GAAL I am a mentor in the Women in Markets mentoring programme, and one of the common questions I get from mentees is about how they can improve their networking – not so much with other women, but internally with men and women.

I think this piece is key. Younger women at the postgraduate level are keen to accelerate their careers very quickly. I think there is a cross-generational element because in some ways we need to put the brakes on and make sure they are going about it the right way.

They have grown up in a generation where they do not see gender balance as a problem, because they have always been told they can do anything. But we need to mould them through a system that is not quite the same when they get to the big corporate level.

CLAES In my executive experience, impactful networking has been about identifying problems to be solved by constructing crossfunctional initiatives, directly relevant to the strategic pipeline. This requires groups with disparate skill sets to come together to solve a common problem for the organisation.

This approach kills many birds with one stone, such as meeting others, showcasing talents and, ultimately, exposure to the senior team when presenting a project.

It is a utilitarian form of networking. I think it is incumbent on organisations to think laterally about creating spaces, initiatives and tasks that bring talented people together.

ANDERSON I did not fully appreciate the importance of networking until I became a nonexecutive director. You need to put yourself out there, do courses and become involved in a variety of other spheres where you meet different people and broaden your vision.

I love it, but it is interesting to reflect on my executive career – where I found that, as I moved up in executive leadership, I found fewer people like me. We can network with the men, but it is good to have wingpeople to share the journey.

Networking is crucial for the upcoming generation. Modelling behaviours is another way of learning, particularly if they are spending less time in the office.

Courses such as those offered by Women in Banking and Finance are fabulous because they create a community that travels through time. In my nonexecutive role, I am doing all sorts of courses and have a great community of amazing women. I am sure we are going to be able to give each other a leg up.

ANDERSON I think it is even more important, actually. Looking at the top companies, 32 per cent female participation is amazing – especially if we think about the quantum of females that must be in senior leadership. This is a lot of people to role model.

VENKATESAN For someone who migrated to Australia from overseas, it is even harder to build a network and find people like me. I have a nonexecutive portfolio and finding women like me has been a lot harder than in executive roles.

TONKIN Industry bodies are very important. One of the great things about the world of capital markets and debt finance is that it is a competitive but networked community. Lots of organisations run big events, including KangaNews.

I joined banking in project finance and syndicated lending, where there was a lot of focus on the development of the market in Australia that drove industry groups. I absolutely used this for networking opportunities. I also took up networking opportunities and professional training run by law firms. WiBF has been around for a while, and I have always thought about it as my career partner through time, irrespective of where I worked.

There are many industry bodies out there, and I always encourage men and women within my team to take up networking opportunities. This is a customer business: it is face-to-face and we need to get people together to brainstorm. People need to invest in networking in the same way as they do technical development.

GIRARD I agree, and there is big appetite for opportunities that bring people together. WiBF had an in-person university panel event a few months ago. More than 70 students and new graduates from 16 different institutions participated.

It was incredible to be able to inspire, prepare and enlighten the future of banking and finance. It was also wonderful to see men being part of the conversation: a quarter of the people in the room were young men.

We want to create smart and innovative opportunities for our members through these events, with a focus on results and a passion for making a tangible impact in addressing gender diversity.

WiBF’s programmes have been designed to help increase the size of the pipeline of women across all career stages in the industry. It amazing to see that all the events we have hosted lately have brought everyone to the conversation – from all genders and cultural backgrounds.

VENKATESAN After that event we also had two enquires for similar events, so there is clearly a lot of interest. We have also seen more medium-sized companies engaging with us so that they can send their staff to events and get them networked with other people. Engagement, especially at a younger level, has been really strong.

NG I went to an all-women’s university in the US and I believe that experience has helped me to be more outspoken than some of my peers who went through co-educational systems, especially at university level.

As such, I believe it is very important to have spearheaded initiatives in professional life – to create the space for women to have a voice, whether it is in professional organisations or within the workplace itself.