New Girls in Finance Champion Appointed by Chancellor

The Chancellor has appointed Nationwide Constructing Society CEO Dame Debbie Crosbie as the brand new Girls in Finance champion, as ministers step up the stress on the Metropolis to go additional and sooner on girls’s development to senior roles. 

Dame Debbie succeeds Aviva CEO Dame Amanda Blanc, whose tenure noticed senior feminine illustration in key finance roles soar from 32% to 36% in addition to main the cost on strengthening the pipeline for ladies into monetary companies. 

As Champion, Dame Debbie will proceed to drive momentum behind the HM Treasury Girls in Finance Constitution, which covers greater than 440 companies and goals to enhance the illustration of ladies in senior management to spice up the productiveness and progress of UK monetary companies.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, mentioned:

Once I turned Chancellor, I mentioned my time in workplace can be successful if extra younger girls and ladies knew there ought to be no ceiling on their ambition and no restrict to what they will obtain. 

The Girls in Finance Constitution is a key software to realize that progress. I thank Amanda for her distinctive management over the previous 5 years, and look ahead to working with Debbie as she takes on the mantle.

Dame Amanda Blanc mentioned:  

I’m extremely happy with the progress made throughout my time as Girls in Finance Champion. 

There may be nonetheless a lot extra to do to achieve parity and I do know that Debbie will likely be a robust driving drive in bringing about additional progress and guaranteeing much more gifted girls are given the alternatives they should thrive and lead.

Dame Debbie Crosbie mentioned: 

When girls reach enterprise they encourage the following technology and guarantee financial progress is sustainable and inclusive. The Constitution is vital to driving much more progress in monetary companies and harnessing all of the sector’s abilities and abilities.  I look ahead to constructing on the superb progress made by Amanda, and dealing with the Chancellor and throughout our trade to encourage much more progress and progress.

During the last 5 years, Dame Amanda has pushed progress within the sector by way of creating a blueprint for change, advocating for ladies in underrepresented areas resembling tech, strengthening the expertise pipeline by way of the Mirror Taskforce of gifted mid-level girls, and convening leaders – together with the Girls in Finance Local weather Motion Group for COP26 and Accountable Government Taskforce – to concentrate on higher gender parity. 

Dame Debbie Crosbie will take up the Girls in Finance Champion position from 1 January 2026, serving in an unpaid, direct ministerial appointment reporting to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.  

Dame Debbie joined Nationwide as its first-ever feminine CEO in June 2022 and was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in June 2025 for companies to the monetary sector.

Extra data

• Established processes for the declaration and administration of pursuits have been adopted in respect of this appointment. 
• The Phrases of Reference for this appointment could be discovered right here:
  Phrases of reference: Debbie Crosbie (PDF, 57.8 KB, 2 pages)