A special morning at the FMO office! Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended the closing event of the F€mpower Your Growth pilot program, to listen and talk to participating female entrepreneurs and bankers. Queen Maxima was present as a member of the Dutch Committee for Entrepreneurship and special advocate of the UN Secretary General for Inclusive Financing for Development (UNSGSA).
The F€mpower Your Growth Program, organized by ABN Amro, ING, FMO, Rabobank, Better Future and The Next Women NL, is a series of masterclasses for ambitious female entrepreneurs and bankers to better understand each other and address their unconscious biases. The program supports female entrepreneurs in their personal development, expanding their network and encouraging them to think big so that their business ambitions can be realized.
The importance of a value chain approach was emphasized, different types of financial players - private equity partners, Qredits and banks – should combine efforts to provide female entrepreneurs with access to finance in each phase of their business.
Peter van Mierlo, CEO of FMO said during his opening speech: “We still have a long way to go to a gender-balanced future. But initiatives such as the F€mpower Your Growth Program help to put the importance of equal opportunities for male and female entrepreneurs on the agenda. The program provides valuable insights and experiences that will accelerate the success of other female entrepreneurs and enable innovation within the financial sector. I therefore call on my fellow banking colleagues here to continue the F€mpower Your Growth program and invite other banks to participate.”
More successful female entrepreneurs means more thriving companies, more job opportunities and a positive effect on the economy as a whole.
More information on the program can be found here: https://www.thenextwomen.com/fempower-your-growth/
