International Women’s Day is a global event which takes place annually on 8th March and celebrates the achievements of women and raises awareness about women’s equality. It is supported by governments, academic institutions and forward-thinking organisations.
This year the theme is Choose to Challenge. Looking back so much has been challenged; that women should not vote and that women could not manage their own money, let alone manage money for someone else. However, we acknowledge that there is still much to challenge and believe that we need to challenge ourselves, our preconceptions and our behaviour and look towards a position whereby equality is natural and challenge is not required.
We hope, at Partners Wealth Management, our culture of freedom continues to attract more female advisers. Today though, we celebrate that our conscious choice not to hire based on image has brought us a balanced leadership team, with women heading half our departments. Unquestionably this enriches our skill sets, rounds our decision-making process and has helped us build a better business.
On International Women’s Day we reflect on the phenomenal support that we, as a firm, receive from the women in leading roles. We are delighted that we have the following members in our team.
Kat Smilewicz – Partner
Having graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics, Kat embarked on a successful career in private hedge funds before moving to financial planning. As a Chartered Financial Planner, Kat works closely with clients to help them achieve their lifestyle and financial objectives.
Georgi Bennett – Partner
Following a flourishing career in the City of London in Life Assurance and then Private Equity, Georgi retrained as a financial adviser. As a Chartered Financial Planner, she enjoys helping her clients with developing truly bespoke financial plans to achieve their goals.
Harriet Wilkins – Adviser
After graduating from Cambridge, Harriet qualified as a teacher before moving into financial services. Harriet assists individuals and families organise their assets and give them peace of mind that they have a plan in place to achieve their financial goals.
Imogen Congdon – Adviser
Imogen has a degree in psychology and a background in financial services. Recently qualifying as a Chartered Financial Planner, she works with her clients to help them make informed decisions about their future.
We have always recognised and supported the needs of women who are seeking to further their careers in the financial services sector and look forward to welcoming more female advisers into our team later in the year.