A gradual increase in the number of senior female appointments in recent years has helped Cuscal to hit its target of 40% of senior leadership roles to be held by women.
In May this year Helen Mediati, Cuscal’s General Counsel and Company Secretary was appointed to Cuscal’s Leadership Team. This followed the appointment of Bianca Bates to the role of Chief Client Officer, earlier the same month. Cuscal’s Managing Director, Craig Kennedy, says it has been a deliberate part of Cuscal’s long-term strategy:
“Cuscal is a payments company which straddles the worlds of technology and banking, both industries which struggle with gender diversity and female leadership.
We knew that having greater gender balance in our leadership would help make us a stronger, fairer, better company, so we have been working towards a goal of greater senior female leadership for a few years now. Three out of seven of my Leadership Team are now women (43%) and this ratio is consistent throughout leadership positions at Cuscal.
We know there’s still some way to go, for example our diversity at Board level isn’t what we would like it to be, but we’re pleased to hit this target and now need to maintain or improve it.”
Cuscal has employed a range of initiatives to improve diversity, female employment and leadership at Cuscal which include:
- Creating a Women’s Initiative Network three years ago and then a Diversity and Inclusion Council
- Mandating that recruiters include at least one suitably qualified female applicant for each role
- Trialling blind resumes in the project and technology division
- Reviewing our flexibility policies to ensure consistency in application
- Extending paid paternity leave from one week to four weeks.
As of May 2018, Cuscal’s ratio of male/female employees was:
- Board: 13% female, 87% male
- Leadership Team: 43% female, 57% male
- All employees: 40% female, 60% male
Pictured L to R: Bianca Bates, Craig Kennedy, Helen Mediati, Christie Welsh
