Addressing important issues, including gender equality, diversity and inclusion and sustainability, this year’s list applauds women who are pioneering new ways of working and thinking. They are driving significant institutional progress to make the City a better place, and encouraging others to do the same. The three judges reviewed a longlist of peer-nominated candidates and applied rigorous shortlisting criteria. We thank them and congratulate those who made the list.
This year’s inspiring cohort of women each demonstrates that determination will result in progressive transformation.
Charlie Bronks
Group Head of Sustainability, Crown Agents Bank
Bronks has a strong track record of delivering meaningful change in complex regulated environments. At Crown Agents Bank, she leads the ESG strategy, having designed and implemented a comprehensive approach that led to B Corp certification, a Platinum EcoVadis global sustainability rating and the organisation’s transition to a PLC. Her experience spans financial services, international development and fundraising, enabling her to align commercial priorities with global impact. She is a board trustee of the UN Global Compact Network UK, an advisory board member at ESGmark® and co-chair of the Payments Association’s ESG Working Group. A former Rugby World Cup winner, she draws on the same discipline, collaboration and drive in her working life.
Abby Ghafoor
CEO, ARC Management Consulting LTD
Ghafoor is the CEO of Arc Management Consulting, a London- and Paris-based firm specialising in marketing and business consultancy across a wide range of sectors. Known for her commercial insight and collaborative approach, and with over 25 years’ experience in strategic marketing and management, she supports corporates and brands to drive growth, improve performance and navigate change through clarity, innovation and strategic execution. She is chair of the London Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Advisory Board as well as Women on Boards CIC, reflecting her commitment to effective leadership and governance.
Sharon Thomas
Founder and Managing Director, Black Counsel Forum
With over two decades’ experience, Thomas has held senior in-house legal leadership roles in the technology and professional services industry. A true champion of social-impact entrepreneurship, and the founder of the Black Counsel Forum, she has established a powerful platform for Black legal professionals to connect, learn and thrive. In 2025, she was named Business Leader of the Year at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards and was chosen for the Class of 2025 of The Women Who Will report, honouring women who exemplify leadership, vision and action in the legal profession.
Callie Lombard
Global Head, Corporate Strategic Solutions, Barclays
The decision to transition from a legal career led to not only a change of continents to head Barclays in Gibraltar, but also the opportunity for Lombard to pursue her career in the UK. She became actively involved in Win UK’s Gender ERG, initially leading the WIBF/Barclays relationship, which then expanded to more involvement in Win UK. Today, as co-chair of Win UK, ICB Global Inclusion lead, and a co-lead of the Corporate Gender Council, she passionately pursues the fostering of a diverse and inclusive workplace. Alongside these roles, Lombard is global head of Corporate Strategic Solutions, with extensive experience in corporate banking, escrows, securitisations and captive insurance.
Maudlyn Akosua Awuku
Founder and CEO, Anijie Global Foundation, Gewe Network
Awuku has empowered over 60,000 women and youths over the past 10 years across Africa and the UK, championing education, gender equality and climate action, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through her organisations, she has donated 10,000 resources, including books, sanitary pads and vocational training materials to marginalised communities. Currently acting as policy strategist and consultant, she has worked with the UNDP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ghana, represented UN Women UK as a delegate to the UN, and serves as an advocate for 50:50 Parliament UK.
Annette Bannister
Managing Director, HEAD of Infrastructure Debt, EMEA, Metlife Investment Management Bannister’s career began in 2005, working for Société Générale and Barclays Capital before moving to institutional investment at AMP Capital in 2011. She joined MIM in 2015 and has led the EMEA Infrastructure Debt team since 2019. She co-launched a women’s network in the London office in the same year. Having spent her career as one of the few women in the room, she wanted to help create a supportive community for female colleagues to feel heard and to offer younger women allyship and guidance.
