J.P. Morgan said to be 'closing the gap' for women in London

The firm's women-friendly workplace policies are heralded by Mayor.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and research group Women in London’s Economy (WILE) have identified J.P. Morgan’s workplace policies as among the most “innovative and women-friendly” in the city of London.

Speaking at a panel event on Monday to mark the launch of “Closing the Gap,” the mayor’s best-practice guide to female-friendly workplace policies, Carol Lake, head of Sponsorship, Philanthropy and Diversity in EMEA, said, “Attracting the best and brightest women to financial services and keeping them there is a priority. Senior management ownership and accountability of this agenda have helped to ensure that J.P. Morgan continues to meet and exceed the evolving needs of talented women at all stages of their careers.”

Since the formation of the Inclusive Leadership Council (ILC) in 2006, chaired by Bill Winters, and its “female retention workgroup,” run by Klaus Diederichs, head of Investment Banking Europe, J.P. Morgan’s female retention efforts have been actively driven by senior management. Last year, the female retention workgroup helped to design and run workshops for MDs in EMEA in order to challenge preconceived ideas about female employees and to provide managers with practical tools to better engage and empower their female employees. This year, the workgroup intends to roll out an ED mentoring program.