Breaking The Bias: What does it mean to the women of LendInvest? 

For this International Women’s Day, we asked members of the team what that means to them and how they are supported to do that at work, and how they could be better supported. 

We spoke to: Clementina McCallum, Funds Product Manager, Esther Morley, Managing Director – Homeowner Mortgages, Gemma Squirrell, Operations Manager- Development Finance,  Jessica Tang, Legal Counsel, Meenakshi Choudhary, QA Team Lead and Jeetna Vara, Lending Operations Manager. Here’s what they said. 

What does break the bias mean to you: 

Clementina: Break the bias means to me an environment where you don’t need to doubt you’ll be taken seriously because of the gender you identify as.

Esther: The ultimate goal is that people are recognised for the skills and experience they bring to the table rather than what school they went to, who they know, how they speak, what they look like and whether they are good fun to be with on a social/sporting event.

Jeetna: Putting it simply, it is about taking gender, and any other characteristics of differentiation, out of the equation.

Gemma: Having worked in Property Finance for 25 years I have witnessed and been victim to the bias against women in this industry. Be it by attending site visits and being stared at, it was as if I had 3 heads, to being given a pay-rise to bring me ‘more in line with the boys’. The world has moved on since these days and is moving in the right direction with Women in the workplace being employed in senior and board level roles.

Meenakshi: For me breaking the bias means to challenge existing norms – norms that are so ingrained, we might not even normally call them into question.

What do you think is a bias people have against women in your field?

Clementina: There is an image, even to this day, of what someone who works in Finance might look like, what background they would have had and what they sound like. 9/10 panel discussions or events I’ve been to have only men at the table or on the stage, the lexicon in Finance can often be masculine, for example plenty of emails are still addressed “Dear Sirs” (?!) and I’m absolutely raging to not have been invited to a netball or women’s rugby hospitality event.

Esther: There have been many occasions where I have walked into external meetings with male colleagues and the whole conversation was directed towards my colleague, even when I was presenting or answering their questions. The assumption, whether true or not, was that my male colleague was the one in charge.

Jeetna: The unconscious bias assumes that men are more aligned to the world of work whilst women are more aligned to the ‘home life’. This type of unconscious bias can stop women from progressing in male dominated environments. Women then feel they have to adopt certain behaviours to be taken seriously.

Gemma: By its very nature, construction and development has always been seen as ‘a man’s job’ however this has changed over recent years with more females going into site trades which is wonderful. 

Meenakshi: I think the greatest bias is the assumption that women are not good in maths or science and hence are not as technically strong as men are. While there’s no scientific evidence that proves this, I think there is more that should be done to encourage girls to take STEM subjects that will lead them into the workforce which lacks diversity so badly.

Has there been a defining moment in your life, where you have found yourself to be breaking down biases or barriers?

Clementina: I participated in a panel discussion for the Luxembourg Future Fund where there were 8 men and myself. I found it horribly intimidating and can’t say I broke down any particular biases or barriers… unless maybe just by being there!

Esther: My first executive appointment to a Board. My CEO at the time was very supportive of me and my career and helped me to develop and take opportunities. He was the one who recommended my appointment to the all-male Board. After about 18m, he volunteered that they took a risk with me as he was concerned how the Board would take to me as a woman, and whether they would accept my position. Thankfully his misgivings did not materialise, but it shows that the bias is real – “she can do the job, but will she be accepted?”.

Jeetna: I have previously worked in a very male dominated environment, where more often than not I was the only woman in my team. Looking back this was challenging although at the time I saw this as an opportunity to break down any misconceptions. I recall working in a new deal team in Europe which again was dominated by a group of men. On my first day, I was welcomed as ‘the young lady’ by the MD and this was his attempt at setting the scene for my part in the team. I wasn’t going to be ‘the young lady’ and over the coming weeks and months, I worked tirelessly to stop the use of such terms which he and the rest of the team deemed to be a term of endearment but to me as a woman, it was not. It differentiated me from the rest of the team simply based on me being a woman, which should not have been a consideration.

