Holly Villiers and Sarah Carroll have both been recognised in the FT and HERoes Champions of Women in Business 2018 for both their continued efforts to support the development of female colleagues at MUFG, and their own successes.

The FT and HERoes Champions of Women in Business lists celebrate the progresses being made by women across the UK, Ireland and around the world. They are published annually by the Financial Times, showcasing female business leaders and their male allies.

This is the second time that Sarah Carroll, Managing Director, Corporate Banking at MUFG, has been listed.

At MUFG, Sarah has been instrumental in launching and growing its gender diversity employee network, Balance. Her efforts have seen employee engagement and awareness build significant momentum, while promoting a change in company culture. Sarah has also been involved in working with other banks and financial services companies to share knowledge and best practice gained through her experience at MUFG.

Among her significant business credentials, Sarah can point to a long, successful track record in establishing and developing relationships with some of Europe's largest companies. Since joining MUFG, Sarah has grown her revenue base and client portfolio substantially, and won important mandates across a broad range of geographies and solutions, including debt capital markets, interest rate and equity derivatives, acquisition finance, and transaction banking.

Holly Villiers, Head of UK, Ireland and Nordics Corporate Banking at MUFG has also been recognised for her work at MUFG across the EMEA region. She is responsible for client coverage in these countries, managing and initiating key strategies to ensure sustainable growth. Holly's strong networking and leadership skills means she has a positive track record in successfully pitching and delivering solutions to clients, which she accredits to great teamwork and global collaboration across the bank.

Shortly after arriving at MUFG, Holly initiated the bank's Inclusion and Diversity strategy in EMEA and is a member of the steering committee. A passionate advocate of the bank's gender strategy she is also a role model for junior women in the bank. In 2017, Holly advocated for MUFG to sign the UK Government's Women in Finance Charter and she has been instrumental in implementing Board level targets for improvement.

Sarah Carroll said:

"I am extremely grateful and proud to be nominated for this award for a second time. It is always a great achievement to be recognised for the work you do, but particularly so when this work addresses inclusion and diversity for everyone. As this pursuit has defined much of my career to date, I will continue to support and grow MUFG's company culture and encourage everyone else to do so."

Holly Villiers added:

"It is fantastic to be nominated and recognised in the FT and HERoes list and I am very proud to be in the company of so many individuals who have made such a difference in driving gender parity across their industries and beyond.

"We know that diverse teams and workplaces are simply more successful and ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential is a core belief of mine. To be acknowledged for supporting this in my field is definitely a career highlight. I strongly believe in creating a high performance culture for everyone, and I will continue to support this progress; not only within MUFG, but wherever I can make a difference."

Founder of INvolve and HERoes, Suki Sandhu, says:

"These lists have been created with one aim – to create gender parity in workplaces across the globe.

"The role models we're recognising aren't just those who have achieved success themselves – they're those who are committed to lifting others with them as they climb, and ultimately fuelling the female talent pipeline.

"As evidenced by the recent reporting of gender pay gap data across the UK, the quest for workplace gender equality is not complete. All of our champions are inspiring the next generation of female talent who will go on to obliterate the glass ceiling. Ultimately, through these lists we hope to encourage individuals and businesses to stand up and work together to drive change not just in workplaces, but across society as a whole."

All of the 2018 Champions of Women in Business were nominated by peers and colleagues. Nominations were then reviewed by the FT and HERoes judging panel, consisting of:

• Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments
• Mark Wilson, CEO, Aviva
• Gigi Chao, Vice Chairman, Cheuk Nang Holdings Limited
• Helena Morrissey, Head of Personal Investing, Legal & General Investment Management
• Suki Sandhu, Founder and CEO, INvolve
• Harriet Arnold, Assistant Editor, Special Reports, Financial Times.