Speaker Christian Bayer 

The 2nd annual Workshop for Women in Macroeconomics, Finance and Economic History is being organized by the DIW Berlin. The aim is to bring together female academic researchers and practitioners to promote and exchange ideas in the field of Macroeconomics, Finance, and Economic History. We invite contributions, including, but not limited to macroeconomic and financial stability, interactions between monetary policy and financial regulation, institutional change and capital market integration, and studies dealing with expectations and experience. The conference will facilitate and support the formation of professional networks among female economists across academia and policy institutions.

More than ten years after the crisis, the financial sector is still in the midst of a far-reaching transformational process. The regulatory environment remains a headwind for financial institutions, and new technologies are changing the rules of the game. Zero interest rates and flat yield curves, in particular in Europe, deprive credit institutions of their traditional income from the credit and maturity transformation business. Populism and political uncertainty create additional challenges, curtailing investment and risk-taking. Finally, the ever-increasing focus for investors and corporations alike on topics around ESG – environmental, social and governance – and sustainability brings with it a whole new set of challenges and opportunities that need to be navigated. An important element in successfully tackling these challenges is a healthy corporate culture that allows for the necessary change to happen – including an increase in female representation and a better gender balance in corporate board rooms.

This conference will present an outlook on these developments and their implications for the financial services industry and economies at large, primarily presented by leading female exponents of the financial services industry as well as key public authorities.