Grant's wishful thinking
Thank you Grant Ellis, for those few kind, if vastly patronising words about how good at stuff we 'ladeez' are (4 September, Insurance Times).
I am sure that Mr Ellis thinks that an article such as this will have all us downtrodden girls fair
simpering with gratitude at being encouraged - nay, chivvied - into pursuing high profile positions such as leading Biba.
However, I would like to point out that as far as I can see, Mike Williams (bloke though he may be) has managed, with the support of a dedicated team of both sexes, to lead Biba from relative obscurity and old-fashioned stodginess into the noughties with enthusiasm and clarity. Perhaps the key issue here is not "Girls, you could do this quite well since you are able to do the ironing and look after babies at the same time," but that old cliché that the best person for the job is always going to be the one equipped with the correct competencies - irrespective of sex, race or any other irrelevant issue.
And please don't tell me that this was a light-hearted article. Even if that was the case, it amply shows that there are still many senior managers out there (particularly in the insurance industry) who have not yet cast off their good ol' boy prejudices, but seek to be seen to be saying what they believe are the right things.
If the future incumbent of the Biba post happens to turn out to be a woman, I shall be delighted, provided that same individual continues to serve the broking community in a positive and productive way. However, the idea of appointing a person on the basis of their sex is an offensive and backward-looking notion.
Are we to suppose that Ellis is about to relinquish his position at Broker Network to be replaced by a multi-tasking matriarch from Venus? All applicants please form an orderly queue.
Kate Foreman
