In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, we were delighted to hold a Women in Finance breakfast roundtable hosted by Patricia Vicente, Director, and featuring guest speaker Begoña F Alepuz, corporate leadership and women’s coach. 

Trained by the esteemed Dr Joanna Martin of the global women’s leadership organization, One of many®, Begoña led an insightful discussion on the transformative concept of soft power. This approach empowers women to access their inner resilience, fostering authentic connections with themselves and others. Soft power equips us to navigate life’s challenges effectively, while sustaining mental health. 

It was inspiring to see so many women from the finance sector explore how we integrate soft power principles in our workplaces. Discussions revolved around nurturing self-compassion and self-care, enhancing effective communication, and setting boundaries to reduce misunderstanding and stress, promoting collaboration and resilience, and embracing adaptability to cultivate a growth mindset.

Furthermore, the session highlighted the impact on individual’s mental health when operating in, what Geert Hofstede defines as, a masculine paradigm emphasizing assertiveness, heroism and achievement versus a feminine paradigm valuing cooperation, modesty and quality of life, and the need for change. 

Key insights from the breakfast included the importance of mental health at the center of our workplaces and lives and that soft power principles will enable us to be effective women leaders and drive change together.

We would like to thank all the attendees for participating in the event and Begoña for joining us and facilitating the session. 

If you are a woman in finance and would like to attend a future event, please do contact us.