Jessica: The memory that sticks out in my mind the most (and one my Mum loves to remind me of!) is from when I was in primary school. I was quietly sat in the corner of my parents’ shop doing my homework when a female customer came over and told me not to study so hard as I can find a ‘nice, rich husband’ who will look after me. I sharply replied that I don’t need a husband and, if I do, he can have a ‘nice, rich wife’ instead. It taught me the importance of calling out gender bias behaviours, regardless of your age and position.

Gemma: Being employed to set up a Development Finance Lending Team and the processes and procedures involved therein.

Meenakshi: I’ll call myself lucky that I’ve never faced any barriers to my success because of my gender.

Who has inspired you to get to where you are today? 

Clementina: In my career I’ve been fortunate to work for two inspiring women; one a founder of her own business in Financial Communication and one a Director of Fund Managers where she was the only woman. Women in leadership give a huge amount of inspiration to more junior colleagues, if you can look “up” and see someone who looks like you its much more encouraging than if not.  At LendInvest I find it important that we can see female members of the senior management and Board Members, giving the whole team an important message of no gender bias.

Esther: I get asked this a lot and my answer always comes back to the same person – Mrs Murphy, my secondary school maths teacher. I think good teachers play a critical role in nurturing talent. Mrs Murphy gave me confidence in my ability in a very traditionally male dominated subject.

Jessica: I’m blessed with many inspirational people in my life but the one that takes precedence is my Mum. My Mum emigrated to the UK when she was young, speaking no English and without higher education. Throughout my childhood, she sacrificed and worked incredibly hard to give both me and my siblings, opportunities she never had at our age. She always stressed to me the importance of education, work ethic and the ability to be independent (both financially and in thought). She is your classic ‘do-it-all’ woman: a mother to three, a carer to my brother, a provider to her family and the owner of two businesses. She’s kind, determined, driven and fearless – a true force to be reckoned with.

Gemma:  I have always had the attitude to do the best I can and to be the best I can in my field. There is no one person that has inspired me. However, I have been told that I have inspired other women with my work ethic and approach.

Meenakshi: I come from a very humble background. Growing up it didn’t take very long for me to realise that people prefer boychild over girlchild because the father is advised to save money for dowry from the day a girl is born. I thank my parents for not giving up to the societal pressure and investing that dowry money on my education. I learned at very early age that I have to study hard and become independent to not get married off to someone where I’ll have to sit at home and milk the cows. I think that fear inspired me to pursue Engineering to fulfil my dreams and the fact that I was good in maths.

What steps do you think you – and all of your colleagues – can do to break the bias every day?

Clementina: Much much easier said than done, but I think if you see a moment where you or your colleague or even your friend are being treated or judged for an element of their work purely based on their gender it needs to be called out. Sometimes at the time it’s easy to overlook but groups such as the #network-womeninbusiness give women in LendInvest an avenue for sharing stories and ideas.

Esther: Firstly, to recognise it in yourself. We all have biases to some extent, we need to recognise that and ask ourselves whether it is having a negative impact on ourselves, others, and the business we work within. If it is, we need to understand why we have had that thought and how we can actively overcome our bias to improve the workplace for all. Secondly, to call it out if you see it. Whether that is directly with the individual or confidentially to a trusted colleague.

Jessica: I think we can all educate ourselves so we’re more aware of the unconscious bias that women face every day. In addition, showing alliance by not leaving it to women to raise female issues or call out behaviours which promote gender bias is a good starting point.

Gemma: Treat all people equally, encourage them in areas that they feel unfamiliar or intimidated.

Meenakshi: I think the female voice isn’t always heard or listened to equally, so the best we can do is listen and appreciate people’s opinion irrespective of their gender. I also think that as females, we’re much more prone to self-doubt than males so having strong female voices to show that women can lead is extremely important.