International Women's Day: From fixing women to fixing systems

Nexi Group is a leading provider of digital payment services and related technology solutions across Europe. Connecting banks, businesses, the public sector, and consumers via an international network facilitating digital payments. As of EOY 2025, Nexi has a 33% ratio of women in managerial roles, with DE&I training 100% complete across all business units.  

As a product and technology leader based in Copenhagen, I work at the intersection of technology and business staying very close to both the business unit and the customer. My role extends across diverse European markets, where cultural differences shape the way people work, consume technology and experience leadership, shaping my leadership style and my views on inclusion. 

Whilst launching eCommerce products in Germany, and driving Nordic e-commerce growth have been career highlights, what I'm most proud of is driving organisational and cultural change. Product strategy relies on culture to change how teams operate and serve customers. 

What International Women's Day really represents 

For me, International Women's Day is a moment of accountability. Change only happens if you stop and ask whether you're making progress. IWD forces that pause to be public. Visibility matters. Without it, these conversations fade into the background. 

I've seen the narrative shift in an important way over time: from "teaching women how to succeed in a man's world" and toward recognising systemic bias. 

From "fixing women" to fixing systems 

For years, leadership development focused on what women supposedly lacked: visibility, confidence and assertiveness. But the real issue isn't women's behaviour, it's the systems that decide who gets seen, trusted, and promoted. 

Unconscious bias becomes clear at senior levels where leadership is built on trust, and trust often favours those who look, think, and act alike.  

That's why targets and board-level accountability matter. Not to give women an unfair advantage, but to counterbalance one men have consistently benefited from. Change is fastest when it starts at the top. 

Fintech, diversity and widening the talent pool 

As a woman in leadership, gender diversity is front of mind, but diversity must go beyond this. Women represent 50% of the population, but far from half of senior leads. 

Fintech could address this by solving its diversity problem more broadly - if companies recruit from the same narrow pools, they will continue to hire people who resemble the current leadership. 

Widening the talent lens doesn't just bring more women, but also better perspectives. I've seen enormous value in hiring from industries like media and digital services, where teams already navigated transformation journeys that finance sectors were only beginning.  

Many women work in technology, but often in design or product roles, rather than engineering or infrastructure.  Introducing programming earlier and more broadly in education, would change who sees themselves in technical careers, as exposure to these industries creates potential.  

When "supportive" policies backfire 

Well-intended policies can reinforce bias. Flexible working introduced to "help women" can fuel assumptions that women will be less committed - a deeply damaging narrative. 

I've heard statements like "women just don't want leadership roles as much once they have children" far too often. Repeated often, those assumptions become self-fulfilling and profoundly unfair. Work–life balance is a universal human issue. 

Inclusion is a shared responsibility 

I've experienced unconscious exclusion in my career, often without malicious intent. I've learned inclusion is mutual. If you're in the room, you belong. Leaders also need help understanding what inclusion looks like in practice. Progress often comes from honest conversations, not blame. 

Inclusion needs supportive leadership 

I'm fortunate to work for a company where diversity and inclusion are strongly supported from the top, with clear commitment from our Leadership. DE&I at Nexi is not simply an initiative, it is a business priority. 

We believe that the strongest results, innovation, and talent attraction come from bringing together diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.  This aligns with our value of enjoying the richness of diversity, reflecting how we see inclusion as a driver of both performance and culture. 

Advice for women entering payments and fintech 

I don't give different advice to women than I do to men. My guidance is simple: 

do what you enjoy. Play to your strengths. And lean in. Don't wait to be discovered – step into opportunities to improve something, for the customer, the business, or the team. Responsibility often follows initiative.  

Leaders need to encourage everyone to have individual accountability, owning their growth and impact. Small, everyday actions shape an inclusive culture where people feel heard, valued, and empowered. 

Mentorship, sponsorship and what really matters 

Mentorship works if you actively seek it and know what you want from it. You don't become your mentor, you learn from them. Sponsorship is different: you earn it through visibility, ambition, and impact. Sponsors advocate for you when you're not in the room. Women need sponsors, and organisations must recognise their businesses value. 

When 'Give to Gain' becomes 'Give and Get' 

This International Women's Day, we're embracing the IWD theme 'Give to Gain', but with a Nexi twist that aligns with our people promise, turning it into 'Give and Get', reflecting the way DE&I is a mutual commitment to shape our culture.  

When we 'Give', we focus on what we offer each other every day: showing up, providing support, creating opportunities, and giving honest feedback, recognition, and trust. It's how we grow stronger together.  What do we 'Get' in return? We learn from diverse perspectives, gain inspiration and new ideas from others, and value different viewpoints for stronger collaboration, growth, and performance. 

Looking ahead 

Despite global political shifts, I haven't seen a retreat from DE&I in Europe, certainly not at Nexi. When diversity and inclusion are embedded into culture, targets, and leadership behaviour, they don't disappear when the narrative changes. That's how real progress is made. International Women's Day isn't about celebration alone. It's about momentum and the responsibility to keep moving forward.