Working as part of the EBRD family since 1992, Charlotte Ruhe has successfully pioneered an extensive career, always remaining an inspirational female leader within the banking and finance sector.
As EBRD's Managing Director for Central and South Eastern Europe, Charlotte has always demonstrated a strong commitment to equality since joining the EBRD in 1992. Starting out as an Associate Banker and then Advisor to the Director for the United States, Charlotte moved into EBRD's Financial Institutions Team where she worked on debt and equity transactions in the Baltic States, Central Europe, Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Charlotte also worked as director for EBRD's Small Business Support team - bringing together considerable knowledge supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across 25 countries. As part of the role, Charlotte led the integration of the Bank’s donor-funded business advice programmes into a key pillar of EBRD’s offer for small businesses. Under Charlotte's leadership, the programmes were expanded into many countries including Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan.
Charlotte has also worked as EBRD’s Director for Croatia based in Zagreb and oversaw a team of bankers investing around 250 million Euro each year in projects and a billion-Euro portfolio. An impressive leader, Charlotte has an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University.
An inspiring advocate for diversity and inclusion
Diversity is important to Charlotte and she values that the EBRD is committed to continuously maintaining a strong focus on diversity and inclusion throughout its environment. The bank has a tremendous mix of talented and diverse staff members with backgrounds spanning many countries and different ethnic origins, languages and cultures - as well as diversity of age, gender and sexual orientation. Charlotte is a strong and influential advocate when it comes to EBRD embracing an inclusive workforce.
"Diversity means much more than our visible characteristics such as nationality, gender or race. It also relates to less visible traits such as sexual orientation, leadership style, personality, unseen disability and defining life experience. We get the best out of diversity at EBRD by understanding, embracing and practicing inclusion."
Charlotte Ruhe, managing director, Central & South Eastern Europe.
EBRD Spectrum is the Bank's LGBT network
EBRD's Spectrum Network exists to raise the visibility of LGBT staff at the Bank so that employees who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-sexual feel more comfortable about being open about their sexuality in the workplace. Spectrum promotes peer support among LGBT staff at the Bank, raises awareness of LGBT issues among employees and management and actively contributes to the Bank’s diversity agenda. It is also Spectrum's responsibility to raise issues concerning the LGBT community to senior management to ensure that the Bank remains an exceptional employer for LGBT staff.
Leaders like Charlotte encourage an open and inclusive culture
Recognising and valuing difference is at the heart of everything EBRD does. The Bank seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect, has equal opportunities and feels valued. Diversity helps drive greater collaboration, innovation, better decision-making and strong relationships with everyone the EBRD works with. The Bank aims to sustain and build on this strength - focusing on gender balance, multiculturalism, flexible working, LGBT and disability.
This emphasis on the importance of diversity in all aspects at work is incredibly important to Charlotte. The Bank is an advocate of flexibility in the workplace and as a single parent this flexibility has allowed Charlotte to achieve her career aspirations while still maintaining a healthy balance in her home life. It is vital that manager’s support flexible working to ensure we promote a healthy work life balance culture in the bank.
EBRD has a number of proactive employee networks including EBRDConnect, African-Caribbean, Asian, EBRD Parents, Disability and Spectrum (LGBT). Working hand in hand with their Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, these networks promote and increase awareness of all aspects of diversity and inclusion and shape an exciting calendar of events across the Bank's countries of operations.
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The EBRD invests in changing lives - a mission that couldn't be achieved without its employees. Join inspirational leaders like Charlotte and search EBRD jobs today to find your next role in banking and finance.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.