A leading female Sipps and pensions expert says she has spoken against a Government-led initiative to promote greater ‘gender diversity’.

Claire Trott, head of pensions strategy at Technical Connection, said she has experienced discrimination in her career.

But she is troubled by the thought that the Women In Finance’ charter will bring a “whole new level of planned positive discrimination”.

While “their hearts are in the right place”, she said she finds positive discrimination “just as frustrating and more so sometimes”.

Nearly 100 financial services firms have signed the Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter, which commits firms to increasing gender diversity at senior levels.

Introducing targets for the number of women in leading jobs adds “additional pressure on recruitment and promotions that have absolutely nothing to do with who is best for the job”, she believes.

She said: “There is also the issue of suggesting that the pay of senior executives is linked to the gender diversity targets, I find this very disconcerting and can see how the outcomes may be skewed if things are not monitored and documented well enough.”

As part of the scheme, young women starting out in finance were paired off in a speed dating style scenario to receive mentoring from 40 senior bosses at the London Stock Exchange last week.

Ms Trott, said: “Speed dating and mentoring don’t necessarily go together in my opinion. It isn’t to say the event didn’t add value to the individuals involved, but it was just a brief insight into the world of those in the finance industry and little long-term benefit will be gained from such a short meeting."

She said she doesn’t stand for the status quo but during her career in the sector “things have changed dramatically for the better and this all seems a little late for me”.

Ms Trott was writing in her latest column for sister website Sipps Professional. Read more from her HERE.