“As a whole, I don’t think the industry has changed that much,” Beardmore (pictured left) told Mortgage Introducer. “I am often still the only woman in the room, however, it is encouraging to see this slowly shifting. Overall, I think the pace of change in our industry is one thing that we could be better at.”

Tanya Elmaz, director of intermediary sales at Together, has also been in the industry for 20 years. 

“I speak from experience when I say that finding yourself as the only woman in the room isn’t unusual,” said Elmaz (pictured centre). “This reflects a broader industry issue that there is still an underrepresentation of women in finance, in particular leadership positions.

“It’s important that we all continue to address gender balance. While we have made great strides in recent years, there is still progress to be made. It’s crucial that companies foster a culture where women can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and push upwards in their careers without facing unnecessary barriers.

“We need to implement mentorship and training programmes, we need transparent promotion practices, and we need to set clear diversity targets and goals. It is also imperative that we adopt inclusive hiring practices and address the gender pay gap.”