“If you believe that your likely successor will be a woman or person of color, would you kindly extend a hand into the air.”
It was a stunning moment before the House Financial Services Committee. Not one of the seven big bank CEOs raised their hand to indicate that their successor would be a woman or a person of color in response to the question from Representative Al Green. It was a moment that got to the heart of gender inequity in financial services. In its most powerful positions, it is white and male.
The long-held perception that money is men’s business should not come as a shock. What should come as a shock is the extent to which masculinizing money holds our economy back. The future of the financial services industry depends on gender equity. It’s time for Wall Street to wake up.