International Women’s Day | London Stock Exchange Group | 6 March 2026
As part of International Women’s Day and the 25th anniversary of 100 Women in Finance, Rehana Farrell, CEO of 100 Women in Finance, joined author and journalist Mary Ann Sieghart for a fireside conversation exploring ambition, authority, and accountability in the workplace.
Hosted at the London Stock Exchange Group, the discussion brought together members of the 100WF community and industry leaders to reflect on progress for women in finance and the work still ahead.
Drawing from her book The Authority Gap, Sieghart examined the ways gender bias continues to shape workplace dynamics. Research shows that women are more likely to be underestimated, interrupted, and required to prove their competence repeatedly, while men are more often assumed to have authority by default. These patterns influence everything from hiring and promotion decisions to how ideas are received in meetings.
Farrell emphasized that addressing these challenges requires more than awareness. Meaningful change happens when organizations combine awareness, action, and accountability — examining culture, measuring progress, and ensuring that leadership environments enable all talent to thrive.
A central theme of the conversation was that advancing gender equity is not only about fairness, but also about performance. Organizations that create inclusive cultures and fully leverage the perspectives of diverse teams consistently achieve stronger outcomes. Closing the authority gap, Sieghart noted, benefits not only women but organizations and industries as a whole.
The conversation also explored practical ways individuals and organizations can create change, from amplifying women’s voices in meetings and sponsorship in the workplace to addressing bias in performance evaluations and leadership pipelines. Both speakers emphasized that progress requires the engagement of both women and men across the industry.
As 100 Women in Finance celebrates 25 years of advancing women in the global finance industry, the conversation served as a powerful reminder that building a more inclusive and representative financial sector requires sustained commitment from individuals, organizations, and communities alike.
100WF Members can watch recording of the fireside chat at link below: