Influencing positive change – the Women’s Economic Empowerment Conference

Working collaboratively is a big part of our work to promote the importance of inclusion – across our industry, the business community more generally, and wider society. Our Chief Executive Keith Skeoch was recently a keynote speaker, and part of a panel discussion, at an event bringing together global experts to promote women’s economic empowerment.

The Women’s Economic Empowerment Conference is a joint initiative between Women’s Economic Imperative and Women’s Enterprise Scotland. The panellists who joined Keith included:

• Dr. Margo Thomas, President and CEO, Women’s Economic Imperative
• Hon. Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, Former President of Costa Rica and Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Hon. Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba, Ambassador of Botswana to the Federal Republic of Germany and Former Commonwealth Deputy Secretary General
• Peng Yang, Founder, So Orange Co. Ltd
• Jermain Jackman, Youth Activist, Hackney Young Futures Commission
• The Rt. Hon. Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale, First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007.

During the event Keith talked about the role that businesses like ours, and their leaders, have in encouraging positive change around the world. This included:

- Considering the importance of being a role model for best practice as a corporate entity and an employer and making a real impact on the lives of those who work for us and live in the communities we operate in

- As a global investor, chanelling capital responsibly and influencing for the better the companies in which we invest

- Developing a culture that allows women to succeed at work – and, when they do, ensuring that they are engaged in investing in the right way.

The video has highlights of the panel discussion, in which Keith addresses some of the main issues.

> More on inclusion and diversity