More than a hundred CWN members and guests gathered on 12 May 2008 for an historic meeting  of City Women’s Network at Merrill Lynch in the City of London to launch our 30th Anniversary programme of events.

Introduced by CWN’s Patron, Janet Gaymer, the Public Appointments Commissioner for England and Wales, Angela Knight, the Chief Executive of the British Bankers Association gave an interesting and inspiring talk about her own experiences as a businesswoman over the past thirty years and talked about how the role of women has changed.

She pointed out that when she took up her first job with Air Products following her Chemistry degree, she was only the second female graduate that company had ever employed. She then went on to set up her own specialist metals treatment business in Sheffield, became a local councillor and then to her great surprise won a seat in parliament, becoming Conservative MP for Erewash in 1992.

She was the first woman Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 1995-97 when she lost her seat. Since then she has run APCIMS, the Stockbrokers’ trade body, and is currently Chief Executive of the British Bankers' Association.

It’s a job she clearly relishes, although, as she succinctly put it: “Since I took over as head of the BBA just over a year ago everything that could happen in banking has happened!”

She pointed out that although there have been dramatic changes over the past 30 years, for instance, more women are working in British business, and a greater proportion of women are going to university in the UK than ever before, there are still few women at the top of large companies, especially in the financial sector.

Women, she believes, have the skills to be flexible and to fill the skills gap which faces the City and the British economy. “The education system plays to female strengths with projects and practical applications of knowledge” she said. “However as you rise up the ladder professionally, there is a blokeish culture and stockbroking and banking are still largely masculine professions.”

Her advice to women is not to hold back because an opportunity comes up unexpectedly. Her own career has been full of unexpected opportunities which she has relished.... “I always enjoy every job I do”.