LONDON, March 6, 2025 –- 30% Club, a business-led campaign to boost female representation at the board and C-Suite level in the world’s biggest companies, has announced the appointment of Jennifer Barker, Global Head of Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts at BNY, as its fifth Global Chair.
Jennifer brings a wealth of financial services experience and was recently named as one of ‘The Most Powerful Women in Banking’ by American Banker. In addition to her responsibilities spearheading BNY’s Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts businesses, Jennifer is a member of the BNY Executive Committee. Jennifer serves on the Ross School of Business Advisory Board, the board of Physicians for Peace and is a member of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Women’s Roundtable.
At BNY, Jennifer previously served as the Executive Sponsor for WIN, the company’s employee resource group supporting the retention and advancement of women, and today proudly serves as the Executive Sponsor for VETNET, BNY’s employee resource group supporting veterans, military spouses, family members and their colleagues.
“I’m delighted to take on this role as Global Chair of 30% Club,” said Jennifer Barker, Global Head of Treasury Services and Depositary Receipts at BNY. “I firmly believe an environment where all people can fully contribute, be themselves, and share their unique perspectives, ultimately leads to better commercial outcomes. That’s why I’m committed to advancing the campaign’s goal of encouraging CEOs and Chairs to strengthen every stage of their talent pipeline and cultivate the conditions for future leaders to not only thrive but progress into senior, decision-making positions.”
Jennifer succeeds Hanneke Smits, who assumed the role of Global Chair in February 2023. Under Hanneke’s leadership, 30% Club evolved its mission to ensure that businesses target diversity beyond the boardroom and in the C-suite. Hanneke, who retired as Chair of BNY Investments at the end of 2024, will continue to champion the campaign’s ambitions as a Global Ambassador.
“It has been a true privilege to serve as Global Chair,” added Hanneke. “I remain a fervent advocate of 30% Club’s strategic goals, and I’m excited to see what the campaign achieves next.”
Today, the 30% Club campaign’s global members include more than 1,000 board chairs and CEOs from 20 markets spanning across 6 continents.
Media contacts
30% Club
Mary Strange mary@30percentclub.org
Gay Collins gaycollins@montfort.london
Simone Selzer sselzer@brunswickgroup.com
BNY
Anneliese Diedrichs anneliese.diedrichs@bny.com
Saurav Karia Saurav.karia@bny.com
About 30% Club
The 30% Club is a global campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels of the world’s biggest companies. We set targets of a minimum of 30% female representation at the board and executive committee levels. This is the critical mass at which research shows minority voices are heard. However, the goal is parity.
The campaign’s international footprint unites more than 20 countries around the world, from Australia and Japan to Mexico, the US and Canada. We support diversity in its very broadest sense and while gender has been our starting point, we fully realise that considerations of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and beyond are all part of the journey – and that gender identities are themselves evolving rapidly. We believe that only those organisations that foster truly inclusive cultures – cultures that embrace women who look, act and, importantly, THINK differently – can reach their full potential to positively impact their people, their markets and their communities.
