Should women stick to sales?

27 September 2007

1 minute read

A new study confirms women still aren't exactly storming to the top of investment banks. Anecdotally, they might be best off in sales.

The study by Financial News found women account for only 10% of board-level directors at banks in Europe in the US. And only 4% of the paper's 100 most influential people in the financial markets are women.

Rumour has it that women abound in sales roles, where their persuasive skills can be put to best use. Kate Grussing, an ex-JPMorgan MD turned managing director of Sapphire Partners - an organisation that helps women work flexibly - says there are a lot more women in sales than in trading: "Women are fantastic in sales. They have very good people skills and are great at multi-tasking. Unlike deal-driven roles like corporate finance, it's also an area where there can be some work/life balance."

Let us know what you think. Should women focus on sales as the area of banking with the best opportunities for them to get ahead?

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

vp
vp2007
5 October 2007
women are better in sales...and curiously good looking women are the best..how many models are hired to sell every kind of products on financial markets?...this article is ridiculous...you can find women better than men statistically in all areas and not only in areas where your appearance is essential as they are equal to men in terms of intellectual capacities...but at some point their lack of professional ambition (they may have other ambitions in life than working 18h a day) and their lack of credibility in this mainly men world prevent them to reach the top...
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So
Sousou
3 October 2007
That's correct women are more in sales then any other area of IB and almost not present in Top IB position and that's also the case in corporate. Men put women in front lines like soldiers thinking that their power of persuasiveness, "seduction", will win them more deals and I believe that's the only reasons why women are more present in IB sales role because men give them the opportunity and rightly think they will do better, but I personally believe that women could do better in any other top role, it is just that they don't get the opportunity to do it because of predominance of men in key roles.
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Ni
Nick
2 October 2007
women are less able at sports. period. I still can't understand why they get the same prize money in tennis when their it is less entertaining and they only play three sets.
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Is
I simply can not believe this
2 October 2007
Women are less "able" in trading... there was a day where women were less "able" at reading, at school, at sport, "out of the house"....
till some one showed the way by getting out of the house, into sports, into schools, ...
go on girls: let's get into trading.
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St
Steve
28 September 2007
These reports are useless. Only people looking for easy lives aim for the board of directors!
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