Tremendous progress but still so much to do

12 March 2025
Business Banking

When Krissie Jones, NAB’s Small Business Banking Executive, took to the stage in Melbourne for a panel event marking International Women’s Day, it was a story about her grandmother that made everyone pause and consider just how far banking – and society – has come.

While reflecting on her own journey in the banking industry, a field traditionally dominated by men, Krissie shared a story about her grandmother, Norma, who worked as a teller at a bank that eventually became part of ANZ.

“At the time of her marrying my grandfather, she had to ask permission to continue working at the bank as a married woman,” Krissie recounted, underscoring the significant progress made over the years.

Krissie joined Anna Bligh, CEO of the Australian Banking Association, on the panel where the pair shared insights on how more women can enter the banking industry and the broader implications of gender equality in the workplace, while highlighting their personal experiences and systemic changes needed to foster a more inclusive environment.

Explaining the significance of ‘sponsorship’, Krissie differentiated it to mentorship and spoke about how it can make the difference in advancing women into leadership roles.

“Mentoring involves giving advice and suggestions, whereas sponsorship means actively advocating for someone and backing them at different points in their career,” Krissie explained.

“For me, there were people who really helped me think more broadly and supported me in difficult moments,” she shared. This support, especially in hard times, she believes, is often the difference between someone who succeeds and someone who doesn’t.

Krissie also emphasised the importance of paid parental leave and its impact on gender equality. When paid parental leave was first introduced at NAB in 2021, only 4% of eligible men took advantage of it. However, by the following year, that number had risen to 26%.

“While it’s not 100% yet, it is still such awesome progress,” Krissie said, expressing optimism that this trend would continue to change the dynamics over generations and encourage more women into banking and other professions.

At a broader level, Krissie and Anna acknowledged the progress made by businesses in Australia in addressing gender biases and systemic hurdles, and highlighted the efforts of companies to recruit from the full pool of talent and provide supportive entitlements like paid parental leave and return-to-work programs.

Underscoring the importance of both individual and systemic efforts in advancing gender equality, Krissie and Anna spoke about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

As Krissie summed up: “While we have made tremendous progress, there is still so much to do”.

You can learn more about NAB’s commitment to helping female business owners start, grow and scale their businesses at the Women in Business landing page at nab.com.au.