At the Bank of Ireland Francesca set D&I targets to achieve a 50:50 gender balance in management and leadership appointments by 2021. In 2020 the percentage of women represented in senior appointments was already at 41% and by the second half of the finance year this figure had risen to 47%. Under Francesca’s leaderships a number of initiatives were introduced including a policy whereby colleagues having a baby via a surrogate can take paid leave in line with maternity benefits; a female mentoring pilot to improve the visibility of female talent and support professional development; and the launch of a Recruitment Charter for hiring diverse talent. Additionally, Bank of Ireland is the only Irish bank to proactively publish their Gender Pay Gap Report ahead of legislation for second year running, and during the Covid-19 pandemic colleagues unable to work due to childcare or other caring commitments have continued to receive a full salary.
