ABGSC Women in Finance Foundation supports network for women in front-office finance

Above: KIFF President Benedicte Lind Bjørland addresses attendees during a recent KIFF event.

The ABGSC Women in Finance Foundation is pleased to begin supporting the network group “Kvinner i Frontfinans” (KIFF) (“Women in front-office finance”), which aims to improve gender equality and diveristy in front-office finance in Norway by offering female members the ability to meet, exchange best practises, and share their experiences.
Founded in 2016, KIFF currently has close to 500 members, spanning a variety of roles within front-office finance. The network has experienced a steady increase in its member base, with a 13 per cent increase just since the start of this year. Head of Debt Advisory at Fearnley Securities, Benedicte Lind Bjørland, who recently took over as President of KIFF, explains the importance of the initiative: “When it comes to gender equality in the Norwegian finance industry, the largest challenge that we face, by far, is in front-office roles”. She adds that, “Since 2016, the KIFF network has been working proactively to improve the gender balance in the industry by initiating a range of activities that offer members an opportunity to connect, learn from one another, and encourage one another to further develop our careers within the industry”.
The Foundation began supporting KIFF as of the start of 2023. With the financial support from the Foundation, the group’s ambition is to increase its current activity level and further enhance the management and administration of its operations, as the network continues to grow and requires greater commitment to run.
The administration of KIFF is carried out by the Foreningen for finansfag Norge (“Finance Society Norway”), an independent and non-profit society that aims to contribute to the efficient and ethical functioning of Norwegian capital markets, and to encourage greater public understanding of the function and importance of the capital markets in the Norwegian economy.
Mette Lindbæk, CEO of Foreningen for finansfag Norge, comments that, “During the last couple of months, we have been pleased to contribute, via KIFF, to best practice sharing with our Scandinavian counterparts, who are launching similar networks in Sweden and Denmark. It is fantastic to see the impact that KIFF is having, both in Norway and abroad, and encouraging to see that others are pursuing similar efforts in support of gender equality within the finance industry”.
This month, KIFF will host two of its regular network lunches, where members meet up to exchange best practises, share their expertise, and learn from one another’s’ experiences within front-office finance.
 

Above: Norges Bank Investment Management CEO, Nicolai Tangen, addresses attendees during a recent KIFF event.

About “Kvinner i Frontfinans” (KIFF)
KIFF is a network for women working in front-office finance, including within markets, research, investment banking, asset management, investor relations and the CFO office. The network acts as a meeting place for members to exchange ideas and meet other likeminded women; it also seeks to increase awareness of the vital role that the finance industry plays in Norwegian society. KIFF’s main goal is to attract more women to the finance industry and to retain the women already working in it.
KIFF’s principle activities include:
– Hosting a variety of networking events for members
– Conducting a market survey to analyse the state of affairs for women working in front office finance (you can read more about it here)
– Hosting university events to meet graduate students and encourage them to consider finance as a career path
– Delivering a mentoring programme for young female professionals
– Promoting female professionals as spokespersons within media