In Conversation with Alison Rose, CEO of Natwest

CEO of Natwest, Alison Rose shared a wealth of information to students from Oxford, Cambridge and Durham in an event organised by Oxford Women in Business, DUWIB and CamWIB on Tuesday 8th February.

Alison shared how she continuously champions diversity as research consistently demonstrates that a diversely talented workforce is key for a high-performing organisation and to avoid group thinking. As companies train graduates the five characteristics of mindset, attitude, intelligence, capability and teamwork are the core skills she looks for when searching for talent.

Alison Rose is the first woman in history to become CEO of one of the UK’s big four banks. Alison has also been included in the Vogue Top 25 Influential Women List and in the Women in FinTech Powerlist. Aside from these incredible achievements, Alison is also a powerful advocate for female entrepreneurship, having lead the government’s ‘Rose Review’ to investigate the barriers for women starting businesses in the UK and which found that only one in three UK entrepreneurs are female and that all female teams receive just 1% of all venture funding. You can read the full 2019 Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship here.

Alison encouraged listeners to keep investing themselves and to stay curious, to have the courage to try what interests and excites. She highlighted the importance of networking with people who stretch and stimulate your thinking and finding mentors appropriate to your career as it evolves. One takeaway is to be constantly curious whilst keeping perspective.

Alison reminded students:

Don't sweat the small stuff, it is nothing in the arc of a career. Keep your perspective on things.

Alison spoke as part of Oxford Women in Business' Inspirational Women Series which has previously welcomed speakers such as Dame Clara Furse, former Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange; and Dame Stevie Spring, Chair of the British Council and Mind.