The Female Finance Leader: A valuable professional to lead your business

Did you know firms with women CFO’s were more likely to exceed earning expectations in the first two years post-appointment?

Not only this, but the same S&P Global analysis found firms with women CFOs have an average of 6% increase in stock price within six months of their appointment.

Despite this, female CFO’s are still rare in comparison to men, with only 17.4% of CFO positions in The Fortune 500 held by women.

The landscape in UK Business’ Leadership doesn’t reflect the finance and accountancy talent pool in general, or the success of existing female CFO’s.

Globally, nearly 50% of qualified accountants are female, and yet the barriers to Senior Leadership mean that female CFOs and Financial Directors are still significantly underrepresented in the UK.

So how can current Finance Leaders “Give to Gain”, and help future female Finance talent succeed?

“A great Manager and/or Mentor are key”, advises Gemma, Trace’s very own Director of Interim, when we spoke to her as part of our 2025 piece; ‘Women in Leadership: How professional women pave the way to success’.

“Ask for opportunities, give things a go and don’t overly apologise if things go wrong”, she adds.

This focus on Mentorship is particularly relevant for this year’s International Women’s Day, with the theme “Give to Gain,” reminding us we can help foster gender equality in a range of ways, through giving and collaborating.

Mentorship can look different in each business, and to each professional. A simple weekly check in with a Mentor over coffee can be as effective for one professional, as a fully integrated mentorship programme can be for another.

A 2023 study by McKinsey & Company found that women who have female mentors are more likely to ascend to leadership positions, with 59% of C-suite women reporting they have had a female mentor at some point in their careers.

In the build up to International Women’s Day, we’re hosting our very own roundtable to discuss exactly that – the importance of mentorship for empowering women in leadership, and how we can nurture opportunities for future leaders.

And the future looks bright - the UK leads the way in the mid-market, for example, with 45% of firms having female CFOs, ahead of the global average of 44.6%, according to Grant Thorton.

“Women bring valuable perspective into leadership, particularly in areas that require balanced judgement and strong people awareness. In payments and financial services, those qualities matter every day”, explains Tracy Cray, Managing Director, UK and Europe Operations, Chargebacks911 and Fi911, in a recent interview with Retail Banker International.

International Women’s Day provides the perfect opportunity to bring these necessary conversations to light and bring together women who are champions for women in leadership across sectors.

As we discussed in our 2025 piece; ‘Women in Leadership: How professional women pave the way to success’, mentoring, confidence, and supportive networks help women thrive, lead and overcome the barriers that continue to hold them back.

Likewise, examining bias in recruitment shows how fairer hiring practices can unlock untapped potential by letting talent shine free from prejudice.

But it’s not just Female Leaders that need to be having these conversations.

“Creating a truly fair and unbiased recruitment process requires a collective effort”, says Ellie, Trace’s NFP Manager.

“It’s a company-wide responsibility… Each person plays a role in promoting fairness, from unbiased interviews to fostering an inclusive environment. When everyone is aligned, organisations can build a diverse and inclusive workforce."

“The focus now should be on ensuring women are not only present in leadership pipelines but supported into roles where they can make meaningful decisions”, states Tracy, in the piece Give to Gain: International Women’s Day 2026 financial sector leader comments.

“Confidence grows when capability is recognised early and developed properly, so organisations need to be intentional about backing talent.”

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” reminds us that when we give our support, knowledge, time, and advocacy, we all gain stronger communities, fairer workplaces, and broader opportunities for everyone.

International Women’s Day inspires us not just to celebrate, but to act - because when women thrive, all of us rise.

Find out more about International Women’s Day 2026, and how you can “Give to Gain” here.

If you would be interested in joining us for an exclusive Trace event, register your interest here.