CSFB wins diversity awards - but hiring figures are secret

Credit Suisse First Boston has won two out of the eight annual awards from Opportunity Now, a UK organisation which promotes women's rights in the workplace.

CSFB defeated about 40 other companies to win the Opportunity Now New Member's Award for 2003, for which the other two companies shortlisted were Deutsche Bank and Ford motor company.

Citigroup won the New Member's Award last year and JP Morgan won it in 2001.

CSFB also beat a raft of lawyers, accountants, and other investment banks to win the City Focus Award, for female-friendly City of London firms. JP Morgan and Citigroup were also on the final shortlist in this category.

Both awards were allocated for gender equality initiatives which were well resourced, had a clear vision, a strongly developed business case, and a well monitored impact.

CSFB set up a European diversity steering committee in November, chaired by senior business heads. The bank also offers women's networking groups, talks by successful women from outside the bank talk about their experiences, and discussion forums covering everything from childcare to stress management.

However CSFB declined, as a matter of policy, to give figures for the numbers of women that it hires. Other investment banks have a similar policy.

Women in senior jobs at CSFB include executive board members Eileen Murray (head of IT and operations) and Barbara Yastine (CFO), both appointed in 2002, and Susan Kilsby, co-head of European M&A.

At a London Business School event last October, Kilsby commented that she was the only woman among about 15 male board members on the investment banking management committee.