Financial Services for Women

Think gender doesn’t influence financial decision making? Think again.

Why women? Why now?
A story of untapped growth and potential

Women are reshaping the financial landscape—founding companies in record numbers, steering household financial decisions, and accelerating economic growth. Yet, despite their influence, many banks still miss the opportunity to fully meet their needs.

Financial behaviours are influenced by gender, and recognizing these differences isn’t just good practice—it’s a strategic advantage. When banks understand how women approach money, risk, and financial planning, they can unlock untapped markets and build stronger, more resilient relationships.

Acote Consulting is here to lead that transformation. We help financial institutions reimagine their approach to women clients—equipping them with insights, strategies, and innovations that create meaningful impact and drive long-term value.

What We Offer

  • Understand what women really want from their banking relationships.

    We conduct in-depth research to uncover the financial behaviours, barriers, and opportunities that shape women's banking experiences. Through qualitative and quantitative insights, we help you identify unmet needs and design effective strategies grounded in real data.

    Services include:

    • Gender-based market and customer segmentation

    • Voice-of-women research (surveys, focus groups, interviews)

    • Competitive benchmarking and global best practices

    • Financial inclusion and access-to-capital analysis

    Outcome: A clear, evidence-backed picture of how your institution can better serve women—and differentiate itself in the market.

  • Turn insights into a high-impact strategic roadmap.

    We work with leadership teams to build a comprehensive women-centered banking strategy that aligns with your institution’s goals, capabilities, and values.

    Services include:

    • Women-centered strategy design

    • Business case and ROI modeling

    • KPI development and success measurement frameworks

    • Implementation roadmaps and phased rollouts

    Outcome: A strategic plan that elevates your bank as a leader in advancing women’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment.

  • Create products and experiences that women trust, value, and recommend.

    Our team evaluates your current product suite and identifies gaps that prevent women from fully engaging with your institution. We then help design innovative solutions and customer experiences that meet women where they are.

    Services include:

    • Product audits through a gender lens

    • Development of new financial products tailored to women’s needs

    • Customer journey mapping & experience redesign

    • Women-focused advisory models and financial guidance frameworks

    Outcome: A banking experience that feels intuitive, supportive, and relevant to women at every life stage.

  • Build a brand women connect with—authentically.

    We help your bank speak to women with clarity, credibility, and purpose. This means more than inclusive imagery; it's a full strategic shift toward marketing that reflects the lived realities and ambitions of diverse women.

    Services include:

    • Brand and messaging audit

    • Marketing strategy and campaign development

    • Community engagement and partnership strategy

    • Events, programs, and thought leadership planning

    Outcome: A stronger brand reputation and deeper trust with women clients.

  • Equip your teams to engage women with confidence.

    Your strategy will only succeed if your employees are trained to deliver on it. We provide experiential training that improves communication, reduces bias, and strengthens advisory relationships.

    Services include:

    • Staff training on serving women clients

    • Leadership coaching and executive alignment

    • Advisory toolkits and conversation guides

    Outcome: A workforce that builds stronger, more meaningful relationships with women clients.

  • Transform your institution from the inside out.

    Serving women effectively requires internal alignment. We help you build a gender-inclusive culture where policies, processes, and behaviours support your external women-centered strategy.

    Services include:

    • Gender equity culture assessments

    • Policy and credit review through a gender lens

    • DEI alignment for customer-facing strategies

    • Employee engagement and internal communications

    Outcome: A more inclusive institution—internally and externally.

  • From concept to execution—support every step of the way.

    Whether you’re launching a pilot or scaling to multiple markets, we provide hands-on support to bring your vision to life.

    Services include:

    • Program design and launch support

    • Cross-functional coordination

    • Change management & communication planning

    • Ongoing advisory and performance monitoring

    Outcome: Smooth, strategic implementation that accelerates results.

  • Measure what matters—and act on it.

    Gender-disaggregated data is essential for sustainable growth. We help you build the systems and dashboards needed to monitor your women-focused initiatives and demonstrate impact.

    Services include:

    • Gender data strategy

    • Dashboard and reporting design

    • Annual impact and inclusion reporting

    Outcome: Clear visibility into your progress and opportunities for growth.

  • Position your bank as an industry leader championing women’s economic advancement.

    We help you communicate your commitment to women through meaningful, evidence-backed thought leadership.

    Services include:

    • White papers, research reports, and insights articles

    • Event design, keynote development, and speaking strategy

    • Media and PR support

    Outcome: Greater influence, recognition, and brand authority.

  • Extend your reach into the communities where women thrive.

    Through curated partnerships, your bank can become a visible champion for women entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders.

    Services include:

    • Partnership identification and vetting

    • Relationship building and co-branded programming

    • Community investment and sponsorship strategy

    Outcome: Increased visibility, trust, and credibility among women.

Whether you want to strengthen your retail, business banking, or wealth strategies for women, sharpen your value proposition, or create a unified approach across your teams, Acote is your partner. We help you design women-centered strategies and experiences that drive clarity, alignment, and results.

Who we serve

Whether you're building a women-focused strategy for the first time or strengthening an existing program—we’ll help you move from intention to impact. We work with:

  • National and regional banks

  • Credit unions

  • Community banks

  • Developmental lenders

  • Fintech companies

  • Economic Development Agencies

  • Financial service organizations

Why work with us

Most financial service providers genuinely want to support women—and many have invested in programs, products, and partnerships to prove it. Yet despite that intent, outcomes remain limited and impact uneven. The issue is not commitment. It’s that women’s banking is rarely treated as a core business strategy and tied to revenue growth, portfolio resilience, and long-term competitiveness. When women’s banking sits at the margins instead of the balance sheet, even well-designed initiatives struggle to scale or deliver sustained returns.

We bring a unique combination of research-backed expertise, real-world experience, and deep understanding of women’s financial journeys. Our approach is data-driven and grounded in a commitment to economic empowerment.

Financial services providers partner with us because we:

  • Deliver clear, actionable strategies—not generic recommendations

  • Understand the nuances of gender and financial behaviour

  • Build authentic, trust-based solutions that resonate with women

  • Support implementation every step of the way

  • Help institutions lead in innovation, inclusion, and social impact

We don’t just help financial services providers attract women customers, we help them build lasting relationships that drive loyalty, growth, and meaningful change.

  • "Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what they do."

    Former Customer

  • "A professional team that delivers on their promises."

    Former Customer

  • Shannon is a true leader in women's banking and her knowledge and experience are beyond compare. She has the ability to balance the needs of the sector with the needs of women as banking customers.

    VP Financial Institution