Lucie Risley
Chief Financial Officer, International Bar Association
Risley, FCCA, has over 20 years’ experience across insurance and regulated financial services. Eight years ago, she made a shift to the not-for-profit sector, bringing her expertise to causes close to her heart – education, public interest, the rule of law and human rights. She has spearheaded major governance, compliance, finance, risk, strategic transformation and reporting initiatives, working with the CII, LCCI and IBA. She is celebrated for her integrity, inclusivity and ability to create cultures where people thrive. Affiliated with IBA Human Rights Institute Trust and eyeWitness to Atrocities, she is a passionate mentor to students and professionals in career development.
Karen Chukwu
Founder and Managing Partner, Katwig & Dale
Chukwu is founder of Katwig & Dale, a women-led African law firm advising startups, entrepreneurs and investors across emerging markets. In 2024, she received a UK grant to investigate and design models that support sustainable startup growth in sub-Saharan Africa. She has served on the SIDA– NatWest Group Advisory Panel on human rights and supply chain accountability in finance. She founded the Katwig Kare Foundation, which offers free health support to underserved women, and established the Karen Chukwu Scholarship Fund, sponsoring African students to pursue tertiary education, digital skills and law school.
Charlotte Dukes
Vice President, UK Credit Sales, Natwest
With experience in credit sales across top UK banks, Dukes is also a key activist in women’s football and a believer in social mobility as an enabler for young people in financial services. She is involved in the Career Ready programme at NatWest, offering state-school students work experience to facilitate a foundation in financial services. At her Victoria Park Vixens football club, in collaboration with the Bloomsbury Foundation, she has run a programme encouraging women to have career role models, while developing confidence and ambition. Dukes has just been chosen to join the English Schools’ Football Association as a girl’s football specialist, working with brands to demonstrate the power of the game, both on and off the pitch.
Sarah Flambard
Legal Senior Manager, Commodities and Global Markets, Macquarie
Flambard is an award-winning lawyer, Black British Business Awards 2025 finalist, and changemaker driving equity and inclusion across finance, tech and community. At Macquarie, she advises on complex cross-border derivative deals and, as co-lead of the Black Employee Network and a member of its DEI committee, plays a strategic role in shaping inclusion. Beyond work, she founded We Are Here, a tech-for-good platform mapping free services for people facing hidden homelessness. As a trustee at Hackney Quest, she champions youth empowerment and social mobility.
Roselyn Cason-Marcus
Global Director of Senior Hiring and Affinity, McKinsey & Company
Cason-Marcus has over two decades’ experience in executive talent acquisition, career coaching and leadership development. She is also in the Leadership Circle of Women for Women International. Her strategic leadership has made significant contributions to McKinsey’s growth, broadening sourcing channels, hosting targeted external events and launching tailored communications campaigns. Global programmes created and launched under her leadership include Women in the Workplace breakfast series, Power of Togetherness, convening 400+ leaders across global events, and harnessing the power of creative media, including the Flowers & Crowns podcast LinkedIn Live session.
Michaela Gibson
Head of DEI Transformation and Programme Management, Phoenix Group
Known for her transformative leadership, Gibson founded the Insurance Families Network in 2018, supporting women returning to work after having children. As mother to two neurodivergent children, she is a passionate advocate for disability and neurodivergent inclusion. The IFN has grown to over 2,000 members and now includes groups focused on working dads, domestic abuse and fertility. It is an accredited Inclusion Partner Network at Lloyd’s and also works with organisations such as Career Returners, GAIN and Give Your Best. In 2022, she launched the 50overFifty photography exhibition with Fiona Freund, celebrating contributions of women over 50 in insurance.
Caroline Graham
Head of Legal Operations and Transformation, Howden Insurance
Graham is a passionate advocate for gender equality and the advancement of women’s rights. Her leadership of Win, the Gender Resource Group, saw sustainable fundraising initiatives raise more than £350,000 for women’s charities, early careers initiatives growing the female talent pipeline, and the successful franchising of Win across markets in APAC and Europe, adapting the UK model to local requirements. She acts as corporate ambassador for the Smart Works charity, and is consulted by private and public bodies for her input into in-house and external initiatives to advance the gender agenda. She established Respond!, a colleague taskforce, to end violence towards women and promote awareness of gender-based violence.
