Celebrating leadership, inclusion and impact

The Hilton London Bankside sparkled with energy and purpose on 19 November, as the industry gathered for the Women & Diversity in Credit Awards 2025.

Hosted by the brilliant Maisie Adam, the evening honoured the trailblazers, innovators and advocates shaping a fairer, more inclusive future across credit and financial services - both internally and for their customers.

This year’s winners demonstrated professional excellence but also courage, allyship and a deep commitment to lifting others as they rise.

You can find the full list of winners here.

Shining a Light on Those Leading the Way 

Saima Hassan of Phillips & Cohen Associates received Business Leader of the Year, while HSBC UK’s Journey ERG earned Diversity Network of the Year for their visibility, influence and powerful community-building.

Jess McGlynn of Marston Holdings was crowned Allyship Champion of the Year, recognised for her unwavering commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and driving meaningful change. Marston Holdings also took home Employer of the Year and won Inclusive Workplace Initiative of the Year for their transformative Marston Academy. It is a testament to their commitment to building environments where all employees can thrive.

Championing Human Impact

Cath Ready of Updraft received the Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting a career built on mentorship, resilience, and industry-shaping contribution.

The Inspirational Trailblazer Award, a judges award, was given to Jordanne Whiley who rose from a childhood spent in hospital to become a 13-time Grand Slam and Paralympic medal-winning athlete. After retiring, she rebuilt her career in property finance, becoming COO of Hearthstone Mortgages and now strives to inspire the next generation.

Our second judges award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, went to Andrew Slatford who brings over 35 years of European financial-services leadership, shaping major acquisitions and credit strategies across global institutions, becoming a respected industry figure.

The evening also served as a powerful moment of generosity, with an incredible £4,765 raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. This cause is especially close to our Women & Diversity in Credit steering committee through Rula Samara-Sellers, Head of Customer Experience at Novuna, who bravely spoke on stage about her remarkable daughter, Layla, who lives with Cystic Fibrosis.

If you would like to contribute, you can donate here.

The DE&I Survey Now Live

For the second year we’re running the DE&I Survey, giving you the chance to influence leaders, boards and now as secretariats of the APPG on Responsible Credit, policy makers in Parliament too.

Your insights are critical into ensuring we are putting our focus at Credit Strategy in the right place and highlights where the industry still has room to grow and change for the better. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw for a complimentary Credit Week ticket.

Mentoring Programme Re-Opened

We also launched the second round of our 3-month mentoring programme, designed to foster personal and professional growth and break barriers through empowerment, awareness, and allyship. With three tailored mentoring pathways, career development, building confidence or building your personal brand.

Click here to find more and join the programme either as a mentor or mentee.

Partnership with Male Allies UK

We are also proud to announce a new partnership with Male Allies UK, focused on engaging male professionals, normalising allyship across credit and financial services and strengthening industry-wide participation in inclusion.

This collaboration ensures allyship becomes everyone’s responsibility not just a women’s issue.

A Steering Committee Leading the Charge

The Women & Diversity in Credit Steering Committee has been the engine behind launching the first industry DE&I Survey, presenting findings in Parliament, developing a new Allyship Toolkit, reopening the mentoring programme and in 2025 hosting 12 NETworking from Home sessions dedicated to DE&I.

A huge thank you to Claire Moore, who has served brilliantly as Co-Chair over the past two years. While she steps down from the Chair role, she remains a core part of the committee and its mission.

We are delighted to announce that Victoria Loosmore will now step into the role of Chair as a leader whose vision and commitment will continue driving this movement forward.

A Future Built on Inclusion

The Women & Diversity in Credit Awards 2025 once again demonstrated the power of representation, allyship and diverse leadership.

Last night was a celebration but also a reminder that change does not come from one organisation, one programme or one award. It comes from a community committed to progress, consistently and relentlessly.

Congratulations to all winners, finalists and contributors. Your achievements are redefining what a fairer, more inclusive industry looks like.

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