Apex Group Launches New Zealand Women’s Accelerator Network - A New Solution For A Persistent Problem

By: Lakshmi Woodings, Head of CSR, Apex Group

New figures have reinforced the need for a more focused approach to improving gender equality within the finance sector.

It’s for exactly this reason that Apex Group is expanding its Women’s Accelerator Network into New Zealand - the fifth country the programme will be run in.

The case for such a dedicated initiative is demonstrated by the complex nature of progress (or the lack of it) in the sector.

On one hand, analysis from ESG reporting organisation Holtara has found the gender pay gap for full time women in finance in the UK is narrowing.

From 2019 - 2024, the pay gap closed from roughly £14,681 to £13,166 per employee. It’s improvement, even if there’s still considerable distance between men and women.

However, that’s only part of the story.

Because in that same period, the proportion of women in the workforce fell slightly from 44.1% to 43.7%. The absolute number of women in finance increased by around 9.3%, from 559,000 in 2019 to 611,000 in 2024, but this was out-paced by the overall growth of the sector.

This growth effectively cancels out improvements in the pay gap, leaving us essentially back where we started - despite all manner of intervention, initiatives and International Women’s Days.

In New Zealand, research has shown Kiwi women account for just one in four finance C-suite roles, and barely more than a third of middle management positions.

In order to move these stubborn statistics meaningfully, we must do something differently. And so, we are.

Apex Group’s Women’s Accelerator Network is one of a number of its programmes focused on the specific needs of women in finance. Participants have achieved highly promising results around the world.

After starting in London and New York in 2023, more than 400 women have benefited from bespoke training, development programmes and mentoring. In the first year, more than half of participants achieved promotions, career progression, or moved into new roles after completing the programme.

Apex Group then expanded the initiative in 2024, launching networks in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Also in 2024, the Group extended the Women’s Accelerator Program into the sporting arena, partnering with SailGP to create new opportunities and visibility for women in sport.

Now, it arrives in New Zealand, where it is believed to be the only free career accelerator focused on women in the finance industry. It is open to all women in finance, particularly emerging leaders, regardless of your role or workplace.

The New Zealand network will be led on the ground by respected local finance leaders Donna Mason (Country Head, New Zealand - Apex Group), Jessica Oliver (Head of Strategic Delivery, Apex Group), Rebecca Palmer (Director, Apex Group), Ngaire Angus (Head of Wealth Distribution, ASB) and Anna Scott (incoming CEO, Mercer NZ). It will also receive direction from Apex Group’s global leaders.

It will involve four events per year, both in person and virtually, focused on nurturing future finance leaders by providing guidance, problem solving techniques and mentorship.

There is a multibillion-dollar opportunity for companies that successfully attract and retain women, both by closing the gender pay gap and by increasing women’s representation across the workforce.

It is our hope that, by making professional development free and more focused for those in the finance industry, we can actually start to see these numbers shift.

What: Apex Group New Zealand Women’s Accelerator Network
When: First event in Auckland 4 November 2025
Who: Open to all women working in finance, regardless of age, seniority level or specialty
Cost: Free

To find out more, and to sign up, visit https://www.womens-accelerator.com/register-your-interest/

About Apex Group

Apex Group is dedicated to driving positive change in financial services while supporting the growth and ambitions of asset managers, allocators, financial institutions, and family offices. Established in Bermuda in 2003, the Group has continually disrupted the industry through its investment in innovation and talent.

Today, Apex Group sets the pace in fund and asset servicing and stands out for its unique single-source solution and unified cross asset-class platform which supports the entire value chain, harnesses leading innovative technology, and benefits from cross-jurisdictional expertise delivered by a long-standing management team and over 13,000 highly integrated professionals.

Apex Group is a leader in the industry with a broad range of services, including capital raising, business and corporate management, fund and investor administration, portfolio and investment administration, ESG, capital markets and transactions support. These services are tailored to each client and are delivered both at the Group level and via specialist subsidiary brands.

The Apex Foundation, a not-for-profit entity, is the Group’s passionate commitment to empower sustainable change.

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