Of all the gender imbalances at banks, one is particularly perplexing. Despite sharing a similar necessary skill set, women make up a significantly higher percentage of compliance than risk professionals in finance. The big question is why?

Part of the explanation lies in the career paths that lead into each profession. Often professionals with a legal background - frequently women - have moved into compliance roles while those with experience in operations and audit - typically men - have moved into risk. These initial career paths have typically led to risk professionals being mostly men while the majority of women find their way into compliance.