About City Women’s Network

CWN is a vibrant, long-established independent network of senior professional and business women.

 

• Providing a strong network of contacts, mutual encouragement and support
• Promoting the formation of business, professional and social relationships
• Developing director-level skills and competencies
• Highlighting the contribution of women in the business community
• Supporting greater progression of women into board posts, public appointments and trustee roles.

Since we started more than 30 years ago, our network has expanded from the Square Mile to encompass all of London and its surrounding areas. Reflecting the movement of companies and staff, we now have members across the UK and overseas. Members work in more than 40 business sectors, including banking and finance, law, marketing, publishing, tourism and hospitality, education, design, medicine, accounting, communications and executive coaching and development.

With women accounting for less than 5% of executive directors of major UK companies (The Female FTSE Report 2008, Cranfield University), CWN's relevance remains as strong as ever. A growing membership points to our success.

CWN has strong links with the European Professional Women's Network, which offers professional women an opportunity to network with peers - both online and off - across Europe. We also have links with The International Alliance for Women, a pan-American network of professional women with worldwide links.

 

Janet Gaymer CBE is CWN’s first patron. A long standing member of CWN, Mrs Gaymer is also Commissioner for Public Appointments. In this capacity she regulates appointments by Ministers to bodies such as the BBC and NHS Trusts. As patron she supports CWN's mission to address issues facing today’s senior business women and contributes to the future development of the network. She describes CWN as “vibrant and growing.”

 

CWN was founded in 1978 by a group of American and English women working in senior roles in London's Square Mile. Predominantly bankers, accountants and lawyers, they belonged to an elite (and brave) group pioneering the entry of women into previously male-dominated professions and business functions. Finding themselves isolated in the workplace, they set out to form a peer network for women in the City, to combat the effects of the Old Boys' Networks that dictated the City culture. Early meetings of the network were actually held in secret!

 

 

CWN is a non-profit making organisation run by a voluntary Board, elected annually from among CWN's members. The Board includes the President, Vice-President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, Secretary and the Chairmen of each of our five committees. The Board is responsible for the direction of the network, the planning of events and activities and the delegation of tasks to those members who serve voluntarily on the committees.

CWN has provided great personal and professional benefit to members over the years. Membership benefits include: