposite effect.

I was drawn to TDC by the prominence of women in the Leadership Team, such as Judith and Vicki. Now, five of our 14 team members are women, already bucking the trend across the sector. That diversity within TDC is reflective of our portfolio, with over a third of our businesses led by women, some of whom we’ve profiled over the last week.

At TDC, we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion both within our own team and through the businesses we work with. We know that diversity is not just the right thing to do but is also good for business. Studies have shown that diverse teams are more innovative, make better decisions, and are more successful in the long run.

It’s important to celebrate the steps we are taking towards gender equality, but there is still a huge opportunity to affect change.

Here in the North, there is a brilliant network of women campaigning to make our industry work better for everyone. ‘Fund Her North’ and ‘The 6% Club’, to name a few, are making strides, not only in getting more investment to female-founded businesses, but also creating a level playing field for women in finance more broadly. It’s always refreshing to attend one of their events and be surrounded by like-minded women.

It’s still incredibly important to get men on board with the agenda, as real change will only come about by the collective voices of men and women.  Changes like addressing the gender pay gap, ensuring equal opportunities for career advancement, and challenging unconscious biases that may be holding women back will result in greater equality for all, and better outcomes for the communities we work in.

So, on this year’s International Women’s Day, I am proud to be part of a team that is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry. I am also proud to be able to look at our portfolio and draw on the advice of the inspiring women heading up the companies with whom we work.

Judith McMath, TDC’s Corporate Development Director, summed it up when she said:

“Believe in yourself, have the courage of your convictions but always be prepared to accept constructive comments without seeing it as criticism.  

“Diversity within teams, and the different perspectives that come with it, brings significant advantages, so don’t try to conform to what you think is the required approach – dare to be different!”

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