Dawn Kelly
Partner, Oliver Wyman
Kelly works to transform some of the world’s largest financial institutions, bringing a blend of strategy, innovation and change management. In 2023, she co-founded the MEF2C Foundation, which partners with scientists to accelerate groundbreaking research to develop treatment for those with MEF2C Haploinsufficiency syndrome, a rare genetic condition her nephew was diagnosed with. She is currently one of the charity’s trustees, providing support to families newly diagnosed around the world.
Amandeep Khasriya
Consultant Solicitor, Moore Barlow LLP
A highly regarded lawyer, Khasriya has been a key member of the team instructed on some of London’s most high-profile legal cases, including the tragic Wimbledon Study Prep crash and the Strand incident of 18 March. She is also an advocate for gender equality and social mobility, and at Moore Barlow LLP she serves as chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Beyond her firm, she chairs the Women Solicitors Network at the Law Society, where she influences policy across the profession. She is also a Law Advisory Board member at Roehampton University and a key contributor to the Be The Ladder awards and foundation.
Lisa Ardley-Price
Managing Legal Counsel; Global Co-Chair, Gender Net Work, National Westminster Bank PLC
Ardley-Price is a senior financial-services lawyer with over 15 years’ experience across top law firms and banking. At NatWest, she leads over 9,000 members and 300 volunteers, championing gender equity and embedding inclusion into the company’s DNA. Alongside her mentoring work, she co-founded Hera, a community uplifting women across the legal field, and co-leads learning strategy for NatWest’s Legal & Regulatory Affairs team. Her impact has been recognised with multiple awards, including the 2024 Women in Banking and Finance Judges’ Award and inclusion in INvolve x YouTube HERoes and Kindness & Leadership’s 50 Leading Lights.
Siona Lamble
Deposits Pricing Lead, Commercial and Institutional, Natwest Group
With an extensive career in treasury, Lamble transitioned into pricing and now manages the deposits pricing strategy for a range of NatWest Group customers. Previously, she served as co-chair of the NatWest Gender Network, where she oversaw 9,000 members and 250+ volunteers, sponsoring significant initiatives. She lobbied senior executives for equal parental leave – writing the business case while on maternity leave – which resulted in NatWest being the first major high-street bank to announce the policy. She is deeply committed to mentorship and has been recognised in the INvolve Top 100 Heroes and shortlisted in both the WeAreTheCity Champion awards and Women’s Recognition Awards for best DEI Leadership.
Laura Ann Moore
Founder, Mind Money Soul LTD
A leading voice in financial wellbeing, Moore is a business owner, qualified financial coach, financial education speaker, content creator and podcast host. She redefines financial literacy in a relatable way by challenging outdated narratives around money, creating a more inclusive financial landscape for women. She has featured in media, including BBC London TV news, sharing saving tips to over 6.1 million viewers, and in publications such as the Financial Times, The Times and The Telegraph, including being spotlighted in FT Adviser. She has a growing community of over 80,000+ across social platforms, providing hours of free educational content.
Laura Negus
Investment Office Associate, Rothschild & Co
A CFA Charterholder who passed all three levels on first attempt, Negus started out on the graduate scheme at Barclays before moving to Rothschild & Co, where she was a runner-up in its Women’s Network Rising Star Award. In 2024, she co-founded the group’s Sustainability Spheres, an industry event series bringing together stakeholders to address environmental and social challenges. Negus is also a mentor and, through the Access Project, helps young people navigate academic and career pathways. She raised over £5,000 running the London Marathon and in 2025 was chosen for the Diversity Project Pathway Programme.
