The female leadership programme which WomanUp designed and delivered for Bank of Ireland is in contention for a prestigious UK award to mark workplace diversity.
The Women in Finance Awards London recognises the dedication and efforts of women and allies in the financial services sector and showcases the outstanding achievements of diverse talent. Bank of Ireland has been shortlisted in the Diversity Initiative of the Year category.
A cohort of UK females were among over 40 high potential Bank of Ireland female participants who participated in the Rise programme. Designed and led by WomanUp’s Clodagh Hughes, Rise aimed to provide participants with the tools, skills and insights needed to progress to leadership roles.
This was the first time that Bank of Ireland invested in a programme of this kind targeting emerging female talent. The programme design involved core modules which aimed to:
Develop participants’ self-awareness
Enhance their leadership impact
Develop their business acumen
Build their personal brands and networks
Overcome mid-career challenges
Programme differentiators
The programme sought to “stretch” the participants, in terms of behavioural change, developing confidence and making a step change in their careers. Participants were paired with qualified coaches within Bank of Ireland who helped embed the learnings. Tapping into such a skilled coaching pool was a key differentiator for the programme.
Another differentiator was a parallel consulting project which WomanUp conducted for Bank of Ireland in the context of its 50/50 gender targets for senior management appointments . Gender diversity and the bank’s gender targets were evaluated by Rise participants. WomanUp used these and other insights and data to make a series of strategic recommendations to Bank of Ireland on how to augment its female talent pipeline.
The Woman in Finance Awards London are taking place virtually on Thursday 12 November. Visit the awards website
For more information about our female leadership programmes, contact WomanUp
