Women In Trade

GTR Women in Trade – London

We welcomed over 100 women for focused discussion and purposeful networking, examining shifts in African trade finance and how women can position themselves for the year ahead.

The conversation explored leadership journeys, building credibility in male-dominated environments, breaking silos, and the structural changes shaping the next decade.

We also addressed a persistent industry reality: women remain concentrated in back and middle-office roles, prompting a candid discussion on progression and the role of front-office experience.

The evening closed with Janet Lindsay (Wellbeing of Women), whose reflections reinforced that women’s health is a workplace issue, and everyone’s responsibility.

GTR Future Proofing Trade – Nairobi

We were proudly hosted by TDB Group and Pangea-Risk in partnership with GTR for the Future Proofing Trade Finance event in Nairobi, supporting Women and Young Professionals in East Africa.

The afternoon brought together women and emerging talent for meaningful discussions and networking. It began with a high-level presentation on economic trends shaping African trade, followed by an engaging panel exploring diversity, representation, and the next generation of leaders in the industry. The event closed with a drinks reception, giving attendees the chance to build connections ahead of GTR East Africa 2025.

Our First Roundtable:

The Future of Trade

Women In Trade convened senior leaders from Nigerian Tier 1, 2, and 3 banks, DFIs and technology platforms to discuss the future of trade finance in Nigeria.

The discussion focused on the growing conversation around ‘ecosystem banking’ and what role it has to play in the future of trade, with specific examples of how this is being addressed in Nigeria. 

Participants shared candid reflections on why current approaches fail, and why women led businesses and women in the trade finance industry must be part of the conversation.

GTR Women In Trade Finance – Cape Town

We partnered with GTR and were generously hosted by Investec Bank and Absa for our second Women in Trade event in South Africa!

We were privileged to have Helen Nicholson, the “Networking Queen”, and she gave us exactly what we needed to start the year. She stressed the power of maintaining your acquaintance network and most importantly, being intentional about your brand.

Do you know what your brand is? And have you intentionally stuck to it this year?

We also got an early look at the results of GTR’s Gender Diversity Survey and had an open, honest panel discussion about being a woman in our industry.

GTR Future Proofing Trade Finance – London

June, 2024

GTR and A&O Shearman’s yearly future proofing event in London is a free event that explores the progress and challenges of diversity initiatives in trade finance globally. WIT was represented in a panel discussion to share views from an African perspective.

With 130 in attendance, this event provided an excellent opportunity for senior trade finance practitioners and young professionals to come together and engage in crucial dialogue around future proofing our industry.

The event concluded with leading coach, Cath Baxter, delivering a highly informative public speaking training session, offering delegates valuable tips and tricks for “communicating with impact” both onstage and off.

Future Proofing Trade – Nairobi

May, 2024

GTR and Women In Trade partnered with Pangea-Risk for an amazing evening of networking during GTR East Africa 2024. The event pulled in women in trade finance and young professionals seeking to build a career for an evening of meaningful connections and insightful conversations.

GTR West Africa – Lagos

April, 2024

We partnered with GTR to host an amazing lunch at the end of the GTR West Africa event in Lagos. It was an afternoon of connecting women from across the globe over delicious Nigerian food!

GTR Women In Trade Finance – Cape Town

We proudly partnered with GTR and were generously hosted by Investec Bank for our inaugural Women in Trade event in South Africa!

The afternoon was thoughtfully curated to provide meaningful networking opportunities for women attending the GTR Africa 2024 conference. The session began with an empowering public speaking coaching workshop from Juliette Jenner, equipping attendees with practical techniques to communicate confidently and assert themselves in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

The event concluded with a dynamic networking session, designed to foster valuable connections ahead of GTR Africa 2024. Our goal was to ensure that attendees entered the conference with a strong network of familiar faces and newfound support, whether as participants in the audience or as speakers on stage.