A number of senior executive women from Australia's financial services sector have joined together to form a new mentoring program.
Co-founded by Financial Recruitment Group (FRG) managing director, Judith Beck, 10 women from areas of distribution within the country's financial services sector have formed a new initiative, Financial Executive Women (FEW), and developed a program called FEW Next Steps.
Beck said she had already secured commitment from the "top 1 per cent of impressive and successful women in financial services" to get FEW off the ground.
They include Colonial First State northern regional investments manager Linda Stangherlin, Colonial First State general manager Marianne Perkovic and Simple Wrap managing director Krystyna Weston.
"Already our concept has leaked and I am getting several phone calls from women who want to be involved and this is only after a few weeks - I think FEW will take off very quickly," Beck said.
"FEW will help women to take on their next corporate role and will discuss with them the common mistakes women make when moving into their next role."
"In addition, FEW will help women in next step positions by providing guidance, coaching, and mentoring. We want to help women develop better networks and stronger profiles in the market and develop a forum where members feel free to discuss business issues in confidence. This is what we feel will really help women to be on an equal playing ground."
She said the 10 founders would set the qualifications required for the invitees in three categories.
Invitee women will need to meet set criteria to ensure the highest of standards. The purpose will be for the original 10 founding members, who are currently at general manager and senior management level, to sponsor the next level of women or FEW Next Steps and that level will sponsor the FEW beginners to help mentor them in their careers. Each level will grow through an invitee process.
Beck said FEW would look at issues facing women in finance who were currently in senior management positions.
The concept behind FEW was devised while Beck conducted this year's IFA/FRG Remuneration survey.
She said it had always been part of her process when interviewing women to advise them to stop being so modest about their achievements and blow their trumpet louder.
"Women tend to take their achievements as just part of their job, whilst their male counterparts will very quickly point them out to their boss or potential employers," she said.
She said she had wondered what would happen if senior women actually helped the next steppers and beginners in guiding them in their careers - if in 10 years we would see a difference.
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