The Gender Gap in Fintech Leadership

Fintech promised to democratize finance, to break down inefficiencies, and to give access to the world’s unbanked. Yet beneath its innovation lies an uncomfortable truth: women remain significantly underrepresented in this sector.

Globally, women make up less than 13% of fintech leadership positions, according to the IMF. This is lower than in both traditional banking and Big Tech — two industries not known for gender balance either.

The disparity grows sharper at higher levels of leadership. Nearly half of entry-level roles in financial services are held by women, but by the time the C-suite is reached, representation plummets into the teens. The result is what McKinsey calls the “broken rung” — the critical first step into management where women are left behind, setting off a career-long imbalance.

The Numbers Behind the Gap

The statistics highlight both the exclusion and the missed opportunity:

• Companies with women in executive roles deliver 13% higher revenues.

• Women-founded startups generate twice the revenue per dollar invested compared to male-founded firms.

• Despite this, female-founded fintechs captured less than 20% of US venture deal value in 2024, and all-female founding teams received just 1% of deal value.

This isn’t just a fairness issue — it’s a financial inefficiency. By sidelining women, fintech is leaving profit on the table.

Why Women Are Missing from Fintech

Fintech combines two historically male-dominated industries: finance and technology. Both have long-standing structural biases, and together they create compounded barriers.

• Networks remain male-dominated: men mentor, promote, and invest in other men, reinforcing exclusion.

• Cultural archetypes persist: the “fintech disruptor” is still imagined as a young male founder, hoodie-clad and aggressive in pitching. Women who defy this archetype face tougher scrutiny and skepticism about their competence.

• Systemic barriers matter: caregiving responsibilities, career penalties for breaks, and after-hours networking cultures disproportionately exclude women.

The result? Women enter fintech in significant numbers but fall out of the pipeline as they climb higher.

Innovation at Risk

The lack of female leadership has consequences that extend beyond representation.

1. Products with blind spots: Financial tools — from mobile wallets to lending platforms — are designed without reflecting women’s lived realities. A World Bank study shows women in emerging markets remain far less likely to own mobile money accounts. If fintech solutions are built without women’s perspectives, they risk widening the very gaps they were meant to close.

2. Investors missing returns: Boston Consulting Group confirms that women-led startups deliver more revenue per dollar invested. Ignoring female founders is not just unfair — it’s poor business strategy.

3. Reputation and talent: In an era where diversity is a benchmark of resilience, fintech’s gender imbalance damages its credibility. Younger generations expect inclusive workplaces, and industries that fail to adapt risk losing top talent.

Breaking the Cycle

So how can fintech fix its gender gap? Experts point to several strategies:

• Set representation goals at the board and executive levels, with accountability baked into reporting.

• Reform venture capital by building diverse investment committees, adopting blind pitch reviews, and backing female-led funds.

• Shift from mentorship to sponsorship: senior leaders must actively advocate for women and open doors, not just give advice.

• Highlight role models: every female founder who scales her company, every woman executive who steers an IPO, helps rewrite the narrative of what fintech leadership looks like.

The formula is straightforward: more women at the table = smarter products, stronger companies, and better returns.

Women Leading the Way: A Vision for Change

At Drofa Comms, we recognized that these systemic issues cannot be solved overnight. But we also believe that visibility, community, and shared voices are powerful levers of change. That is why we launched Women Leading the Way — a platform dedicated to amplifying female leadership in finance, fintech, and crypto.

This initiative combines storytelling, networking, and community building. It is a space where women professionals can share their journeys, inspire others, and remind themselves that they are not alone. Importantly, it also invites men to join as allies in reshaping the industry together.

When we released the first issue of Women Leading the Way, the response was overwhelming. Women expressed gratitude for finally seeing their stories highlighted, and men stepped forward to recommend talented female colleagues and share the magazine within their networks. This showed us that change is possible when inclusion is embraced collectively.

A Personal Mission

For Valentina Drofa, the visionary of the prefect, this project carries a deeply personal mission. As the mother of a daughter, she wants her child to grow up knowing that there are no limits to what she can achieve. When her daughter asks why some people still believe women “shouldn’t work,” Valentina responds by showing examples of scientists, entrepreneurs, leaders — even astronauts.

She believes representation matters, and through this initiative young women entering finance, fintech, and crypto can see role models ahead of them. With such visibility, they are encouraged to move forward with confidence rather than hesitation.

As she says:

“Women Leading the Way is not just about highlighting success stories. It is about creating a stage where professionals can meet, collaborate, and drive change together. It is about building a culture where women are visible, respected, and heard — and where men, too, join the effort as allies.”
— Valentina Drofa, CEO & Founder at Drofa Comms

Looking Ahead

We envision Women Leading the Way expanding beyond print and digital into more face-to-face events, conversations, and partnerships. The mission is clear: to inspire the next generation of women in finance and fintech, and to ensure the industry they enter is more inclusive, more diverse, and more innovative than the one we see today.

Final Thought

Fintech was built on the promise of inclusion and innovation. Yet until women have an equal seat at the table, that promise remains unfulfilled. The data is clear: diversity drives better products, stronger returns, and more resilient companies.

At Drofa Comms, through Women Leading the Way, we are committed to ensuring women are not only part of fintech’s story — they are leading it.