"The Women in Finance Charter target is a key benchmark for Morgan Stanley EMEA, reinforcing our accountability and focus on sustained, measurable progress.
We remain committed to increasing the representation of women in senior management and take a long-term, strategic approach: tailored recruitment and retention efforts, proactive career development, and robust leadership development programmes. We equip and support our managers, while accountability is embedded at the highest levels of the Firm.
Our core values, including ‘Commit to Diversity and Inclusion’, are central to everything that we do.”
Clare Woodman
Head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America and Canada, and CEO of Morgan Stanley & Co. International
Charter Targets Progress
When we signed up to the Charter in 2017, we aspired to 30% women in senior leadership, which we met two years earlier than expected. In 2022, we increased our target to achieve at least 35% female representation in senior management. We define senior management as the UK-based officers in the Operating Committee and two direct/co-direct reporting layers below them.
2025 Progress Highlights
- Female membership on our main Morgan Stanley International Board stands at 47%.
- Female representation on our EMEA Operating Committee stands at 43%.
- Female representation across our overall workforce has increased from 34.3% (2018) to 41% (2025).
- 41% of UK Officer promotions in 2024 were women, and our January 2025 and January 2024 female MD promotion classes were at a record high.
- We have reduced our UK Gender Pay Gap median for the Morgan Stanley UK Group from 34.3 % (2018) to 26.4% (2024).
- Our percentage of women on the UK Summer Analyst & IP Programmes was 52% in 2025.
- We welcomed our 4th cohort of Future Generation Scholars to the firm, 22 Summer Interns and 3 Industrial Placements across both London (20) and Glasgow (5). The scholar class comprised 40% Women. Additionally we hired 11 summer interns from the 10,000 Black Interns Programme (7 London, 4 Glasgow), 64% Women.
- We continued to invest in our leadership pipeline with a best-in-class talent development curriculum for high-performing women that focuses on career progression, manager involvement and executive coaching.
- We embed manager and leadership training modules including content on inclusive leadership for all employees.
- Our comprehensive family support and women’s health benefits across all EMEA locations, including the partnership of Firmwide Head of Family Advocacy for EMEA to support new and expecting parents.
- We are recognised amongst The Times UK Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality 2025, in association with Business in the Community.
- In its fourth year, our Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Lab continues its commitment to a more equitable and sustainable investment landscape; 8 founders of the 2025 cohort meet the criteria for the UK Invest in Women Taskforce commitment.
- Our continued investment in industry research and benchmarking in partnership with organizations including Women in Banking and Finance, Coqual, and the London School of Economics’ (LSE) Inclusion Initiative.
EMEA Diversity and Inclusion Governance and Strategy
The EMEA Diversity and Talent Action Council provides thought leadership and acts as a catalyst to drive forward the overall EMEA diversity and inclusion strategy in partnership with Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion and the Talent teams. The Council meets bi-monthly and is chaired by Juliet Estridge, Managing Director, EMEA Head of Research and Arya Sekhar, EMEA Chief Risk Officer. Additionally, each Managing Director member is held accountable by their Division/Region Head for supporting their diversity and talent priorities. Regular meetings are held with Division/Region Heads, their Chief Operating Officers and Diversity Action Council members to review divisional progress. Accountability is further reinforced by monthly strategic dialogue with the EMEA Operating Committee.