Céline van Asselt, head of fiduciary management for continental Europe at Goldman Sachs, is one of the prominent female leaders in the Dutch financial sector. What, in her view, is the importance of gender equality in the business? How does the policy on diversity and inclusion take shape at Goldman Sachs? In an APG-Talks interview with Katherine Kucherenko, she provides the answers and shares her vision.
“It all starts with changing the standards”, says Van Asselt. She is referring to the idea that family commitments hold women back in their careers. “That is always thought, and perhaps also expected. That confuses me. Of course, you can have different missions in life, but don't assume that every woman's choice is the same.”
A good example
Changing that standard way of thinking takes time, Van Asselt realizes. The American bank itself sets a good example. Within Goldman Sachs, women are given every opportunity to develop themselves. For example, there is a broad focus on talent and talent development. After all, why would you ignore half of the available talent? “This is a really important focus of Goldman Sachs, as well as on the development of promotion paths to allow female talent to also excel”, says Van Asselt. Her employer also sets clear aspirational goals for itself. “By 2025, 40 percent of our VP’s (vice presidents) should be female.”
Watch the entire interview here.