Published: March 13, 2025
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, colleagues and guest speakers took part in a special event at Unity’s head office in Brindleyplace, Birmingham.
Organised by the bank’s employee-led ‘Health, Wellbeing & Welfare’ and ‘Equality, Diversity & Inclusion’ pillars, Unity staff came together to champion women’s achievements, reflect on their own personal experiences and raise awareness about gender equality.
Data from The World Economic Forum estimates that it will take another 134 years to reach full gender parity based on the current rate of progress.
This year’s campaign is titled ‘Accelerate Action’ and calls for greater urgency in addressing barriers and biases women face in the world.
During a special panel discussion chaired by Penny Hogan, Chief Finance Officer at Unity, colleagues heard inspiring stories about people’s personal and professional experiences.
A range of topics were discussed including addressing unconscious bias, the importance of self-belief and determination and making sure women’s voices are heard.
Natallie Wright, Enterprise Risk Manager and one of the leaders of Unity’s Health, Wellbeing & Welfare pillar, said: “It’s so important that we all come together to support International Women’s Day and try to make a difference for women everywhere.
“The positive feedback we’ve had has reinforced why I am proud to get involved and help organise events like this. I am also proud to work for Unity; for supporting our people and encouraging us to bring the best of ourselves to the workplace and inspiring us to be bold.
“Listening to the amazing panel of speakers I was able to resonate with what was said which helped me to reflect in my own career journey and how my experiences have shaped who I am today and become authentically me.
“If we continue to empower, inspire and uplift each other to #acceleration, we will achieve gender parity.”
Unity’s external guest speakers were Jennie Koo and Scarlett Allen Horton.
Jennie is Regional Branch Chair and Exec Board Member of Women in Banking & Finance and is passionate about supporting women achieve their full career potential and bolster female contribution to the economy.
She talked about the valuable work of WIBF, a not-for-profit, volunteer-led social enterprise which supports businesses and individuals working in the finance sector and promotes diversity and gender equality.
Scarlett was a finalist in the BBC’s Apprentice and is founder of Harper Fox Partners which specialises in recruitment to technology engineering, transport and energy renewables. The company has achieved a 43% diverse talent representation in placements compared to an industry average of 11%.
Scarlett shared details about her career path, the valuable lessons she’s learned along the way and how being true to yourself and being heard is so important.
The panel also included Unity colleagues Colin Fyfe, CEO; Niki Barker, Chief People Officer; Anthony Parker-Stewart, Chief Transformation Officer; Megan Reeves, Relationship Support Officer and Sukhie Gakhal, Relationship Manager.
Sukhie, who is one of the leaders of Unity’s ED&I pillar, said: “It was a privilege to be part of the panel. It was an empowering, inspirational and uplifting event.
“The panellists provided practical insights on how equality and inclusion allows us to challenge and rebalance social structures making room for everyone to thrive.
“’Accelerate Action’ is not just a theme – it’s a call to push forward with purpose, ensuring gender equality isn’t just an aspiration but a reality.
“Progress happens when we move beyond conversations and take tangible steps, whether it’s mentoring women into leadership roles, challenging bias in the workplace or advocating for equal opportunities. Every action counts.
“Over the years I have seen first hand how empowering women in business and finance leads to stronger communities and a more inclusive economy.
“Let’s commit to not just talking about change but accelerating it.”
Unity is a signatory of HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter and is committed to ensuring that all roles are open to everyone, regardless of gender. At present, 50 per cent of Unity leaders are female.
Niki Barker, who shared her own inspiring story during the panel discussion, said: “At Unity we’re committed to creating an environment that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion, where everyone is valued and treated with dignity and respect.
“ED&I is a fundamental part of our people strategy. The bank has done a phenomenal job over a number of years and we will continue to build on this and keep having the right conversations.”
Unity has five employee-led pillars – Health Wellbeing & Welfare, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Grants & Donations, Community Growth and Green.
These initiatives provide a vibrant and engaging employee experience to support a wide range of initiatives for staff, customers and communities.
