Did you know? 60% of UK wealth will be in women’s hands by 2023.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that celebrating women is kind of our thing – and collaborating with like-minded brands is the cherry on top. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Stonehage Fleming, a business that celebrates women for their financial, social, cultural, and intellectual contributions to society.
Stonehage Fleming is on a mission to create a community where women can connect, learn, and collaborate through shared ideas and experiences – and the announcement of its inaugural Stonehage Fleming XV (SFXV) initiative does just that.
A celebration of 15 extraordinary women and their achievements, this list is an endorsement of female talent, creativity, and leadership. If recognition alone isn’t incentive enough, the final 15 will also have their portraits exhibited in Stonehage Fleming’s impressive new London Headquarters and be founding members of a community that’s redefining what it means to be a woman in wealth.
Do you know an extraordinary woman who is springing to mind? The first 15 SFXV women will represent the next chapter of wealth by embodying Stonehage Fleming’s Four Pillars of Capital. So, let’s break it down.
1. Financial capital
Someone who has – either in their own right or as part of an organisation or organisations – built up assets that represent significant financial value.
2. Intellectual capital
Someone who applies their knowledge and expertise to lead and empower others.
3. Social capital
Someone who engages with and supports the communities in which they live and work, making a wider positive impact on society.
4. Cultural capital
Someone who brings people together by identifying and promoting shared perspectives either, or both, in her professional life and her cultural contribution to society.
How will this be judged? We hear you ask. SFXV candidates will be assessed by a panel of eight judges of high repute. And as AllBright members themselves, we were lucky enough to speak with two of the judges. Introducing, award-winning social entrepreneur, broadcaster, and co-CEO of Belu, Natalie Campbell MBE, and Head of Sustainable Investments at Stonehage Fleming, Mona Shah.
Natalie joined Stonehage Fleming’s UK advisory board in 2020, helping shape engagement opportunities, campaigns, and conversations around Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Mona acts as portfolio manager to Stonehage Fleming’s multi-asset and equity-only sustainable investment strategies, contributes to multi-asset investment strategy and research, and is a member of the Investment Committee. Let’s hear their takes on the SFXV.
Why is it a positive thing to launch an initiative like Stonehage Fleming XV?
Natalie: We launched SFXV to spotlight brilliant women – to give them a moment to have their names in lights. Currently, the wealth industry doesn’t focus on women. The research available in terms of their behaviours, attitudes, needs, and requirements is out of date and although there are programmes available, they appeal to a very specific segment. We wanted to create something new, that’s relevant and will appeal to a diverse group.
Mona: Too often, our industry has made the mistake of treating women as one homogenous group. There has been this sense that once you speak to some women, you have ‘cracked’ the women’s market. SFXV is a way for us to demonstrate that we understand that not all female clients are the same. Not all creative clients are the same. Not all Black clients are the same. It’s time for us to show that we think differently and that we tailor our services to meet the needs of our clients as individuals.
Why is it important for businesses like Stonehage Fleming to amplify the voices of women?
Natalie: Women make up 50% of the population. Any business that doesn’t take their voices seriously is going to be left behind. Women are generating substantial wealth as founders and entrepreneurs, but also as CEOs, business leaders, and philanthropists. We’re not talking about inherited wealth or wealth created alongside another family member. Women are doing this independently and it’s important for firms to take notice and create opportunities to form strong relationships. SF XV is a demonstration of Stonehage Fleming’s commitment to supporting women on their wealth journey.
Mona: Amplifying the voice of any underrepresented group is worthwhile. Many of the women clients I work with have no investment experience. Yet, they are the people who tend to be more conscientious about reading materials in advance and asking the tougher questions I enjoy answering. By amplifying the voices of women through SFXV, we start to show that we welcome their questions and that our ‘normal’ is a wide diversity of clients.
What is the value of building a community like the SFXV network?
Natalie: Personally, I have always found networks professionally enriching. City Hive – an advocacy group for inclusion in investment management – has given me valuable opportunities to gather with a diverse group of people. AllBright is another. I have learned so much by connecting with a community of women who may think like me but are working in different industries and approach things from fresh angles. I think SFXV will create a community that mimics that.
Mona: One of the hardest things in business, as you make your leadership journey, is finding like-minded people. With SFXV we are curating a ready-made community of women who want to support and champion each other’s journeys – it’s a sort of new-style members club.
What do you hope to get out of the experience of being a judge?
Natalie: I have the privilege of meeting many amazing women on a daily basis. The SFXV is an opportunity to stop and celebrate them in a meaningful way. I’m excited to see some new names – some fresh blood – who redefine what it means to be a woman and wealthy today.
Mona: I am very curious about people and enjoy meeting women who have overcome something and gone on to achieve. It will be great to be part of an initiative that creates a new community of like-minded people and join them on that journey.
What traits will you be looking for in an ideal SFXV candidate?
Natalie: Focusing on only financial performance is an outdated model of business and it’s becoming commonplace to think more broadly about success and wealth. We want to shine the spotlight on women who also demonstrate intellectual, social, and cultural capital. I will be looking for women who are changing the way people think and experience art, culture, and philanthropy, people providing a new reference point for young girls of what it looks like to be successful.
Mona: I will be looking for a person who hasn’t been afraid to take a blank sheet of paper and build something totally different. I think that is particularly interesting when you are talking about an all-female pool of candidates because, in my experience, women are more susceptible to imposter syndrome. It makes it all the more impressive when someone has been able to put all precedents aside and forge their own path.
Hearing Natalie and Mona speak about the SFXV initiative and knowing our smart-minded, ambitious community of AllBright women, we know it’s a match made in heaven.
So, let’s get granular. SFXV candidates should be UK-based and from a variety of sectors. They can nominate themselves or be nominated by Stonehage Fleming ambassadors, management and staff, and clients and friends of the firm, as well as the general public by Saturday 16 July 2022. For more information on the criteria and submission process, head to the dedicated website.
With the ambition to roll out the awards to other Stonehage Fleming offices in North America, South Africa, and Europe, don’t miss the chance to be part of the very first SFXV cohort.
What are you waiting for? Nominate the extraordinary women in your life today.
Disclaimer
AllBright cannot guarantee that all of the information provided in this video or article is accurate. Use the information provided on our website at your own risk. If you wish to make an investment you should seek independent financial advice before doing so, and ensure that you have carried out your own research on the product or company that you are investing in. Any advice provided is not tailored to anyone’s individual situation, as each individual is in a different situation. AllBright does not accept any liability whatsoever for any action taken or losses incurred as a result of the information provided on our site.