Generali Česká pojišťovna as a general partner of #FinŽENY project supporting diversity, equity and inclusion

The financial world no longer belongs only to men. The #FinŽENY project wants the Czech Republic to lead by example in diversity.

According to a number of international surveys, for the long- term the Czech Republic has been below European average in the field of women's representation in companies´ management. Women often receive a lower salary than men for their work in the Czech Republic. In EU countries, the so-called Gender Pay Gap is on average 14 percent. In the Czech Republic, even 20 percent. Therefore, the largest companies are trying to support the topic of diversity and at the same time bring closer the unique professional stories of their experts. The new project #FinŽENY also wants to help.

The unique project # FinŽENY brings together inspiring women from the financial world across professions, brings a debate on key topics of the entire segment to the public space and inspires with the stories of women whose expertise the finance sector stands on. The project, which is intended for all women operating in the financial segment, no matter if they are in a senior management or junior positions, is covered by the Cover Story content agency in cooperation with the largest financial institutions on the Czech market.

The general partner of the project is Generali Česká pojišťovna. "We want to create space and opportunities for sharing experiences and knowledge. And this is made possible by the #FinŽENY project. It's great to bring together women from the financial world, across professions. It will also be a great opportunity for my colleagues, because we also have a number of exceptional women in our company. And I'm very happy to be able to work with them," describes Roman Juráš, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Generali Česká pojišťovna.

Pragmatic view and experience sharing

The #FinŽENY project focuses on three key objectives. The first is the activation and networking of the women's finance community. At the same time, the project wants to be a strong voice that opens up key issues and really contributes to positive developments. "Last but not least, the #FinŽENY project will bring inspiration and appreciation to exceptional personalities, because we need inspirational stories across industries," says Jaroslav Kramer.

#FinŽENY will offer a pragmatic view on the topic of diversity in the financial segment and will aim to become an "umbrella project" that will also support the established inspirational activities. "As a part of the project, we want to point out that there are many exceptional women in the financial segment, bring their stories and appreciate them," says Jaroslav Kramer from Cover Story, adding that the project also wants to focus on men who support diversity in their teams, and organizations which are role models in this area.

Thanks to the involvement of the largest players in the market, the project aims to address not only the community of women in finance, but also the general public. At the same time, thanks to that, even the largest companies can share their experience and turn Czech financial sector into a segment that leads by example. "We take equal opportunities seriously and we want to further develop the diversity of our workplaces throughout our company. That is why diversity, equity and inclusion are one of the key pillars of our new strategy. We want to support all employees, we want everyone to be able to fulfill their professional potential. The environment of diversity enriches us, and together we can do other great things," adds Roman Juráš.

Among the partners and supporters of the project are, for example, Komerční banka, ČSOB, Moneta, Česká podnikatelská pojišťovna, Wood & Company or Fondee. The #FinŽENY project is also open to all companies operating in the financial market. It focuses not only on banks and insurance companies, but also on pension companies and savings associations, financial start-ups, investment companies and funds or consulting companies.

Hall of Fame and professional meetings

The #FinŽENY project will include activities that both strive to meet key objectives and with a historical outreach shape the community of women in finance into the future. During the spring, for example, referring to the very first two classes of the Minerva Grammar School, which in 1890 was the first in the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy to allow girls to pursue a high school diploma, it will place the 53 most influential ladies in the financial world in the Hall of Fame.

The project will also provide an overview of more than a hundred inspiring women, who are not always in the spotlight and executive roles, but whose contribution to the industry is inspiring. Professional meetings, professional round tables or a podcast series will be a regular part of the #FinŽENY community.