Page 83 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

Heather Melville

eather has a 36-year career in international because everybody wants to get the best talent, and if
banking. After an influential 16 years at RBS you’re ignoring 50 per cent of the world’s population,
HNatwest, she is about to embark on her next which is female, and the huge percentage of ethnic
career challenge, a promotion with PWC where she minorities, then you’re not being as competitive as you’d
will lead the client insight business, which will include like to be.
AI, across the UK. Formerly the Director for Strategic “On the flip side of that, nowadays customers want
Partnerships and Head of Business Inclusion Initiatives to work with businesses that are inclusive – at a recent
at the bank, she was awarded an OBE in 2017 for her conference I heard investors say that where they invest
services to gender equality. their money depends on a company’s
She says: “During my 16 years ability to have and lead diverse
at RBS I have had some amazing businesses, so commercially it’s also a
opportunities to lead a range of valuable thing.
different businesses, from international Have a trusted “I have five granddaughters so it’s
trade, to domestic cash management, important for me that they see that
and within the last four years, as the circle of mentors there is a place for them in world of
Director for Strategic Partnerships and work. Being the best that you can
Head of Business Inclusion Initiatives and sponsors who be and loving doing what you can
for the corporate and private banking, truly believe in do means that you have to work at
which has over 16,000 employees. a company where your values are
“One of my proudest achievements you duplicated. Being a board member of
was setting up the RBS women’s the Chartered Management Institute
network, which is today known as RBS (CMI) and chair of CMI Women,
Women. One of the main reasons I launched this was which has a membership of 16,000 people, puts me in
because I had seen real value in being part of networks a strong position to work with some of the UK’s leading
during my many years of working in the City. It’s one organisations around the gender agenda, where we are
of the most powerful tools out there in terms of career looking specifically at the pipeline, i.e. the missing middle.
development. When I joined RBS, no such networks were “There have been some highlights throughout my
in place so I started to build something around the idea career that have helped steer me in the right direction
of people getting together and sharing best practices for – being authentic, having a great drive for knowledge,
their development. an acknowledgment of what my weaknesses are so that
“I stepped down from RBS Women two years ago, I can develop on them, and having a trusted circle of
predominantly because it was time for someone else to mentors and sponsors who truly believe in and support
take the lead on this agenda. It was important to give me. Having benefited over many years from this support
others the opportunity on this initiative so that it would network, I’ve been motivated throughout my career to
be sustainable without me being at the helm of it. That give back to other women in the workplace and to help
will be my legacy. Diversity and inclusion is important small businesses be successful.”

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