Closing the Leadership Gap in Canadian Finance
Environics Research partnered with VersaFi on new research exploring the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) women working in Canada’s financial sector. Dismantling the Performance Tax: Strategies to Advance BIPOC Women in Finance draws on a national survey alongside in-depth interviews conducted by Environics Research to examine the barriers BIPOC women encounter as they progress in their careers.
The findings point to a notable gap between ambition and access. While many BIPOC women in finance aspire to reach senior leadership positions, they report facing additional scrutiny and unequal access to the opportunities that can support advancement. Many feel they need to work harder than others to receive the same recognition or career progression and that BIPOC women are assessed differently in leadership evaluations. Access to sponsorship also emerged as an important issue, with a lack of support from senior leaders identified as a key barrier to advancement.
