Doubling female representation on a shortlist
Internal networks kept producing the same names for a leadership role.
A global investment bank was recruiting a Managing Director for its European structured products desk. The firm’s diversity council had set a target of 50% female representation on all leadership shortlists — but existing search methodologies were not delivering.
What the client was up against
Internal referrals and established recruiter networks consistently produced all-male shortlists for the role. This wasn’t because qualified women didn’t exist in the structured products space, but because the standard search methodology — relying on existing databases, known networks, and referral chains — systematically failed to surface them. The diversity council needed credible progress, and the business needed to demonstrate that diverse shortlists could be delivered without compromising on technical quality.
How Audentia solved it
Audentia ran a targeted diversity-focused research engagement alongside the primary search. We mapped the structured products landscape across 12 institutions globally, identifying 46 women at Director and Managing Director level — many of whom were not visible on any typical recruiter database or LinkedIn search. Outreach was designed to be high-touch and transparent about the firm’s genuine commitment to diversity. We delivered a final shortlist of eight candidates, five of whom were women, each fully qualified against the original role specification with zero compromise on technical requirements.
Results that lasted
The final shortlist was presented with 62.5% female representation, exceeding the diversity council’s 50% target. The successful hire was a woman who had not appeared on any previous search for the role and was not on any external recruiter’s radar. The engagement also produced a reusable diversity talent map covering 46 senior women across the structured products sector, which the client now uses for succession planning, pipeline development, and future searches.
Female representation on final shortlist
Senior women mapped across 12 institutions
Diversity council target exceeded
Diversity map for ongoing planning
For the first time, our shortlist actually looked like the market we operate in. And not one name on it was a compromise.
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