Brazil's finance sector reports rise of women leaders amid ongoing challenges

A panel hosted by Pagos – Brazil's Payments Ecosystem Association – in late May brought together Juliana Pentagna Guimarães (executive director, Banco BS2), Carol Corvalán (sales director, PagBank) and Linconl Rocha (president, Pagos) to discuss gender diversity in the financial and payments markets. They noted that women already make up about 35.4% of the capital‑market workforce and roughly 30% of BS2’s leadership roles, but their share in senior positions such as CFO, CIO or fund‑manager remains low.

Panelists highlighted structural and cultural barriers, including a persistent “machista” corporate culture, the difficulty of balancing work with motherhood, and a salary gap where women earn on average 68.7% of male counterparts. A 2024 study in the International Review of Financial Analysis found firms with higher female representation in top leadership enjoy about 11% greater investment efficiency. The speakers called for stronger internal policies, mentorship programmes and bias‑reversal measures to sustain and expand women’s participation in finance.