Women in Finance: Top Five reveal!

Our inaugural Women in Finance ranking spotlights influential women across various sectors, including government, business, finance and accountancy, who are all leaders, trailblazers and transforming their respective fields.

Earlier this month, we put forward a longlist of female leaders to an audience vote. This week we have been revealing the results of the vote – listing five women each day ahead of the top five announcement and full ranking release today.

So, here are the five women who been voted into the top five positions on the Women in Finance 2018 List – all based entirely on your votes.

View the full Women in Finance 2018 List.

5. Maggie Stilwell, Managing Partner for Talent, EY

As managing partner for talent, Maggie Stilwell is responsible for developing EY’s people strategy, talent recruitment and ensuring that the firm remains ahead of its competition as the employer of choice in its industry. Stilwell is also a champion of flexible working.

Stilwell is also a forensic partner, specialising in dispute advisory work, including estimating quantum and loss of profits claims. She has over 20 years experience in forensic accounting.

At EY she also leads Transaction FIDS, assisting clients in corporate transactions at all stages of the transaction life cycle.

A member of EY’s leadership team, Stilwell is influential to the firm’s social mobility, diversity and inclusiveness policy, and recruiting and retaining the best talent in the UK and Ireland.

Stilwell was the partner sponsor for EY’s Accelerated Leadership Programme in the UK and Ireland between the years 2008-2012, and was also a Coaching Champion providing 1:1 executive coaching to high potentials.

4. Lynn Rattigan, Chief Operating Officer, EY

Rattigan has been COO of EY since January 2015 and a partner since 2001. She has had an extensive and diverse range of client experiences throughout her career, having worked with a number of FTSE 100 companies and private equity houses, and specialises in the delivery of corporate finance services.

Rattigan is also a vocal proponent of flexible working, promoting its positive impact on employers and employees, leading to better engagement and a higher level of services for clients.

3. Sharon Thorne, Deputy CEO and Managing Partner, Global & Strategy for Deloitte North West Europe

Based in London, Sharon Thorne is Deputy CEO of Deloitte NWE and managing partner of global and strategy and is also a member of Deloitte NWE’s executive and global boards.

She has been an audit partner at the firm for almost 30 years and works with large listed and private clients across a broad range of sectors including retail, consumer and technology.

Thorne leads the global dimension of Deloitte NWE’s strategy which recognises the importance of international trade and investment to the Deloitte network, clients and stakeholders.

As global managing partner, Thorne is responsible for the UK firm’s overseas interests and liaison with the global network, supporting delivery of services to global clients.

Thorne is also a non-executive director and audit committee chairman of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

2. Emma Codd, Managing Partner for Talent, Deloitte

Emma Codd is the managing partner for talent for Deloitte North West Europe and Deloitte UK and sits on the executive committees for both. Alongside these roles, Emma leads a client service team of over 50 people within the firm’s financial advisory practice.

Since being appointed to the UK executive committee in 2013, Emma has led significant change to the firm’s talent agenda – most notably in relation to agile working (including the design and implementation of the award-winning Time Out programme); gender balance; respect and inclusion (including the award-winning Ask Yourself film and the firm’s unique mandatory inclusive leadership sessions); and social mobility.

She’s also a partner in the forensic practice, where she established and manages Business Intelligence Services.

1. Anna Anthony, EMEIA Head of Tax for Financial Services, EY

As managing partner of EY’s EMEIA financial services for tax, Anna Anthony drives market strategy and identifies sector trends across a number of countries.

She has worked as an international tax advisor focussing on the financial services sector for 15 years and was made partner in 2008 at the age of 30.

As the tax head for financial services, Anthony advises on a range of international tax matters and regulatory reform.

Anthony has also been a champion of the firm’s talent schemes to mentor high-performing employees on their way to partnership, as well as being active in the firm’s diversity and inclusiveness policy.

She is also a non-executive director of the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange, a non-profit that promotes international trade, investment, and financial and professional services.

Anthony has also been key to discussions with non-profit TheCityUK’s Next Generation Vision project, which aims to improve the relationship between the financial services sector and the nation.

View the full Women in Finance 2018 List.