Anu Chhabra
Founder, Women in Finance Group
Chhabra is a seasoned investment professional with a stellar career spanning hedge funds and private markets, where she has led capitalraising efforts across EMEA for top-tier asset managers. Beyond her commercial success, she is the founder of the Women in Finance Group, a thriving professional platform with over 1,600 members. It is now one of the most impactful networks for women in financial services, offering an educational platform, networking opportunities, thought-leadership research and access to senior industry figures. Chhabra’s dual legacy of driving performance in capital markets while advancing gender equity in finance marks her as both a strategic leader and an agent of positive change within the industry.
Alexandra Noble
Director, Noble & Associates
With a distinguished City career spanning 40 years, Noble is a pioneering leader whose work exemplifies innovation, integrity and impact across London’s financial-services sector. Today, she provides independent strategic advice to pension funds, asset managers and charities, with a focus on business growth, process and development. She also mentors the next generation of leaders, driving inclusive leadership. She played a formative role in Pensions for Purpose, helping to encourage pension funds to invest intentionally and align with long-term social and environmental goals, and is chair of Future-Fit Limited, a company that supports businesses in aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Brigid North
London Office Managing Partner; Partner in Real Estate, Reed Smith LLP
North has excelled in commercial real estate while promoting a workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent and provides opportunity for all. As managing partner at the London office, home to 650 people, she is a passionate mentor, driving initiatives to encourage applications from a diverse talent pool. In her role as vice-chair of Reed Smith’s Women’s Initiative Network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, she was committed to creating more opportunities for women at work and supporting them throughout their careers.
Asha Patel
Sales Trader, Instinet Incorporated
A trailblazer in fostering inclusion and empowerment in financial services, Patel is also passionate about paying it forward. She drove the Career Pathways initiative, bridging the gap between senior and junior colleagues and led Instinet’s collaboration with Perfectly Imperfect Prints, creating an opportunity for a disabled woman to design artwork used in communications globally. She sits on Nomura’s Junior Talent Board and spearheads a variety of awareness-raising events to educate others on the importance of inclusion. She is a trustee for The Women’s Council, empowering individuals who care for those living with disabilities, and writes financial-literacy blogs in her role as an ambassador for Little Lives UK.
Carolyn Saunders
Partner, Dentons
A visionary leader with over 30 years’ expertise, Saunders has consistently driven innovation, inclusion and sustainability in the pensions and financial-services industries. She is widely recognised for her leadership in promoting trustee responsibility around climate change and biodiversity, and her progressive thinking around social risk integration and ESG investment. As a member of the PLSA Policy Board, she helps shape the UK’s approach to pensions governance and long-term sustainability, and has led sector-wide initiatives on diversity and inclusion.
Johanne Penney
Founder and CEO, Amp Up Your Voice
Penney is a force in the inclusion space – an award-winning CEO, strategist and speaker reshaping how leadership approaches equity, culture and power. Through her consultancy firm, she partners with executive teams to deliver bold, long-term inclusion strategies across sectors – from beauty to energy, law and the NHS. She has worked with over 150 organisations and delivered 100+ talks, including powerful keynotes that drive real change. Her practical guide, The Roadmap to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, helps leaders turn good intentions into measurable action. She recently won Best Inclusion & Empowerment Consultancy Firm 2025 from SME News, and also serves as a trustee for Action for Trustee Racial Diversity and Black Production Management UK.
Katrina Puggioni
Regulatory Development Lead, Barclays Bank PLC
Puggioni is widely respected both for her technical expertise and commitment to inclusion and community impact. She is mentor to junior colleagues and actively participates in Barclays’ award-winning Race at Work Reverse Mentoring programme. She previously served as president of Toastmasters International’s Women in Banking and Finance Club, helping early career professionals build confidence and find their voice. She is currently leading a fundraising initiative for a swimming club in southeast London, and has worked with the Family Rights Group through the Pilotlight Citizenship Programme, shaping their strategic funding plan.
