We achieved our previously published commitment as a signatory of HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter (WIFC) of 33% of senior management positions within the UK undertaken by female employees by the end of 2023, and increased this to a commitment of achieving 40% by the end of 2026.

As at September 2025 and just over halfway through our renewed commitment period, our WIFC percentage stands at 35.8%.

Read more detail about our Employees.

2025 Update

When OSB first signed up to the Women in Finance Charter (WIFC) in January 2017, there were 16 female employees undertaking senior management positions out of a population of 67 (23.9%).

At the end of 2020, the Group published an increased target that by the end of 2023, 33% of UK Senior Management positions would be undertaken by female employees, which was subsequently achieved.

Our current target is to reach 40% UK Senior Management positions would be undertaken by female employees by the end of 2026.

Just over halfway through our renewed commitment period, we have improved from 33% to a current position of 35.80% however require further considerable progress to achieve 40% by the end of 2026.

The majority of senior vacancies which have emerged in 2025 have related to specialist technical positions sitting within our IT and Transformation functions. Candidate pools for these roles have been predominantly male, therefore presenting a challenge in identifying a significant volume of female candidates.

Of the senior vacancies which have been closed in 2025 with an externally appointed candidate, 31% (8 of 26) have seen a female appointed, which has not enabled significant progress towards the achievement of our published target.

Whilst the Group has and will continue to always make promotion or recruitment decisions based on performance, competence and expertise, we continue to strive to identify diverse candidates for senior vacancies, with a requirement detailed within our Recruitment and Selection Policy that for all senior management vacancies, at least one suitably qualified female candidate must be subject to face to face interview.

Our Policy also details that before an offer of employment can be progressed, any exceptions to this requirement require Executive approval, with an expectation that exception requests won’t be submitted until a vacancy has been live for at least 90 days in order to ensure that there has been an appropriate period of time for female candidates to be identified.

Additionally, an existing senior female employee is required to be part of the selection process for all senior recruitment processes, to minimise the risk of potential unconscious bias and to reflect a positive gender focussed culture to candidates being interviewed.

Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist, we continue to identify and implement activities which raise awareness of, and support gender diversity, and have made significant enhancements to our family and health related benefits, aiding the retention of female employees and helping us to attract female candidates to consider employment opportunities within the Group.

These enhancements included increases to paid Maternity and Adoption Leave, Fertility Leave, Neonatal Leave, Miscarriage Leave, Carer Leave, Emergency & Dependent Leave and the provision of fully funded Reproductive Health Support. We have also signed up to the ‘Employers with Heart’ Charter and are investing in ‘Careers After Babies’ Accreditation, which will involve an external review of our policies and procedures through the lens of women returning to the workplace after an extended absence.

Separately, we’re proud to have strong female representation at senior committee level, whereby 4 out of 9 OSB Group Board are female, as are 36% of our Group Executive Committee, including our Chief Financial Officer and Chief People Officer.