The Women’s Committee Successfully Concludes Its First Virtual Meeting
The Women’s Committee set up by the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), a regional leader in banking and finance education and training, concluded its first virtual meeting on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by the board members and highlighted the progress of the committee, EIBFS’ distance learning program and discussed findings of the “Women in Banking” study that delved into the current trends in the UAE and globally.
The meeting opened by welcoming Mrs. Camilla d’Abo, Managing Director – Dubai at APCO Worldwide, and the only non-Emirati professional in the board of the committee. Camilla joins the committee with a background in banking and finance communications over the past three decades. In the consultancy space, Camilla has worked closely with the Bankers Trust Australia, Credit Lyonnais France, ENBD, Julius Baer, Dubai Islamic Bank and HSBC. As the Managing Director- Dubai at APCO, Camilla brings extensive experience to the EIBFS Banking Committee that will help the members navigate from a communications perspective.
The committee also discussed the success of the distance learning program launched by EIBFS in March. The banking community has welcomed the online platform and recommended its implementation across the sector, according to a study of participants conducted by EIBFS. The e-learning programs offered by EIBFS have been key in continuing the education of bankers in the current situation, the study reiterated.
Later, Mrs. Noura Abbas, Director Program Administration & Delivery Division at EIBFS, provided an update on the Emiratization pointing system in banking and said, “We are proud of our achievements in the Women’s Committee. It is exciting to see so many women from the sector are not only interested in building a dialogue that helps women achieve their goals but also encourage each of us to play an active role in knowledge enhancement. Over the past few months we have gone from strength to strength and in the current situation we have been able to adapt and still be on track. Navigating through issues that have come up due to the COVID pandemic is not easy, but we are certain that the industry will fight it together. As we taken on challenges, I am happy to see that so many women bankers attended the virtual meeting today”.
Dr. Sowmya Vivek, Lead Research Officer at EIBFS, provided an insight driven presentation on Women in Banking: A study of international and UAE trends, which brought to light an understanding of the role women play in banking and their current needs
Speaking about joining the committee, Camilla d’Abo said, “I am proud to a part of a committee that is dedicated to women in banking. Having started my career within the industry and gone on to support a lot of financial institutions during my career I am excited to bring my expertise to this group of exceptional women. The banking and finance industry is ever-changing, digitization has become key for growth and to see EIBFS support so many bankers upskill themselves especially in fintech is phenomenal. I would like to thank EIBFS and the members for making me a part of the committee.”
During the meeting, the members also discussed various aspects of working from home and what it means for the women in banking sector. The members reaffirmed that a work-life balance needs to be maintained.
“Physical and mental wellbeing is extremely important, and one must try to switch off after office hours to be able to focus on family life. With days being spent at home it is easy to have the lines of work and life blurred, but one must focus and understand how to navigate through the situation and not be overwhelmed at a time like this,” said Rafia.
The Women’s Committee will continue to meet virtually to take forward the agenda and framework put into place.
