Financial services leadership is still too dominated by a privileged few, says for Lord Mayor Vincent Keaveny

When I served as Lord Mayor of London, I often heard the City described as a meritocracy. Yet, behind the polished façades and success stories, I saw the hidden barriers that still shape who truly gets ahead. That experience cemented my belief that opportunity in financial services must be open to all – not just those who look, sound, or network in a certain way.

That conviction is now backed by hard data. Progress Together’s latest report, produced in collaboration with The Bridge Group reveals that employees from lower socio-economic backgrounds take 16 per cent longer to reach senior roles than their more privileged peers, without any link to performance. Men from higher socio-economic backgrounds are 3.4 times more likely to progress into leadership than women from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Meanwhile, London – home to over half of the sector’s senior roles – remains the least socio-economically diverse region, with 60 per cent of........

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