Attendance was the highest ever recorded for an Alliance Summit, where participants gather each year to share best practices on serving women well and discuss the latest market approaches and innovations.

The growing convening power of the Alliance marks increasing recognition among financial services providers that the female economy has significant untapped potential – and that effectively delivering solutions to women requires a holistic approach that more financial institutions need to learn how to provide.

“The Alliance has members working in more than 135 countries to support women with the full range of financial products and non-financial services they need to build economic resilience,” said Inez Murray, CEO of the Financial Alliance for Women. “We are delighted that more financial institutions are beginning to understand the opportunity of the Women’s Market and are seeking out resources like the Alliance’s peer learning network to help enable them to unlock its full value.”

The 2019 Summit came on the heels of the organization’s recent brand expansion, where it evolved from the Global Banking Alliance for Women to the Financial Alliance for Women. At the conclusion of the event, Mastercard Executive Vice Chairman Ann Cairns was announced as the new Chair of the Alliance.

“Ensuring that women have access to quality financial services isn’t just good, it’s good business,” Ann Cairns said. “With the Financial Alliance for Women, we have a real opportunity to advocate for women and drive greater awareness of their power as consumers, investors and entrepreneurs. Taking on the chair role is an honor, as my personal passion aligns with their mission to increase economic empowerment for all women. Together, we can make a difference by opening doors and making financial services more accessible for women around the world.”

Ann succeeds Tania Moussallem, who served as Chair of the Alliance’s board for two terms from 2015-2019.