Sajna Rahman
Customer Experience and Leadership Consultant, Tomorrow Meets Today
Rahman has over 25 years’ experience across the built environment, global workplaces and service industries. She founded the global leadership programme Think Transform Thrive, empowering hundreds of professionals – particularly women and ethnically diverse talent – to step confidently into senior roles. She is also the visionary behind Tomorrow Meets Today, an award-winning initiative that connects future leaders with C-suite executives through high-impact networking experiences. She was named a WeAreTheCity Rising Star in the Entrepreneur/Start-Up category and has also developed bespoke customer-service training programmes for renowned destinations such as The Leadenhall Building.
Harriet Roberts
Partner, Oliver Wyman
Roberts has an impressive track record of working with a diverse array of clients, including leading global banks, prominent global market infrastructure companies, innovative technology and data services providers. As part of her work, she has supported both banks and non-banks through some of the largest and seminal mergers and acquisitions of recent years. As Oliver Wyman’s lead on People and Talent for Financial Services, she is a passionate advocate for the importance of diversity in thought, experience and skill sets across the financial-services sector, and actively promotes this through her leadership in women in financial services and private capital events and talent management initiatives.
Sonali Siriwardena
Partner and Global Head, ESG, Simmons & Simmons
A true thought leader, spearheading groundbreaking efforts to integrate environmental, social and governance principles into core business operations, Siriwardena stands at the forefront of driving positive institutional change. She leads Simmons & Simmons’ comprehensive advisory offering on ESG matters, developing and implementing a global strategy that provides market-leading advice to clients navigating the complex ESG landscape. She is a respected member of the ESG Advisory Committee of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is on the board of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association.
Lesley Sackey
CEO, Pillow; Founder, Fight Forward
Sackey is a survivor-turned-thriver, social impact founder and former GB boxer and gold medallist. She is the founder of Pillow, an early tech startup co-created with survivors to support women rebuilding their lives after abuse. She also founded Fight Forward, a not for profit that uses boxing to support the mental health of survivors of domestic abuse. Blending sport, sisterhood and healing, Fight Forward has been featured by the BBC and Channel 4 and been aided by grassroots and national partners alike. She recently spoke at London Tech Week with Martha Lane Fox, spotlighting “Survivor Innovation” and the power of tech when designed with – not just for – those it serves.
Laura-May Scott
Partner, Reed Smith
Scott was made partner at Reed Smith at 35 years old, having swapped a career in musical theatre in the West End in her twenties for corporate life in the legal world. As a commercial litigator with expertise in insurance recovery, she is regularly individually ranked in Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK for insurance litigation and is a partner lead for pro bono work at Reed Smith. She led the Afghanistan Working Group, helping evacuate civilians from Afghanistan in 2021, and is a key driver of the firm’s racial justice work, leading on projects for charities including UNJUST and the Prison Advice and Care Trust. She is also vice chair of Reed Smith’s Women’s Initiative Network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Ali Trauttmansdorff
Chief People Officer, BMS Group
A remarkable HR leader and accomplished age-group triathlete, Trauttmansdorff previously held senior roles at Rothschild & Co and Goldman Sachs. Her work is rooted in purpose–designing inclusive people strategies that promote equity, wellbeing and performance. She is known for championing holistic support for employees, covering mental, financial, physical and family health, and for embedding behavioural “nudges” to drive positive workplace change. After having her second child, she took up triathlons and discovered a talent, representing Great Britain in age-group competitions and achieving personal bests well into her 50s.
Katie Vye
Head, Better With Money LTD (NatWest Cushon)
Having spent more than 23 years in financial services, Vye has risen from grassroots roles to drive purpose-led leadership, embedding inclusion, accessibility and social impact into the company’s mission. Under her guidance, Better with Money continues to raise significant awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer in memory of founder Jo Thresher. Vye plays an active role in the wider industry, chairing a Financial Education Committee workstream in The Investing & Saving Alliance, which unites major financial service providers to promote financial literacy. She is also vice-chair of a school governing body. Her leadership blends commercial success with a deep commitment to making finance more accessible for everyone.
Follow Brummell on Instagram @brummellmag for insights from this year’s inspirational women and a glimpse behind the scenes of the photoshoot
Photography captured in the Elicyon-designed apartment at 60 Curzon, Mayfair
