We signed up to the Women in Finance Charter in January 2018, and at that time, we had 18% female senior management representation. As of September 2020 we had 23% female representation in senior management which rose to 25% by December 2020. Our continued focus on gender diversity in our management team in 2021 has resulted in our female senior management being 32% as at September 2021.
Our female representation on our executive committee has also risen from 12% (2019) to 29% (2020) and is now 33% as at September 2021. Additionally, we are proud to now have our first female Chair and have also appointed a female non-executive Director meaning for the first time Brown Shipley now has female Board members (29%).
We have made positive progress within our senior management in 2021 and need to extend this across our population with a continued focus on ensuring that at all stages of employee life cycle there is a policy of gender neutrality and that there is gender balance in recruitment shortlists.
2021 has also seen us commit to new ways of working under our hybrid working model, where flexibility and agility are the norm for all employees as we embrace the benefits that working flexibly brings whilst encompassing the value of connection, collaboration and coaching when in the office environment.
Our work with PIMFA and social mobility charity The Brokerage support initiatives to encourage young women from all backgrounds to consider a career in finance will also remain a key focus for the remainder of 2021 and beyond as we broaden our diversity focus beyond gender.
We have made great progress in 2021, however we are on a journey and have more to do with delivering against our diversity and inclusion strategy remaining a key priority for us. We will now work with HM Treasury to agree our new Women In Finance target and focus on our internal action planning accordingly to achieve this.
The Brown Shipley executive team are committed to continuing to build a diverse and inclusive culture where all employees are equally included and where all employees are celebrated for their diversity.