Features / banking
‘The power of role models is immense’
Diverse role models are key to inspiring young people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in banking, according to one of the sector’s most senior women.
Addressing students at Merchants’ Academy in Withywood, Alison Rose spoke out about what it’s like being the only woman in the room, the impact of Brexit and why she hopes the face of the industry is changing for good.
The newly-appointed deputy chief executive of NatWest was in Bristol for the launch of Scale Up for Growth, a new programme that brings together experts from UWE Bristol, NatWest and law firm Foot Anstey, to deliver grant funding, support and training to businesses in the West with ambitious growth plans.
“To have a really thriving economy, we need a thriving entrepreneurial community,” Rose told Bristol24/7.
Alison Rose says diverse role models are key to encouraging people from all backgrounds into banking
Talking about NatWest’s Entrepreneurial Accelerator hub, based near Temple Meads, she said that many people are put off from starting their own business due to fear of failure and not knowing where to go for help and support.
“We found that 48 per cent of entrepreneurs are female,” continued Rose. “There is not a problem with women not wanting to start businesses, but when you look at statistics, there is a lower proportion of female businesses so there is a real untapped potential.
“We are trying to speak directly to entrepreneurs and see what we can be doing to help.”
Rose, who is hotly tipped as favourite to take over from Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Ross McEwan when he stands down, is currently leading a review looking at barriers preventing women from starting their own business. The findings will be presented to the Government in the spring of 2019.
Speaking to students about her own career path and ambitions, she said: “I joined the bank because I thought it would be challenging and exciting and you would always be learning.
“For a large part of my career, I have been the only woman in the room and it can be really intimidating walking into a room and being the only woman.
“It’s not that they are not supportive, but you stand out so people always remember you.”
With Brexit chaos threatening to disrupt Britain’s economy, Rose believes it’s important to create an environment that enables businesses to thrive and said NatWest has launched a £3 billion growth fund to help businesses through the uncertainty.
On the future of banking, she continued: “I think changes in technology are really exciting and will change the banking sector enormously.
“Banks have got to change how they do things. We have got to imagine a different future and we can either be scared of that or think it’s a really exciting opportunity.
“We are very much looking at the opportunities in places like Bristol. We support 500 businesses in the region and employ more than 1,000 staff, so for us it’s a really important region.
“I am very hopeful that the face of banking will change. When I started my career, I really was the only woman in the room. NatWest now has 37 per cent women in the top three tiers of senior roles.
“We are very clear we want gender diversity to be 50/50.”
Alison tells students to always be themselves
Giving advice to the students at Merchants’ Academy, she added: “Not everything will go right. We have had some terrible disasters in my career. It’s not that you make mistakes, it’s how you learn from them.
“Always be yourself – never feel pressure to be anything but yourself.”
Rose told Bristol24/7 that she feels it’s important to break down preconceptions about roles and talk about opportunities available.
She added: “The power of role models is immense because unless you can see it, the view is that you cannot do it.”
Read more: Bristol’s female entrepreneurs boost economy by £67 million
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