The best way to overcome gender stereotypes is to constantly meet with female leaders who have already achieved success,” said Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, Director of GSOM SPbU.

   

“In the financial industry, women work in all types of banking both in Russia and in the world. They work in complex analytical fields where there are no gender benefits. They become role models for other Russian women, and they are also in great demand, and their experience is very much needed in another important area — education,” Olga Dergunova noted during the opening ceremony of Ring the Bell for Gender Equality trading on the Moscow Exchange. The ceremony took place on March 10, 2021 and was dedicated to women's leadership.

   

“University education and the university environment is the place where we hope to send our children so that they will find the right values. The best way to convince girls not to be afraid to  up step, to become a leader and develop in their careers is to see the role model of an already successful female leader and find out from her how she achieved this result,” said Olga Dergunova.

   

According to the director of GSOM SPbU, it is important to show students all the time that it is normal to combine work and study or work, family and study, and most importantly, that women can and should enjoy it. “Leadership is not a burden, it is a great joy that you can share with those who are being led by you,” she added.

   

The ceremony was attended by:

• Oleg Vyugin, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Moscow Exchange;
• Ulrika Johansson, Global Coordinator of the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality Global Initiative;
• Deborah Bronnert, Her Majesty's Ambassador of Great Britain to the Russian Federation;
• Inna Svyatenko, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy;
• Maria Gordon, Independent Director of the Moscow Exchange;
• Svetlana Balanova, General Director of the National Media Group;
• Olga Golodets, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank;
• Anna Belova, Independent Director of AFK Sistema;
• Ekaterina Trofimova, Deputy CEO, Deloitte CIS;
• Daria Goncharova, Director for Sustainable Development of Polymetal;
• Nadia Cherkasova, Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board, Otkritie FC Bank, Russia;
• Evgenia Lazareva, Co-founder, OPORA Russia Committee on Women's Entrepreneurship Development.

   

The moderator was Natalya Loginova, Head of Department, Issuer Relationship Management at the Moscow Exchange.

   

The Moscow Exchange started its trading day for the first time by striking a bell — a ceremony dedicated to increasing transparency in gender policies and practices, empowering women — in March 2018. Female business leaders now participate in the events every year. The Moscow Exchange thus joins the global stock exchange community around the world in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality. A recording of the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality ceremony available here >>