Debbie Crosbie

"We should be in a strong position to inspire the next generation of female leaders. However, our post-pandemic ways of working may deny many women the opportunities that were so important to me in my early career."

"In the early head-spinning weeks of Covid lockdown, we were quick to champion the benefits of home working."

"So many ditched the commute and extolled the virtue of flexibility and being able to balance home and work life more seamlessly."

"It was only in the months that followed, that people realised the downside of home working wasn’t benefitting everyone equally."

"We find, certainly at Nationwide... that men are more likely to come into the office than women"."

"Being seen and then seeing other leaders is a really important part of development."

"I benefited enormously from watching some really excellent leaders and how they navigated challenging problems."

"Businesses do have a role to play in that."

"We just need to be careful that we don't inadvertently prevent women from taking some of the opportunities by not being in the office when they feel it's beneficial both to their skills and to contribute to the business."