Women accounted for a rising share of top-performing finance students at this year’s Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) awards, highlighting gradual progress toward greater gender balance in the sector’s future workforce.
At the institute’s annual ceremony, held at Mansion House in London on 28 April, female candidates made up 42% of the 130 global winners. This marks a continued increase from 37% in 2025 and 38% in 2024, indicating steady, if incremental, change in an industry long characterised by male dominance.
The awards brought together successful candidates from 21 countries, celebrating academic distinction across a range of professional finance qualifications. A total of 44 winners were based outside the UK, with Saudi Arabia represented among the winners for the first time.
Overseas participation was led by the United Arab Emirates with 13 award recipients, followed by Ghana (five), Kuwait (four) and India (three). Within the UK, London accounted for the largest concentration of winners with 42, while other regions including the South Coast, Birmingham and Scotland also featured among the cohort.
Mandy Gill, executive director of global learning at the CISI, emphasised both the scale of achievement and the collective effort behind it. She said: “It’s an honour to congratulate every one of our 130 global award winners. We must always remember these fantastic achievements are never produced in isolation and we recognise and applaud the critical support our candidates receive from their community, friends, family, carers, firms and teachers.
“A special commendation and mention for all the women achievers, whom we are delighted to celebrate as part of our own commitment to the Women In Finance Charter. We look forward to supporting all of our achievers in their future careers and lifelong learning journeys.”
The event was hosted by Hannah Prevett, associate business editor at The Sunday Times, reflecting the increasing prominence of professional education within mainstream business discourse.
Several financial institutions and organisations were strongly represented among the winners. Fidelity Investment Management, JPMorganChase and the Securities & Commodities Authority each recorded five prize recipients, while the Ghana Investment and Securities Institute, Reigate Grammar School, Solihull School and The Diversity Project secured three awards apiece.
Among individual UK winners were Keir Lloyd, an investment manager based in London, who received the Level 7 Chartered Wealth Manager award, and Mel Latham, a Worcester-based CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, who won the Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Financial Planning.
The CISI, which originated from the London Stock Exchange, continues to play a central role in setting professional standards for the global financial services industry. Over the past year, more than 44,000 examinations were completed across 81 countries, underlining sustained demand for qualifications in financial planning, wealth management and capital markets.
With a membership of 57,000 professionals across more than 100 countries, the organisation has expanded its presence through offices in major financial hubs including Dubai, Mumbai and Dublin. Its ongoing collaboration with regulators, firms and professional bodies is aimed at reinforcing ethical standards and technical expertise across the sector.
While the proportion of female winners remains below parity, the upward trend aligns with broader initiatives such as the UK’s Women in Finance Charter, which seeks to improve gender diversity across financial services. The latest cohort of award recipients suggests that progress is beginning to take hold at entry and mid-career levels, even as challenges persist at senior ranks.
The focus for the industry now lies in sustaining this momentum, ensuring that a more diverse generation of finance professionals is not only developed but retained, and that early gains in representation translate into long-term structural change.
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