The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) recently received acknowledgement from UN Women for its efforts to foster gender diversity in its workforce. In this report BNZ presents a case study of these efforts.

The pre-requisites to taking action on diversity are outlined, and a diagram and discussion are presented of the actions BNZ have taken since initiating the project in April 2010; these include a programme targeting high-potential women for upward movement, targets and measures for women's representation in senior management, the institution of flexible work options for all roles, and training programmes to identify unconscious bias.

Results of the 2012 New Zealand Census of Women's Participation (ibid) are summarised, and the business case for diversity is presented in terms of the growing female market, accessing talent pools and increased profitability. BNZ also supports community initiatives relating to diversity and skills building. The conclusion also discusses BNZ's efforts to implement ethnic diversity and accessibility initiatives